Mackerel and Pea Sandwich

This was surprisingly good. I dry-sautéed canned mackerel in olive oil and added peas for a baguette sandwich, topped it with homemade mayonnaise. Accompaniments were fresh peach slices and a simple romaine-and-tomato salad with feta and Kalamata olives.

Simple Clam Chowder with Goat Milk

When we think of chowder we think of thick soup made with clams and heavy cream. How about a lighter version with whole goat milk? Instead of butter I used olive oil, which can be an acquired taste for some people used to butter in creamy soups. The beauty of modern-day cooking is the flexibility we now have to substitute healthier ingredients in classic recipes, a tasty challenge to those of us who strive for some creativity in our lifestyles.

Steel-Cut Oatmeal, Strawberry and Pepita

For an aging man, pepita (pumpkin) seeds are a boon. Source of naturally occurring estrogen-like compounds, it inhibits the enlargement of the prostate gland. It is wonderful as topping and source of protein on oatmeal. I continue my love affair with the steel-cut variety. If nothing else it makes for Slow Food - the oats have to cook for 30 minutes! But it's worth the time. The oat pieces are chewy, nutty and an indulgence on the tongue!

Beef Bolognese Spaghetti (Ragú)

This is a simplified but I think more delicious beef sauce for spaghetti. You may sauté the beef and refrigerate for later use to make cooking time even shorter. You may use two bacon strips to render the fat for sautéing the beef but for this recipe I used extra virgin olive oil. I sautéed chopped garlic until almost golden, then added julienned carrots, some chopped onions and half a cup of diced Roma tomatoes. When the vegetables are wilted I added the beef and cooked until thoroughly brown. I added a little over a tablespoon of dry vermouth (I used Martini and Rossi, same quality I would use for making a dry martini), turned up heat until alcohol burns off. I then mixed in a tablespoonful or so of whole goat milk. Whole cow's milk will do but the result is not as savory nor as creamy. Cook gently until milk curdles and blends with the other ingredients and until sauce is of the consistency you like for your pasta. I spooned the sauce on top of the mound of pasta, dribbled additional olive oil, and topped with chopped Italian parsley. Parmesan cheese is optional though most people like the combination of cheese with tomatoes and beef.

Sweet Rice with Crisp, Unbattered Chicken Breast

I fixed this for lunch the other day using Japanese sweet rice (sho-chiku-bai). I sauteéd in a little olive oil one minced garlic, chopped onion, diced Roma tomatoes, and large-diced green pepper. When the vegetables had softened, I added sweet rice I had cooked in an electric cooker, mixed them well and molded for plating. I boiled the chicken breast gently in a little broth, drained on a paper towel, then fried on very little olive oil over moderate heat until crisp. I sprinkled the chicken with Cabela's whisky steak seasoning but you can use your own favorite seasoning e.g. a little curry powder, crumbled dried rosemary or oregano. I quickly roasted halved Roma tomatoes in the same pan after turning the heat to high. I topped the tomatoes with Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper before plating. The crisply fried chicken contrasted with the sticky rice and caramelized tomatoes.

Gambretto Feta Spaghetti

This was such an easy pasta to make. I boiled the two-foot long spaghetti lunghi from Trader Joe's in water (I don't salt the water) until al dente, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile I made the sauce. I sautéed in extra virgin olive oil minced fresh garlic and diced Roma tomatoes until golden. I added thawed pre-cooked giant prawn and cooked until thoroughly heated, threw in chunks of feta, freshly ground pepper, and chopped fresh oregano leaves from the garden. I drained the pasta without rinsing in cold water, plated it and topped with the sauce. A final sprinkle of chopped fresh Italian parsley completed the dish. A quick, flavorful late supper that amply demonstrated again how fresh herbs refresh our idea of food. Eating becomes a quality-of-life experience when food is made with as many fresh ingredients as you can grow yourself and served piping hot from the stove. This is living par excellence!

Homemade Mayonnaise and Chicken Salad

One of my favorite food memories involves helping my mother make mayonnaise by hand. She used the juice of a native Filipino citrus, suhá in Ilonggo (kalamansi in Pilipino), which made a fragrant dressing for salad.

Today I made mayonnaise American-style—with a Cuisinart. I used James Beard recipe from the booklet included when I bought the machine 20 years ago. One whole egg, 1 Tb vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1 1/4 C oil. I also added 1/4 C. Dijon mustard. What took my mother and me half an hour to beat by hand, the Cuisinart did in uner a minute!

The result however is what not good as I remember. My mother used only the yolk and dribbling the oil was a slow, laborious process. She added kalamansi juice in drops only after the emulsion had formed and told me to keep adding the juice only when the mayonnaise felt too stiff. She used the juice only as the emulsion was able to incorporate it. Beard's recipe was also too salty for me. Next time I'll use half a teaspoon salt and one cup oil.

Chicken salad is often made with enough mayonnaise to make it moist. The moisture is frankly just mayonnaise. I used much less mayonnaise but added small dollops here and there upon serving to add variety and taste. I could have added sour cream, the additive cooks use to make their salads more moist, but I didn't want to add unnecessary fat. Scallions would have been a stronger herb taste but all I had were chives from the garden. Chives do make stunning placement when balanced on top of the salad.