Cooking Up a Storm

We smoked some Steel Head Trout (they looked like Salmon) on the smoker and then I made my soignee appetizer with endive leaves, cream cheese with scallions and dill, and a piece of trout on each leaf, garnished with a dill spring.  Took them to a party last night and they disappeared.  A bit of trout and cream cheese remains for breakfast.

This morning I got up early (for me) and put a spinach quiche in the oven for a neighborhood brunch.  There is enough left for dinner.  Forgot to take a photo of it, but it was yummy looking with a nice brown crust and a mushroom design on the top with some parsley as garnish.

My friend from Riverwoods, Illinois, Lynn Zaremba gave me her quiche recipe years ago.  I have to confess I used a ready-made pie crust due to time constraints.  The original crust is delicious as are the various permutations of quiche Lorraine the various flavors.  A spinach quiche is good for vegetarians.  I'll publish this recipe in a future post.  Quiche makes a good Sunday supper. 

We visited the Mark Twain house in Hartford yesterday on a group tour.  Such an interesting place, and no one was cleverer with tongue and pen than Twain.  Some of the gew-gaws and cut glass reminded me of things my grandma had, a sweet-sad memory.  We schlepped the trout, cream cheese, dill and endive around in a cooler all day until we arrived at the party where I assembled it.  Someone had smoked ribs, and were they ever good.  The taste of smoked food always provokes a visceral reaction.  Did our ancient ancestors sit around the camp fire eating smoked fish and mammals?

The Ryder cup had a big surprising finish.  We sat in the Papparazzi bar in Framingham and watched a bit in the late afternoon waiting for the party to start. I dig their Beef Carpaccio big time.  Too much food this weekend.  Must be good all this week.

I put a notice about my book, World of Mirrors on a bunch of bulletin boards by the mail boxes in our condo area, and have actually got some sales and notice.  It never hurts to advertise.  May even get a speaking gig. 

So much for the weekend.  On Sundays I have horrible conflicts with various television shows:  Masterpiece Mystery, Copper, Boardwalk Empire, and even The Good Wife.  Thank heavens for taping and On Demand.  Now I need to write something.  And maybe take a walk.  Slothfulness is not good.


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