Concluding post on the dinner. I posted previously about the starter for this meal, Black Bean Soup, and then following about the Minted Fruit Salad, but I was saving the centerpiece as my entry into this week's special Weekend Herb Blogging Two Year Anniversary post to celebrate this weekly Weekend Herb Blogging event started by Kalyn, and also hosted by her this week at Kalyn's Kitchen.


It was also fun to rise to the challenge of making a meal that was South Beach Diet friendly and met all my guests' requirements for good taste and special diets. My friend Daniel has a slightly different version o fa no/low-carb diet as well. My other guests, Dad & Paul were only interested of course in a tasty meal. Could I make something that would be so vibrant and full of flavor that my bread-loving Dad and lover of good food Paul would enjoy so much that they wouldn't notice the lack of starches?

I'm happy to report that I was successful. A variation of a memory of a salad recipe discovered in Sunset magazine years ago, the Poached Gingered Chicken Make Your Own Salad dish was a great hit.

My herbs, mint and ginger were in the poaching water. My vegetables, well you decide, but the plate included red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, sunflower sprouts, sauteed mushrooms, arugula, orange bell pepper, English cucumber, and edamame. I was going to add an avocado too, but ran out of room! I'll write about mint (which was from a pot on my deck), and the arugula for your interest however.

Mint: Wikipedia has a lot to say about what is more properly known as mentha. Mentha is a genus with about 25 species and hundreds of varieties, not including hybrids, which are popular with this plant. Mint is quite hardy and tolerates a wide variety of conditions, although it likes cool, moist climates best (no wonder it grew so prolifically where I grew up in Western Washington). The health benefits of mint have long been reputed to be soothing to the digestive system.

Arugula: Grown in the Mediterranean since Roman times, arugula is also popularly known as rocket. It has a peppery taste and is full of iron and vitamin C. Most often used in salads, this leafy green has also been used as a substitute for basil in pestos. According to Food & Wine magazine, arugula is in the same family as cauliflower and broccoli and has similar powerful antioxidant benefits.

So how did I make this salad? It was quite easy really. Besides the chicken, most ingredients were a matter of washing, slicing if necessary, and artfully arranging on the platter. The edamame were pre-cooked and shelled, and I took a pound of white sliced mushrooms and sauteed them in sesame oil until they were reduced and the flavor intensified. I made my own dressing to keep to the no carbs theme, mixing about 3/4 cup rice vinegar with 1/3 cup toasted sesame oil and about a tablespoon of Birch Sugar (xylitol), sea salt & pepper.

To poach the chicken take a large piece of ginger (half the size of my hand), peel and make into match sticks. Put most of the ginger in the bottom of a covered baking pan filled 3/4 or slightly more with filtered water. I placed fresh organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top, then put the remaining ginger matchsticks on top, and floated some leaves of fresh mint. I put this in a 350F oven for about 40 minutes and it came out perfectly. I then removed the breasts from the water and sliced diagonally across to make the center of the salad arrangement. Don't cook the breasts too long or they will become tough. When just right they are moist and infused with the ginger/mint flavors. These are wonderful for salad topping.

Happy 2nd birthday Weekend Herb Blogging! Thanks Kalyn for creating this fun event!

Anna Bakes. Some years ago, I used to bake bread from scratch often. I was in one of my "let's clear the cupboards" moods when I noticed a Bob's Red Mill bag of flour and yeast ready to be turned into Potato Bread. There is nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking to fill a home with nostalgic smells. So I planned the rest of the meal around baking this bread.

Looking in the cupboard I spied a can of albacore tuna (from Costco) and a jar of capers - yes, makings for a Tuna Salad! I already had red leaf lettuce, arugula and Kewpie mayonnaise in the refrigerator, so I was set! This and fresh baked bread would go wonderfully. The salad was the quickest part of the meal.

Making the bread, even though the ingredients were pretty much gathered, took some time. First I put the flour and yeast packet in the bowl, and combined it with the warm water and oil. Then I kneaded the bread for about 10 minutes, using my special karate chop approach when I got tired of the roll and push motion. Then I put it in a big ceramic bowl (bought a long time ago at my mother's advice just for bread raising), and waited for it to double in size.

What fun to PUNCH it down when it has doubled (about 40 minutes after leaving to rest)!

