cooking and the beach

When we aren't at the beach EOTE, we are cooking. A whole lot of cooking.


Now, normally I would post this on the Foodies blog but because it involves pictures AND food, I am posting it here.  My friend Sarah had a chance to visit EOTE and made tacos one night. She made them with salmon and they were insanely good.  I made them last night, this time with shrimp.

THEY ARE INSANELY GOOD.

Ingredients:  

1 pound salmon, skinned and cut into cubes  (I used shrimp) 

1 rounded T cumin

1 rounded t chili powder

2 T+ olive oil for sautéing

1 medium yellow onion, chopped  (I used white onion) 

1-2 limes, quartered

1- 8 ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 can chopped green chilies, drained

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1-1/2 T chicken soup base

Toppings:

Avocado

Chopped lettuce

Sour cream

Directions: 

Toss cubed salmon in cumin and chili powder. Set aside for at least an hour.  (I seasoned for 4 hours) 

Chop onions, cilantro, and chilies (I had chopped chilis) 

Heat oil over medium heat and cook onion until it softens.

Turn heat up to medium high. Add salmon to skillet. Lightly sear salmon cubes for about 2-3 minutes, turning gently (don't break the salmon into pieces!). (The shrimp took longer) 

Return heat setting to medium. Add canned tomatoes and chilies, cilantro, green onions, and soup base. Gently incorporate and heat through. 

Serve:

Squeeze quartered limes over the salmon mixture. Serve with fresh warm flour tortillas, sour cream, sliced avocado, and chopped romaine lettuce.

Cooks notes:
I seasoned the shrimp all afternoon.  I like a little kick so I used more cumin and chili powder. 
I didn't completely drain the tomatoes and chilis. I like a little sauce in my tacos.  
I skipped the chopped lettuce. Why take up room with lettuce when you can have more shrimp? 
I added a can of chopped black olives.  I could also see adding corn.  

You could easily make this with chicken, any kind of fish, and even steak.  So delicious.  

good cooks, best soups

I write a lot about our cottage, Oscoda, Lake Huron, and our favorite restaurant.  Last year, we were sad that our friends at the Old Place Inn closed for the winter.  But of course, happy for them. 

We were back in the O opening up EOTE over Easter and drove up on Saturday to check on our favorite restaurant.  We were ELATED to find them open and find some of our favorite soups on the menu.  And some new soups too.



It was a win-win-win-win-win for all of us.

Eating a little later in the day, we were the only patrons in the restaurant for a bit. We had a chance to chat with Don, the executive chef and owner. We caught up on their winter travels and relaxing.  He had a couple of curious soups - dill pickle and potato soup - and it was great to get to chat about it.  It turned in to a wonderful conversation about his philosophy of soup making. We asked him about the recipes and how he makes what he does.  After lunch, he invited us to the back to see where the magic happens. 

Here are the recipes.





I about had a heart attack.  None of these recipes are "backed up." You know -  access database, excel spreadsheet, terabyte portable backup drive, DVD - nothing, nada, nil.  Not even photocopies.   

[[[**GASP**]]

I will say that in all my life, in all my travels, eating all over the globe, these are THE VERY BEST SOUPS ON THE PLANET.  So we had a little chat.  I can't imagine losing these gems in Don's kitchen. I think we might have Don convinced to let us help him back these babies up and in the process perhaps do a cook book.  It might just be our summer project. 

Stay tuned. 

Saturday

To shake off the post-summer-cottage blues, I was up for an adventure and the Grand Rapids Farmer's Market seemed like just the thing.

We have been going to the farmers' markets in East Tawas and Oscoda for years;  I don't know why I never have shopped the one local.

Big mistake.  The place is AH_MAZING.  Of course there are pictures.

Bread.  Challah and Dakota Seed bread.

From Farmer's Market

Tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, and beans - purple, yellow, and green.

From Farmer's Market

and kale for a spicy sausage and kale soup.

From Farmer's Market

For dinner, I took one of the tomatoes and just sliced it up for a side.  SO good.  The potatoes will go in today's pot roast, along with the carrots.  

And the beans will be our side dish for a while ... until we eat through 3 lbs.  :)  

Christmas ex-post

The days leading up to Christmas were pretty miserable round these parts.  I kept a brave face but boy was I hurting.  I haven't had a cold like that in years ... dayquil and nitequil and advil and a whole bottle of Visine in a few days, well, it was brutal.  I slept.  A ton.

