What's everyone eating this week?

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Haven´t actually eaten anything yet today, but I´m just about to leave to give another ones of my courses!

Today´s is "Amuse Bouche" ( Pasapalos over here) and we´re going to have a lot of fun - especially if I can manage to make 16 different recipes inside 3 hours!!

Pasapalos are de rigeur in any party or event in Venezuela, so that´s the main reason for the course.

[jeral Profile]

karadekoolaid, I'm sure your attendees will do themselves proud with their and your inventiveness for amuse bouches, although my mind boggles at creating 16 of them! Kudos.

I rather liked the idea and ingenuity of those you'd see on TV progs where a suitable mix of tasty morsels had to fit on a dessert spoon - capturing the epitome of the single mouthful intention. Not sure I'd be capable of designing and assembling them - but that's why you run courses and I don't

Today, I'll attempt some vegan saus rolls. I designed a recipe that works in pie (and actually wrote it down, shock horror) so should work in puff pastry, fingers crossed. Also, I should be able to make a batch of the filling and open freeze some as quenelles.

[Alexandria Profile]

Saturday: Cataplana ..

A Portuguese Cataplana is a shallow sided pot with a cover ..

This dish is prepared in a wide variety of ways. Here is the one I had in Lisbon at Tasco da Chico Fado ( fado = a Portuguese, Mozambique Blues Music ) ..

Linguica Sausage
Portuguese Evoo
Shallot
Clams
Prawns
Vine ripe tomatoes
White wine
Smoked paprika
Sea Salt
Fresh minced parsley
Black pepper freshly ground
Fresh lemon drizzled

Absolutely wonderful ..

Have a wonderful weekend ..

[WhitefieldFoodie Profile]

I have had a Spanish style chicken dish tonight, bone in chicken thighs, chorizo, peppers, onion, garlic, chilli, red wine, tomato's, jersey royals, rosemary and red wine vinegar all pressure cooked together for 13 minutes with some crusty bread.

Had Thai style grilled sea bream with a spicy noodle salad last night which was delicious.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Couldn´t post the pics until now because the internet, Wi-Fi AND telephones have been down since Saturday
Anyway - the course lasted a little longer than my other courses, and was further extended because the restaurant Kitchen crew ( who usually manage the cooking) were suddenly overwhelmed with 12 clients. It was good, though, because I was able to organize three participants from the Course and, between us, we got the stuff cooked! We made 15 "pasapalos" in all - and the reason we didn´t do the full 18 I´d promised was because they couldn´t find the ingredients. Ah well...

DOC Pasapalos 1.jpg

DOC Pasapalos 4.jpg

DOC Pasapalos 7.jpg

[Alexandria Profile]

Karakoolaide,

Wonderful photographs ..

Have a fabulous day ..

[Joanbunting Profile]

hello again everyone. After a week in London, followed by a week of full-on house guests I am looking forward to cooking just for us for a few days.

The main meals for the week were
Chicken Provencal with saffron rice and galic green beans.
Almondine with nougat glace (both HM)

Pot roast veal in white wine with ratatouille and potato galettes
Apricot and nougat clafoutis

After a lovely restaurant lunch we had a simple supper of melon, mozarelle and serano ham salad with a mint dressing - then ate up the rest of the desserts!

Moules frites followed by an French style apple tart.

Soupe au pistou with fougasse bread from the baker
Cherries picked from the orchard in another clafoutis, this time with almonds.

Lunch out on Sunday and various salads and charcuterie for supper., potatoes cooked with the meat and spinach and raspberries with faiselle aftewards.

So back to normal yesterday with a small shoulder of lamb slow cooked with garlic

KK great pictures - what lucky people! I really don't know how you do it with the restractions you have.

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,

Wow !! Sounds absolutely amazingly exceptional ..

Have a wonderful day ..

[Renee Profile]

What lovely food you're all having!

Great photos KK. I'm pleased that all went well, despite one or two little setbacks!

WF, I'm loving Spanish-style chicken dishes these days. Hmmm … so quick in a pressure cooker and I still haven't decided about getting one! Do you brown the thighs before you add them, because that adds to the depth of flavour.

Isn't it nice to get back to normal Joan! I would love that pot roast veal! My grandmother used to roast veal occasionally many years ago.

I'm going to stay with Colin in the south of England for a couple of weeks, so it's an eating up day today!!

[Lusciouslush Profile]

BRAVO CLIVE...……..

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Thanks. Lush!Thanks Rats!
The courses are run on the basis of "the Show Must Go On". And I totally agree. If there are ingredients missing, then we look to improvise ( an essential ability in a modern kitchen). And the rush at the end of the course was great - taught a few folks what "getthatfoodoutnow" means!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

We made 15 "pasapalos" in all - and the reason we didn´t do the full 18 I´d promised was because they couldn´t find the ingredients. Ah well...

Good to hear that the "course of snacky" as FB translate described it went well karadekoolaid! Looks great

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Hahaha! Thanks, Sue!
The translation is almost as bad as the Monty Python translator.
A "palo" in Venezuela is slang for a drink - alcoholic drink. "pasar los palos" is simply something to help the booze go down.

[Alexandria Profile]

Another week in Portugal with a couple of changes in the Itinerary ..

So, more shellfish, and fish of course ..


Shall be headed to Casçais tomorrow .. A truly amazingly lovely tiny port town ..


All my best wishes ..

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Have fun, Renee. & enjoy Portugal, Member 461.

Clive, you are a Starship Trooper! Have a twinkle on me
Tell me, what's your favourite pasapalo?

Joan, welcome home.
You will have recovered by now.

Exhibition all done with now. So I can be at home more. I'm tired of salads.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Hi, Gill.
Difficult to say; there are so many!
No party here is complete without a tequeño - that´s just a piece of white cheese, wrapped in pastry and deep-fried. Brilliant, simple and utterly moreish.
I personally love little deep-fried wonton packages (usually filled with julienned veg, but sometimes with a bit of ham added) with sweet soy; Tuna lollipops ( with a mustard sauce) and some divine little tarts, usually made with puff pastry, which are filled with a creamy, caramelised onion custard.

[Alexandria Profile]

Over the World Cup Game between Portugal ( 3) and Spain ( 3), tie score, we had some lovely appetisers (tapas) ..


Fried Calamari ..
Grilled Squid ..
Grilled Baby Octopus ..


Shall be in Portugal until Monday morning ..

With all my best wishes from Algarve ..

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Oooo they all sound utterly lovely, Clive.

[Alexandria Profile]

Once again, I have been asked to do the Portugal Tours for the whole month of June, so I shall fly back to Barcelona tonight and re-pack and leave again for Lisbon on Monday morning !


Lunch in Casçais, was quite amazingly lovely overlooking the small port where hundreds of yachts and 12 foot sail boats were docked ..

One of the dishes we shared was a typical shellfish and finned fish stew prepared in Portuguese White wine, with mussels, squid, cod, monkfish, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, dried cayenne chili pepper ( guindilla = little red horns crumbled ) and fresh herbs .. It was wonderful ..

Have a lovely day ..

[Wordsworth Profile]

Just returned home from a lovely weekend with pals, but we seem to have eaten nothing but meat so tonight is a simple salmon salad with steamed potatoes.