Then you wait another 4o minutes or so, and punch it down and shape it into a loaf, and finally put it in the loaf pan, oiling the top. Then you cover it and wait about 45 minutes before taking off the towel, or plastic, and seeing the risen bread ready for the oven. Then about a half hour in a 375F oven, and it comes out looking like the photo heading this blog post. Yum! And the smells!!

Of course you have to let it rest a little, then cut it up, slater it with butter and munch it with the tuna salad. Dad and I had a second piece, still warm, topped with organic strawberry jam for dessert. This loaf won't last long!

Supper Club - Sicily. It was time again to join the chefs in a theme, tell tall tales and enjoy food infused with thought and flavor. Here are the results....

White Bean Bruscetta: My dish was an appetizer, and part of it was VERY local, freshly picked basil from my deck with its flowering ends as decorations. My tale was that I recalled hearing that the Sicilians were intuitive to the point of being psychic, and that this was confirmed when I reviewed my recipe to buy the ingredients not on hand -- other than the beans and garlic, the larger list of ingredients had no hints as to the amounts or proportion! Tom H had a more logical explanation, that one of the features of Sicilian cooking is lack of firm recipe since the people like to cook spontaneously using the freshest ingredients at hand.

Sicilian Caponata (as bruscetta): Isadora brought this tender and delicious Sicilian version of the ever-popular caponata and some fresh crisp bread rounds to hold it.

Pasta con le Sarde (Pasta with Fennel and Herring): ... and saffron and fresh Tokyo Market sardines with bucatini pasta. Spending more than four hours preparing this dish, not including shopping, Emil came up with a winner in this ancient recipe which had tastes of sweet, salty and sour in balance which elicited ooohs and aaahs from everyone.

We come prepared for slow cooking and eating as every cook has thought their dish through thoroughly and preps it only to the point of where it can be brought to a spectacular and fresh finish. Stephanie is assisted by Alma to clean and debeard the mussels in Stephanie's upcoming dish.

Zuppa di Cozzi (Mussel Soup): First Stephanie simmered a rustic sauce of heirloom tomatoes, garlic and other very authentic Sicilian ingredients in this typical mussel soup. After the base was ready, she added the über-fresh mussels and served them up quickly with a garnish of citron peel.

Sicilian Style Cod: Our host, Tom M used both black and red cod in his dish, which also featured fresh rosemary and basil brought straight in from his backyard garden. The fish was so tender it melted in your mouth.

Sicilian Meatloaf: With the natural advantage of having Sicilian grandparents, Janis made Noni's Meatloaf of course! It was made like a jellyroll with luscious and flavorful ingredients including pine nuts and provolone cheese. We were competing for parts of the leftovers to bring home!

Carciofi ai Quattro Succhi (Artichokes Braised in Citrus Juices): The vegetable dishes were served at the same time we served the main courses. This one could serve either as an appetizer or a vegetable dish. A first time participant, Connie showed herself to be a chef extraordinaire with this layering of flavors and four citrus flavors. The Meyer lemons were home grown.

Pomodori Ripieni ai Mostarde di Frutta (Stuffed Tomatoes): The English translation just doesn't do justice to Tom H's amazing and authentic dish, with ingredients directly from Sicily. The stuffing included fresh herbs, and topping the cheese topping was "Mostarda", the mustard infused glaceed fruit. (Food & Wine has a recipe for making a mostarda.) The hmmms immediately turned to mmms! as these stuffed Eary Girls reached the lips.

Zucchini con Cannella e Aglio (Zucchini with Cinnamon and Garlic): Tom H further amazed us with this twist on flavors with zucchini. This dish was also awesome.

Insalata d'Arance (Orange and Anise Salad): Caren tapped the traditions of an English friend whose heritage is Sicilian for this salad of flavor and texture contrasts. Slivers of fennel, shaved coconut and crisp sliced almonds were among the ingredients nested with the sweet orange.

Insalata del Rinforza (Cauliflower salad): Bob had us in rollicking laughter with his tale of Romulus and Remus and their travels to Sicily. Apparently they were too rambunctious and their mother slapped them across the ears, resulting in Cauliflower ear, hence this dish made in remembrance. The rule is that each chef talks about their dish and tells us something about the region, and whether true or not, it must be entertaining. You can guess which category this came under. Not a fan of cauliflower myself, I was utterly enchanted with the flavors of this salad that may be served either hot or room temperature, with its adds of olive oil, capers, and other nicely blended dressing ingredients.

