Balsamic Asian Pear Salad with Candied Walnuts

I like to shop at Asian markets for live fresh fish, terrifying meat products and great fresh fruit and veggies. I saw some beautiful Asian pears had to make something with it. Here is a recipe that is has all the yummy elements... savory, sweet, salty, crunchy, wet, tart and good for you... how can you go wrong?

Try this one out, you won't be sorry.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large Asian Pear sliced thinly
1 head of Butter lettuce washed and pulled into bit sizes
1 medium block of good Blue Cheese (Point Reyes Farmstead) Crumbled
1/2 cup toasted candied Walnuts
Dash of fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup fine Extra Virgin Olive Oil

COOKING MUSIC SELECTION: Miles Davis & John Coltrane - Kind of blue

PREPARATION:

Add all the ingredients into a big salad bowl and toss and serve with yummy bread or cheese toasts and a luscious white wine.

Creamy Chicken Marsala with Mashed Potatoes

I got a call today from Sharon begging for the recipe from the dinner I made last weekend “Breaking in the New Kitchen” at my dear friend Lisa’s new house. She bought her first home right on the water in Pacifica, California. The sun sets right in her dining room, it’s so beautiful. We have named her home, “Lisamar”. : )

I stayed the weekend to help her unpack and ended up making dinner on the fly with a houseful of other helpful hardworking fun women. Here was din din: Salad: Butter Lettuce, Asian pear, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Toasted Candied Walnuts tossed in Balsamic Vinegar and Olive oil…. with cracked pepper this is killer…Entrée: Creamy Chicken Marsala with Mashed Potatoes
and Zucchini Provencal… Aaahhh the beauty of italian food....Here ya go Grrl! Thanks again for being such a great Sou Chef!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
5 tablespoons butter
12 oz large mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 small cloves of garlic finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (for the roux)6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup heavy cream&
2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (preferably large)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

COOKING MUSIC SELECTION: Andrea Bocelli - Besame Mucho

PREPARATION:
Pound the chicken breasts to a nice even thickness. In a large skillet and the olive and turn on heat up to medium high. Add the onions and garlic, sauté lightly for 3 mins. Turn the heat down to medium and add the chicken. When the chicken is brown on one side flip them and then add the Marsala wine and cover to simmer for 20 mins. Turn down the heat a little and add the basil and heavy cream. To simmer for 5 mins. Take the chicken out of the sauce and set aside on a plate.

In a separate sauce pan melt butter and flour until you have a roux nice and bubbly. Turn up the heat on the cream sauce and add the roux to thicken, about 2 mins. Add the chicken back into the now yummy sauce and serve with mashed potatoes.
For potatoes: Boil them in a large pot of water (no peeling nessasary) for about 20 mins. (until you can pierce them easily with a knife) Drain them and add them back into the pot. Add the rest of the ingrediants and mash with a potato masher (preferred) or whip them coursely with a hand mixer.

Annual NorCal Regional Grilled Cheese Invitational!

Will there be a 3rd?

Hi Gang,

It's almost time for the Annual NorCal Grilled Cheese Invitational in Dolores Park. I would like to one day compete in this blessed event, but would like to scope out the scene this year and learn the tricks from the masters. Would anyone of you crazy kids like to meet up and cheese out with me?

Write me back and let's synchronize our Formage!

http://www.grilledcheeseinvitational.com/norcal