Mom’s Potato Salad

Recipe by Mom

It’s been more years than I’ll admit since I helped my mom make potato salad. And yet, I’ve never made it at all since I left home decades ago—until now. The secret of Mom’s potato salad is that the potatoes themselves are highly flavored. This eliminates the need to flavor-compensate with seasonings like mustard, dill seed, and pickle relish.  The potatoes themselves are the stars of the salad, complimented by a large quantity of eggs, a variety of finely chopped crunchy veggies, and of course mayo.

Blueberry Cobbler

Recipe by Robin

Fruit cobbler recipes vary quite a bit. Fruits can be single or combined, spiced or not. The fruit layer’s liquidity can be adjusted with cornstarch or flour. Biscuit dough can be loose and fluffy, or firm enough to cut into shapes for a more formal look. Reveling in our short California blueberry season, I chose an ultra-lightly spiced all-blueberry fruit layer. I then topped the blueberries with a medium-density biscuit layer smoothed out by a buttermilk brushing before baking. Resulting in a soft-textured topped blueberry-centric cobbler that plays well with or without ice cream.

Don’s Pecan Crusted Trout

Recipe from Old Clipping

Just because we’re sheltering in place doesn’t mean that food has to be basic or boring. This newspaper recipe from who-knows-when features fancy restaurant-like flavors, yet is relatively easy to prepare. Just buzz up the breadcrumbs and pecans with rosemary in the food processor, coat the fish fillets, and fry it up. The hardest part is finding room for 3 plates of coating layers, plus a large platter to accommodate the fillets so they sit flat without disturbing one another once they’re coated.

Black Forest Shake

Recipe by Robin

“Shelter in Place” is better with chocolate, don’t you agree? Before the pandemic, when I was working, I’d perfected some smoothies for my 15 minute lunch break, notably Chocolate and Fruit Smoothies and Green and Pink Drinks. I really don't miss those hurried (lack of) Power Lunches. Given the gift of more time to create and to enjoy meals and snacks, my mind veered from the healthy to the decadent, from the basic to the beautiful. It wandered from an efficient chocolaty beverage to luscious chocolate cake with whipped cream and sweet cherries. While the the Black Forest Shake is high in protein, it sports an unabashedly rich whipped cream and shaved chocolate topping. Just because you can’t build a Black Forest Cake/Shake without ‘em.

Orange Sour Cream Chiffon Cake

Chiffon Cake: Light and Airy

Recipe adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

Sour cream in a chiffon cake is a really not right. But I’m dubbing this recipe a chiffon cake because its fine light texture relies upon separated eggs, like the classic chiffon. Stiffly beaten egg whites folded in lightly just before baking make the magic in a chiffon. Typically oils are used to allow chiffon cakes to rise and be light. But despite this cake’s sour cream and butter, it's light and airy—with added richness from the dairy products.

Carrot, Coriander, and Orange Soup

Winter Carrots & Citrus, with Coriander and Yogurt

Recipe from The Green Witch

Before trying this recipe I doubted that 2-3 tablespoons of ground coriander in a soup that serves 4-6 would taste good. That’s throwing half the bottle of coriander into a small pot of soup—isn't that overpowering? Still, I was intrigued, and started with 1 tablespoon. While simmering, the coriander taste mellowed. I gradually added more, up to the 3 tablespoons. Don’t fear the recipe! Spice it slowly if you’re skeptical.

Sweet Potato Tangerine Keto Cakes

Recipe adapted from Chinese Herbal Cookbook

Chen Pi is a key ingredient in this recipe. It’s simply dried tangerine peel, which makes a delicious addition to soups and stews as well as baked goods. Since it’s tangerine season, it’s time to make your annual chen pi supply. Simply cut the peel into small strips and dry it overnight, full instructions on my Making Chen Pi post. Add chen pi directly to soups or teas. To use it in baked goods, like these cakes, cover with boiling water, wait 15 minutes, then drain and chop.

Seared Sea Scallops Au Champagne Gratin

Elegance with Few Ingredients

Recipe by Robin

Back in the days when I first left my birthplace in New England, my parents would ask me what I wanted to eat when I visited from California. My dad’s scallops were always high on my list. He’d pan-fry the scallops, crumble Royal Lunch milk crackers over them after plating, then top off with butter sauce. Since original Royal Lunch crackers have been replaced with an odd and expensive substitute, and fresh scallops aren’t too available here, I’d never tried to duplicate his recipe. Until inspired by some scrumptious-looking sea scallops I saw at Costco recently while shopping for chicken. Seafood night!

Salsa Fresca Nueva

Recipe inspired by Casalegno Farms

Every time I make salsa I wonder why I don’t make it more often. It’s easy and delicious, and can be varied numerous ways. Though I usually make salsa with lime juice, recently I learned a Casalegno Farms family secret: grandma used apple cider vinegar in her salsa. I was skeptical, but its subtle fruitiness enhances the tomato and pepper flavors without adding extra flavors from the citrus. So it allows me to bump up the Southwest spicing with cumin and cilantro, or whatever else I might have on hand.

Shakshuka for Two

Serve on a Bed of Spinach with Crusty Bread

Recipe by Robin

Shakshuka! A fun word to say, and a delightful dish from North Africa that satisfies at both brunch and supper.  It starts with a thick whole-tomato sauce, chunky with onions and bell pepper, lightly spiced (or not so lightly—your choice) with exotic Middle Eastern flavors. Next, eggs are poached directly in the sauce and topped with green herbs. For extra color and veggie-power, I serve shakshuka on a bed of steamed spinach or julienned steamed zucchini. Traditionally it’s accompanied by hearty homemade white bread for scooping up the yummy sauce.