Sicilian Cassata: Bill offered up this dish that Janis made which was incredibly light and heavy at the same time. It had a chocolate/expresso ganache frosting and the interior was a pound cake with surprise infused cream layered inside. Utter yum.

Biscotti d'Annodare (Knot cookies): Karen, our hostess, put these little hard cookie bites together which were best eaten with the delicious expresso she served.

Karen put thought into every aspect of this recipe, working to adjust the recipe a little around the edges to make it healthier. It also made them a bit harder, but with such lovely expresso, who cared?

Ricotta Pie: Another new face at the table was Arthur, with a celebratory pie authentic enough for the Scorsese family table. We hoped none were scheduled soon for a blood lipid panel as this pie sports 12 eggs, Belwether Farms Sheep Cheese Ricotta, lemon zest and pine nuts in a very flaky crust (and you know what that means). While we savored this simply delicious pie, Arthur explained that he had experimented with various ricottas before choosing the sheep milk made one due to its creaminess and the smooth texture it added to the pie.

Bill listed attentively as the devoted foodies around the table answered his intriguing question - "If you were about to be executed, what would your request for last meal be?" My answer of course was a Japanese kaiseki meal, with that lovely scroll describing the dishes in abstract, artful terms. Other answers included crab with drawn butter and fried chicken before Tom H put a twist on the suggestions by adding 'fugu', and the flow of the conversation went to some more colorful last meal ideas and laughter.

What would you request as your last meal? Leave me a note in the comments section as I'd love to hear!

If you enjoyed this post of chefs producing an authentic meal around a theme, you might enjoy some of the archives of the Supper Club - Marin. The links are below, and if you are interested in recipes, you might check the surrounding dates to the events as sometimes the chefs have shared, and I've posted some pre- or post event.

Supper Club - Cuba
Supper Club - Greece
Supper Club - Vietnam (sorry I missed this event!)
Supper Club - Chocolate!
Supper Club - Regions of Italy
Supper Club - Spanish Tapas
Supper Club - States of Germany
Supper Club - States of Mexico
Supper Club - Cuisine of Japan
Supper Club - Persian Style
Supper Club - Does Southern
Supper Club - French Regions

Next up in January is States of India. There's no way we'll be able to cover them all since there are 28 states and seven union territories! But what we do is sure to be good!

French Breakfast. Dad & I slipped back to La Boulange one recent rainy morning to try out their breakfast options. Lunch there is pretty good too!

Their breakfast croissant was the hands down winner, and it was awfully tasty too! Dad also gave a thumbs up to their hot chocolate.

Minted Fruit Salad. Continuing writing about the dinner I made for Paul, Daniel & Dad, starting with the Black Bean Soup, I'm now posting about the fruit salad, which served as our dessert at that meal. This salad is very similar to the one I made for Christmas Eve last year, the Minted Pineapple Banana Salad. The differences are that I used mint grown on my very own deck (and I must say it looks very alive in the photo!), and I used one banana, and two small nashi (Asian Pears) along with the fresh pineapple. I'm leading up to the main course, which is so full of fresh vegetables and herbs that I'm saving the post for my entry into Kalyn's 2nd anniversary week of Weekend Herb Blogging! It's going to be doubly delish!

Another Japantown treat. I know Sapporo-Ya in San Francisco's Japantown as a good place to have some handmade ramen. (See my April 2006 post mentioning it too.) In the right hand corner of the store, in front of the window, if you come early enough you can see a gentleman making it! I saw him bring in a crate of ramen he'd finished while I was there. Since I'm avoiding big batches of carbs, I thought I would try another of their menu items for lunch.

When you don't order the ramen, you get to try their miso soup, and the tsukemono (pickles) of cabbage and carrots, and tempura dipping sauce came at the same time.

I tried their Sashimi Lunch, which is a combination of fresh tuna, tempura and accompanied also by green salad and a cold ramen noodle salad treat. The fresh maguro (tuna) was placed over a large mound of daikon radish. The radish is so fresh, crisp and healthy that I was quite delighted that they served it generously. The salad dressing, a kind of soy ginger mix was also nice. All in all a good variety with pleasant service. It's a nice spot to try if you are in Japantown, and especially if you like ramen.

