A Trip: The Bookstore and Beyond

A shopping trip, a search for products and information. I found both at Barnes and Nobles. As I was searching for a new cookbook I remembered that I also had to go into the US travel section.  After gathering 2 cookbooks and 6 or 7 travel books, I headed to the coffee shop in Barnes and Noble. I love reading, testing books with a large glass of ice tea. A sweet vanilla cupcake, a pile of books and ice tea, what a shopping trip!  After checking out the cookbooks, nothing I can't live without...I hit the travel books.  Where am I traveling you ask?  My mom and I are going to California for a week and for the fist time we are driving from LA to San Fransisco. I have family in Palo Alto and my doctor is Los Angeles. This will be the first time in years I have taken a real vacation.  Just mom and me. I can't wait, we will be stopping along the way, taking a few days for shopping, sight seeing, farmers markets and anywhere we want to go.  Don't worry, I am going to bring along my broken (screen) laptop to keep you all up to date. I can't wait!  

Roasted Mint & Garlic Chicken

Webber Grills Garlic-and Mint-Roasted Chicken

It's wonderfully juicy... simple hearty food. One of my favorite bits of the chicken is the crispy skin and burst of mint that fills your mouth. I served this with a grilled vegetable salad with balsamic vinegar. Yum!


This is a family favorite recipe, but we haven't made it in a while.  Enjoy!
Indirect / high heat
10 to 12 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds


In a food processor  or blender, combine the garlic, mint, chili powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, orange juice, and soy sauce. Puree until smooth. Remove the wing tips and excess fat from the chicken. Spread the puree mixture over the inside and outside of the chicken. Truss the chicken with cotton string. Place in a plastic bag, secure closed and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or as long as 24 hours.  
Following the grill's instructions, secure the chicken in the middle of a rotisserie in place, and turn it on. Cook the chicken indirectly over high heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the breasts is 170˚, 1 to  1 1/4 hours. Check the chicken occasionally; if the skin is browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. 
When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the rotisserie and using thick pot holders, remove the rotisseries from the grill. Slide the chicken from the rotisserie, being careful not to splatter yourself with the hot juices. Cut the chicken into a serving pieces. Serve warm.  
4 servings

Passover Chroses

Passover is my favorite holiday... nothing ever changes except the location. The rituals, the traditions, the food... It is so good. This recipe comes from a very old, very stained cookbook from the Lafayette Sisterhood. My mom has a copy that my grandmother, Bubbe (with a recipe handwritten on the inside cover), gave her and I have my Bubbe's copy.


In my home this is a very treasured and very loved cookbook. When I was younger, grampa and I would get the mortar and pestle out and peel the apples together and hand grind the nuts, no food processesers allowed. Obviously that has changed. Happy Passover and next year in Jerusalem!

1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled

1 Braburn Apple, peeled

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 tea cinnamon

1/4 to 1/3 cup honey

Manichevitz wine

1 lemon, juiced

Peel the apples and slice them in to 5 or 6 pieces. In a small bowl, add together the apples and 1/2 of the lemon juice with warm water. This will keep the apples from browning. Let it sit for 10 minutes or more. In a food processor chop the apple pieces into small bits. Do not let the apples become soft or applesaucy. Mix together the apples, walnuts, and the remainder of lemon juice to taste. Add in cinnamon and mix well. Stir in the wine and honey- all to taste. This gets better the longer it sits in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Ellie's Lemon Vinaigrette:

This is my mom's everyday, easy salad dressing. It is really fresh and bright, lemony and clean. We had it at dinner on Saturday with the salmon and coconut-cashew rice. This dressing is one of the best dressings and serve it with radicchio and escarole, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  This very simple salad, with its lemony goodness is  nice fresh and a good balance with a heavy, richer  main dish.

Ellie's Lemon Vinaigrette

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon tarragon, optional

1.2 teaspoon sage, optional

Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until, smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Yum!

Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad

Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad

Wow, this salad is so good. It is flavorful, rich, soft and very textured. I love the cashews and the soft, rich coconut milk. Everyone at dinner loved the rice and lucky me, I got the leftovers!  This rice would be great for a BBQ or a Hawaiian dinner. Enjoy this rice salad, I know it will be a favorite in your home. 

Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad:

3 tablespoons peanut oil, plus 1 tablespoon for the cashews

1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 cups basmati rice, rinse several times in cold water and drained well

salt and fresh pepper

1/4 cup cashews, halved

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups water

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/4 cup grated fresh coconut

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Add the drained rice, salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and cook until lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels.    Place coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the hot liquid to the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. When the rice is cooked, remove from the oven and fold in the green onion and coconut. Spoon the rice onto a platter and garnish with the toasted cashews.

Make sure you salt this well, otherwise it can be on the bland side. Yum!

Grilled Salmon with Crunchy, Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette

I went for dinner at my parents house tonight. They just love Bobby Flay's cookbook, Boy Gets Grill. Almost every page is tagged to be made and all of the recipes look good. This salmon was one of the first recipes my parents have made from Boy Gets Grill. It little spicy for me, but very, very good. According to Bobby Flay, this salmon should be served with a coconut-cashew basmati rice.  This rice was awesome, what a soft, but rich flavor and interesting textures. It was perfect.

From Bobby Flay's  Boy gets Grill.

For the Vinaigrette:

3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons coarse- or whole-grain Dijon mustard

1 small shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salmon:

4 (6- to 8- ounce) salmon fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, with the skin

olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and shallot together in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the honey, then the oil, until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The vinaigrette can be made a few hours in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and whisk or shake well before serving.

Salmon:

Heat your grill to high. Brush the fish on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon, skin side down until the skin is lightly charred and crisp. 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the fillets over, reduce heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill and cook until just cooked though, but not falling apart, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the fish to serving plates or a platter and spoon a few tablespoons of vinaigrette over each fillet. Serve immediately.