The miserableness started to break on Christmas eve and I felt well enough to venture out.  By Christmas day, I was able to ditch the Visine and pick up the camera.  It was a Christmas miracle.

The good.

Christmas eve dinner Rosemary-garlic Chicken

From Christmas Eve Dinner

From Christmas Eve Dinner

From Christmas Eve Dinner

From Christmas Eve Dinner

music

From Christmas Eve Dinner

and some of the best wine that I have ever had, from our friend Amy and her amazing shop. 

From Christmas Eve Dinner

Christmas day filet Mignon in a Cabernet reduction. 

From 2011-12-25

From 2011-12-25

with shallots

From 2011-12-25

From 2011-12-25

and more of the best wine, ever, really ever.

From 2011-12-25

The less than good?  Well, we watched a move, Trainspotting.  I love the soundtrack (especially Brian Eno's Deep Blue Day) but the movie is profoundly depressing.  Mostly the heroin and needles.  Lesson learned on that one.

So it's off to enjoy the rest of the week! I have it off and have a ton of things to do, to see, to enjoy. Hope you have a wonderful day wherever you are. Gearing up for a wonderful New Year's eve.

Cheers!

The cow comes home

In packages of course.  If you are a vegetarian, or are faint of heart, skip this post.  Really.  So fair warning, friends.

We bought a side of beef.  Pure cow raised, fed, and butchered locally on a friend's farm. I am not a big fan of blood and guts but I am a huge fan of buying local, and Mike's farm counts.  No additives.  No fillers.  Just a cow living a life of grass, feed, and hay, hanging on the farm until, well, it's his time.

There is no happy euphemism for this event.  Sorry.  And because it's in my DNA, I took pictures.  Last chance to hit the "next blog" feature at the top of the page because I took pictures of everything. 

The friends left behind.  Obviously they are keeping their distance.  Wouldn't you? 

From Cow 2011

The meat locker. That's the other half of what we brought home.

From Cow 2011

The saw

From Cow 2011

The chute.  Or something.  I don't know what it's called.  But it puts meat in the packages.

From Cow 2011

That looks like this.

From Cow 2011

Hmmmm.

From Cow 2011

From Cow 2011

It was fun to catch up with good friends.

From Cow 2011

Oh and they have chickens!   They are rather smelly.

From Cow 2011

So Mike and Rhonda Fisher, thank you!  Next time, we will stay for a beer.  Cheers.

The day after

We are still here.  The big news is that the East Grand Rapids Relay for Life raised $70,456.78 and donations according to Paul, are still coming in.  That's awesome.   We bid and won a cute tile complete with a dog house and dog.  The dog is cute but of course, @thedogsamson is cuter.

I will be using this tile to highlight the culinary adventures here on Argentina, along with some snarky barbs.  Sounds delightful, doesn't it?  :)

From 2011-05-21

It was a long two days for Paul and we celebrated this AM by sleeping in until 8 am. Really, this is a not-very-often-occurring event. Looking forward to a short work week and the unofficial start of summer with a long Memorial Day weekend.

Cheers!

Pork-a-palooza

This weekend, we made it an all pork weekend.  Friday night, we started with amazing pork chops, rolled in flour, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Saturday morning, it was a mushrooms and eggs kind of breakfast, along with some beautiful flowers.  

Tonight, we had our friend, and Samson's BFF Deb over for dinner.  I decorated for Mardi Gras and Paul made the most amazing ribs in the crock pot.  No muss, no fuss, no mess and so unbelievably fabulous.  

Laissez le bontemps rouler!

Fun in the kitchen

The weekend groove usually includes a delicious meal on Saturday night, sometimes solo and sometimes with friends.  And Sunday is our easy, breezy, lemon peazy crock pot cook.  We made an amazing pork shoulder from the fall pig.  It is incredible.

It was an incredible meal ... and so easy.  Snap.  This weekend, ribs in the crockpot, Deb over for catch up and Red Wings on the tube.  w00t! 

Dinner making

I should just rename this blog eating and Samson.  And sometimes, EOTE.  Oh, and sometimes technology. And  pictures.  Ok, nevermind.  I will just keep my name on it.

A gorgeous wine

From 2011-02-12

A fabulous drink

From 2011-02-12

A mess

From 2011-02-12

From 2011-02-12

A delicious meal

From 2011-02-12

From 2011-02-12

Tomorrow, we are back at it! Cheers.