From Evernote:

Carol's Birthday Menu Clipped from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Smoked-Bluefish-Pate-355882

Carol's Birthday Menu

Friday 13, May

Grilled salmon on cedar boards

Grilled Marinated Flank steak

Grill corn

Roasted red peppers

Tortillas

Dad's salsa and Guacamole

Smoked Salmon mousse

Sean' mousse

Grilled salmon on cedar boards

Soak cedar boards for a few hours prior to cooking

Place celery,carrots, lovage and cilantro stalks on boards (to keep from sticking)

Place salmon on celery carrot mixture

Season with oil, salt, pepper and maybe lemon

Top with thin sliced onions

Put on Grill for 30-45 mins. At very low heat

Grilled marinated flank steak

Marinade - lime juice, cilantro, lovage, salt and pepper

Before putting on grill, top with a little coffee and paprika

Roasted red peppers

Roast 3 peppers on grill whole (not cut) until  charred on the outside

Let stand for 10 mins (to continue steaming)

Peel and cut into slices

Place slices,some of the pepper juice, finely diced garlic (1 medium sized clove) and oil into a bowl

Mix and let stand for 20-30 mins.

Smoked salmon mousse

This is a variation on the below recipe, substituting salmon for blue fish and adding heavy cream to lighten it.

From the "Legal Seafoods Cookbook"

1 pound smoked bluefish fillets (Salmon)

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup butter (No butter)

2 tablespoons Cognac

3 tablespoons minced onion (shallots)

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt (no salt, smoked salmon was salty enough)

Freshly milled black pepper

Chopped toasted walnuts or hazelnuts (optional)(Nope)

Puree the bluefish, cream cheese, butter, and Cognac in a food processor. Add the onion, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Pulse the machine on and off until the ingredients are combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Smoked-Bluefish-Pate-355882#ixzz1MF3rbtYj

From Evernote:

Mother's day brunch

Menu:

Spanish Tortilla with mayonnaise trio

Smoked Salmon

Smoked Pork Shoulder (as pulled pork)

Grilled Asparagus

Sliced Grilled Chicken over greens

Mimosas or Bellinis

Fresh Fruit

Preparation:

Tortilla

-Fried potatoes seasoned with paprika (Saturday night)

-Potatoes layered into cake pans with egg, milk season mixture (maybe add chives in layers?) (Sunday morning)

-Bake at 300 for 2 hours Sunday morning

-cut and place on platter with fresh pecorino on top, garnished with fresh flat leaf parsley

Smoked Salmon

-salt cure over night (Friday night)

-smoke for 3-4 hours at cool side of smoker (Saturday day)

-Refrigerate, slice and serve Sunday with cream cheese, capers and diced onions

-Serve with toast squares (toast quartered) (Sunday morning)

Smoked Pork Shoulder

-Rub shoulder with spice mixture (Saturday morning)

-Smoke shoulder on warm side of smoker for 3-5 hours

-Serve with rolls, bbq sauce, coleslaw and vinegar (Sunday)

Grilled Asparagus

-Dress with oil salt and pepper

-Grill for 10-20 minutes (Sunday?)

-Serve room temp or cold

Grilled Chicken

-Dress with lemon, oil, salt and pepper

-Grill for 15-30 mins. (Sat. or Sun. ?)

Mimosas/Bellinis

-Orange and Peach juice needed (cold)

-Champgne  and glasses

Fresh Fruit

-Strawberries, etc. (What's in season check market Saturday morning)

Bar Tab Delay

The pilot of a Jet Blue flight from Washington DC (DCA) to Boston (BOS) had to make an odd announcement to passengers while they waited for the plane to push back from the jetway the other day.  The pilot publicly advised all aboard that 'a group of six people on this flight have left a bar tab open at the Samuel Adams tavern on the concourse.  All of us aboard would appreciate it if someone went and took care of it, so we can be cleared to depart'.  This is one of the funniest things i have heard in over 1 million miles of air travel.

Dad's Quick and Spicy Salsa

Ingredients:

Three medium size tomatoes
One-half of a large onion
Two large Jalapenos
One large clove of garlic
One teaspoon of salt
Juice of one half lemon

Preparation:

Chop tomato, onion, jalapeno and garlic and place all into a food processor (or blender).
Add salt and lemon juice to mixture.  Run processor on puree for less than one minute.
Sprinkle a little fresh, crushed cilanthro and serve.  Makes about 1 quart.
Any good tortilla chip will work as a dipping tool.

Chicago

A friend asked for my ideas on what to see in Chicago, by no means am I an expert, but here is my two cents for a quick few days…

The architectural river tour is actually interesting.  The pier is pretty cool also (a little carnival like, but interesting)  We took a boat ride off the pier that was ok (they serve beer if I remember correctly).  Go to the bar at the top of Hancock tower, worth the view.  We had dinner there, but that wasn't as memorable as the view.  If you have 3-6 hours to kill, rent a car (maybe zip car or similar) and head out to oak park, "ground zero" for Frank Lloyd Wright.  His house tour is worth the time, a short walk in the neighborhood has several other examples of his work.  A short drive away is unity temple (church he designed) that will let you take a tour if church stuff isn't going on.  Even if you can't get inside a walk around the outside is interesting.  Back to the city, the park is interesting, gehry did the performance pavilion & the anish capour (sp?) sculpture is really cool, giant polished stainless steel bean you can walk under.  If you want to try a funky cajun restaurant in an office building, heaven on seven is the place.  Look it up or ask the hotel, they will know where it is (the original one).  We hit a blues club one not that was interesting, but not quite the rock scene.

Pics from our trip in September 2005  http://www.flickr.com/photos/spmooney/sets/72157594291256134/

Mirepoix risotto

Mirepoix with a half stick of butter and some olive oil.

Add a little white wine and then "toast" the risotto, before adding water, on medium heat, stir in risotto to let it start absorbing the concentrated flavors.  In this case I threw in some left over fresh spinach that wasn't enough for a salad.

Added stock in 3 pours and once the stock is absorbed, turn heat off and add chunks of feta.

Served in a pasta bowl with fresh pecorino shaved on top.

Enjoy!

1717 Porchetta

9 lbs. of Berkshire Belly & 6 lbs. or Durock Loin, cross scored inside and out some rub can penetrate.

 Onions, carrots, celery & herbs from the garden (cilantro, lovage, rosemary, lavender, oregano, tyme, etc...) blended together with a little olive oil to from a paste.

 Paste is then rubbed on meat side of belly and all over loin.  Belly is then wrapped around loin (fat side out) and bound with twine.

 Large metal skewer is put through center of loin and set up on the grill rotisserie roughly in the center, so heat can be controlled from outside, inside or both.  Center burners are usually left off to prevent flare up.  Turn on rotisserie for 3-4 hours, checking occasionally.

Let sit for 10 mins, then slice and serve.  Can be served by itself or with bread as a sandwich with mayonnaise (or mayo blended with siracha and or paprika).  We served with orange rice mixed with grilled corn.

The facts on Porchetta here.

Happy coooking!