Dave’s Personal Blog

Last night I made what was, in my opinion, the ultimate summer sandwich.

Start with thick slices of a rustic wholegrain bread (I used Henry’s Harvest from Grace Baking. Add thick slices of fresh, ripe hierloom tomato and (again) thick slices of fresh (really fresh) mozarella. I drizzled both sides with basil olive oil and popped it into the Paninni press. Heat on low to warm through and melt the cheese and finish on high for a crisp, brown surface.

I just read Renne’s latest blog post [which is gone now] and thought.. hey.. me too! FYI, Renne & I worked together on a Thoughtworks project in late 2004.

So Renne, one foodie to another.. I salute you.. what a capitol idea to share culinary experiences. And very timely for me as I’m going through a resurgence of my kitchen activity. The main reason for this was the availability of digital cable at our new house. More specifically the Food Channel. Even more specifically, Chef Michael Smith, Canadian Chef extrodinare. Watching Michael Smith cook reminds me of Jamie Oliver.. sheer, unbridled foodie passion. Passion about food, about eating, about cooking.

So here I am, dusting off cookbooks, stocking my shelves and (taking a cue from chef Smith) putting everything on open shelves in mason jars.

Our new house is, as I said, well suited to cooking. We have a unremarkable kitchen.. alley style, casual dining area off one end, and a doorway t the hall in the other end. Ample countertop & cupboards, 30″ range, etc, etc. The neat bit is that the next room is another kitchen. There’s no range there (yet) but there is a double sink, vegetable sink & another full size sink, plus loads of open shelving. We have the chest freezer set up in there. I’m not finished yet… the room after that is another pantry of sorts… open shelves, lower drawers & cabinets, and a concrete countertop.

So everything’s come together to launch us into a world of new culinary adventure. I said this was a “resurgence”… I’ve been cooking since I was 18.. learning much the way I learned programming.. by watching others (starting with Steven Yan on “Wok With Yan”), reading, and experimenting.

If possible I suggest you check out Chef Michael Smith, his shows, and cookbooks:

• Michael Smith
• Chef at Large
• Chef at Home

So what success stories do I have? A couple… Ratatouille (just eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and herbs), Tuna with Pinot Noir Leeks and Ginger Mint Salsa, although I used asparagus instead of leeks since it looked good.

Tonight I made a cucumber/red-onion/mint salad and “Zucchini, tomatoes, and Oregano”. For the salad, just thinly slice a red onion & an English Cuke. Tear up a bunch of mint leaves and toss it all with an asian style dressing (I made one up on the fly with soy sauce, chili paste, lime juice, 5 spice powder, and a generous amount of sesame oil).

These are from the “Chef at Home” cookbook, I’m assuming all appear on the show at some point, and some at on the foodtv.ca site.

You know… there are times I think I might have pursued the wrong career!

Dave

So.. what kind of dog likes to eat Wasabi coated peas?

Well, ours apparently.

He was tentative at first.. but now actively solicits them.

His tastes evidently do not extend to Punjabi Mix. All the more for me

Tonight I went to Carrabba’s for dinner tonight. I’ve been there a few times before, but now for a while. I had a simple meal, just the Eggplant Parmesan.

All meals are accompanied by fresh bread and olive oil. The bread was hot & fresh.. very nice. It came sliced which was fine, although I prefer it unsliced. The oil they use was nice, slightly spicy.

Salad comes with the meal, I got a Caesar. It was fine.. but I prefer a creamier dressing with less vinegar. It was good, but not great. If you’re a Caesar fan, and would prefer more salad, the Insalata Carrabba’s Caesar with either the grilled chicken or shrimp is a good bet.

The eggplant was fabulous… slightly charred, just enough. Also just a nice amount of cheese and breading. The accompanying Rigatoni Pomadoro was nice: flavourable and cooked nicely.

I’ve had their Lentil & Sausage Soup before, and will have it again. Nice zesty sausage. Their lasagna is on my repeat list as well.

Finally, they have a decent wine list, with some good picks.

If you’re in the detroit area and are jonesin’ for some Indian Food.. head to Rangoli Indian Cuisine (3055 E. Walton Blvd., Auburn Hills, 248-377-3800).

I’ve been there a few times before.. and dropped in for dinner tonight on my way to my hotel…. service is great and the food is awesome. Be sure to have a dosa while you’re there.