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup. I made this as a starter for a dinner I made for friends Daniel & Paul, and of course my Dad. It turned out well, I must confess. Especially as it was one of those, use what you already have kinds of soups.

So this soup was made starting by throwing a couple cans of organic black beans into a pot, chopping up the white ends of some green onions which were left over from recipes calling for only the green tops and adding these. Then in went a heaping teaspoon of vegetarian soup base, and some mushroom liqueur that came from about a pound of mushrooms I had sauteed and reduced for another use. Now for the surprise. In order to bring a little spice to it, I added about a 3/4 teaspoon of shichimi togarashi, a Japanese chili pepper seasoning! I brought this mixture to a boil, then poured it into my VitaMix for a whirl to make it have a smooth texture and blend all the ingredients. I then poured it back into the pot, and let it simmer until I was ready to serve.

At table side, I provided some of that thick and creamy Fage Greek yogurt (0% fat) as a topping to stir in. It made a nice start to the meal that I will describe more of later in the week.

Flowery Lunch. I've noticed this pink and red and bright looking place for some time, and finally it was the day to stop. Chrysanthemum's lunch menu was simple, and easy to mix and match, except for the soup.

The only soup offered was hot & sour, which many people adore, but I've never particularly liked. I think it was fine, but I'm not to be relied on for hot & sour tastings.

I tried their spring roll which came out hot, delightfully flaky and delicious.

It was harder to decide on the entree, as I was in the mood for chicken, but the only white meat chicken on the menu was in the Lemon Chicken dish. I thought if I were going to go for something deep fried, I may as well try something different. So I tried their Peking Pork Chops, which were lean medallions of pork, breaded and deep fried with a sauce that was a cross between lemon and sweet and sour. Interesting mix, and tasty if you like sweet sauces. I took a doggie bag as it is way too much for lunch. I also took their brown rice option for an extra $.75. The service was friendly, and I'd like to try their dinner menu sometime to make a more rounded decision about them. I can say that the food was fresh, timely and tasty.

It's so fall. The leaves are even turning in Marin, and the stores are full of pumpkins, even those pre-decorated, which I sprang for! And this little pumpkin looks ready to gobble up my fall stir fry!

And so I'm again entering Kalyn's fun cooking event - Weekend Herb Blogging this week hosted by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything at Least Once.

This week my herb is bell peppers, and you can see the pretty bright orange one, celebrating fall, in the Fall Stir Fry above.

Bell peppers are considered 'sweet' peppers since they contain a gene which suppresses the production of capsaisin which gives other peppers their spiciness. Bell peppers are super C carriers -- a green bell pepper contains 2x the vitamin C by weight than citrus fruits, and a red bell pepper contains 3x that of the green bell peppers! Green bell peppers are actually that -- unripe bell peppers. All the other varieties of color are ripe ones. Peppers are native to Central and South America, and were brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus where they spread all the way to Asia.

In my wok I heated up some safflower oil, and sesame oil (sound familiar, just using what's in my cupboard! another light oil may be substituted for the safflower, but the sesame oil is important for the flavor), and put sliced strips of organic chicken breast (Rocky - 1 breast was just over a pound) in the wok and stirred it quickly. I followed the chicken by an entire sweet onion sliced up, and stir fried until the onion started to get limp, then followed it by a small box of presliced white mushrooms. Both the onion and the mushrooms intensify in flavor with reduction, so I cooked them longer than I normally would in a stir fry to bring the flavors out.

Next I added a cup of broccoli florets and after they looked about right, the slices of one orange bell pepper. When I was nearly ready to take it off the stove, I poured in the remaining Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade to flavor and to meld with the juices at the bottom of the pan. Once it was heated and evenly coating the ingredients, I emptied the perfectly wok seared dish into a round white Pyrex bowl. And thus ends another week of WHB, with the Fall Stir Fry served over brown rice for dinner with Dad.

Personal Note: Sunday morning I received a call from my Aunt Ruby in Louisville that my Aunt Nell had passed away suddenly at 84. A 4'10" ball of fire! She and her husband had a 65 year long love affair and two wonderful sons. Although they had their trials in life like anyone else, I don't think it gets any better, and they stuck close through it all. It's another reminder to keep in touch as things can change in an instant.