Sylvia's Scenario

This is a French recipe that I got from the Seattle Times developed by Chef Jim Drohman who worked at Cafe Presse, a very popular Seattle French restaurant.  Cafe Presse was one of Lauren's favorite neighborhood spots and one that we would all go to frequently.  So, needless to say everyone was devastated when it closed (after the pandemic).  Seattle has lots of French restaurants but Cafe Presse was the darling of them all.  Last year, the memory of Cafe Presse came up when Bruce and I went to the Bite of Seattle.   One of our favorite dishes was at a Spanish booth called Maripili where they were making paella to sample.  We had just returned from visiting Spain and we were still into all things Spanish so this turned out to be our favorite of the Bite.   We told them we loved their paella and wanted to come to their restaurant but guess where they were?  In the same spot where Cafe Presse was!  When the cook told me that, I didn't say a wor...

How is everyone's vegetable garden's doing right now?  We've been eating a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden lately.  Last night, we had this new dish with our dinner when we invited some of Bruce's golf buddies over for dinner after their day of golf.  One of the wives brought this French Tian dish that went perfectly with our main dish of barbecued teriyaki flank steak ; a family favorite at our house.  Tian is made with eggplant, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and lots of olive oil to make the most delicious juice from the veggies.  She also brought some crusty French bread to soak up those juices.  Frankly, I could have just eaten this alone as my whole dinner with bread dunked in the juices.  It was so addicting.   It's like a summer version of  ratatouille  that I like in the fall with all the garden veggies.  I am eager to make this Tian now. The recipe is from Dori Greenspan from her cookbook Everyday Dorie ....

We are getting off the topic of Southern food a little bit today after Barbara and I toured the Basque Museum in Boise and then checked out the Basque Market across the street where we sampled a few Basque tapas for a quick little snack. For appetizer tonight, Barbara put together one of her favorite French appetizers called Pate de Campagne which is a slice of good quality baguette cut thinly, spread with some Dijon mustard, a bit of Pate topped with cornichons (extra fine gherkins) for that little taste of tart dill flavor. We've also been munching on some very tasty fudge sent to us by my niece, Claire, where she is working at the Ranch at Rock Creek . Thank you, Claire.

This is a perfect dish right from the garden and really hits the spot when it starts getting cooler outside (like now!)    And for whatever reason, I've been feeling like eggplant lately.  Or    maybe I just feel like French food!  Ratatouille is a traditional french stewed vegetable dish originating in Nice, the french word of touiller means to toss food.  Que c'est delicieus! Serves 4     2 Tbsp. olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced 1 small eggplant, cubed 2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped 4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped or 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes 3 to 4 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 tsp. dried leaf basil or 1 Tbsp. fresh basil 1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano or  2 tsp. fresh oregano 1/4 tsp. dried leaf thyme or 1 tsp. fresh thyme 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (In general, you can substitute one teaspoon of dried herbs for one tablespoon o...

It's triple digit weather around here but not too hot to eat!  Fire up the grill and throw on some chicken breasts.  I don't consider barbecuing really cooking (because my husband always does it!)  This recipe will surprise your boring chicken breast burger, it's not your usual chicken burger because of the tasty aioli!    Aioli is simply mayonnaise with the addition of minced fresh garlic.  It is a classic french garlic sauce.   I like to add a few more tasty ingredients to it like fresh herbs from the garden. Serves 4 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves 2 tsp. lemon juice 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken cutlets or chicken breasts sliced lengthwise to make thinner 4 hamburger buns butter 4 slices tomato 4 thin slices red onion 4 lettuce leaves 1.  Combine mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl; set aside. 2.  Grill chicken, turning once, 4 minutes or...

This recipe is from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.  Her recipes are not real formal or stuffy but more like the French food of today which is a mix of old and new, traditional and exotic, simple and complex.  This recipe can fit easily into a meal plan of anyone who wants to eat healthfully and you don't need the skills of a French chef to make them. I threw this recipe together in less the 30 minutes and it came out with juicy and tender meat with such a colorful presentation.  Each person gets their own little packet. Serves 4 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast or bone-in chicken thighs 12 thin slices of red onion, halved 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen) 4 tsp olive oil 1 tsp curry powder salt and ground pepper 1. Center rack in oven and preheat the oven to 400 degree. Cut four 12-inch squares of aluminum foil. Have a baking sheet at hand. 2. Cut chicken into long strips and then cut strips cr...