This is my first vegetarian adaptation from a recipe I made before Alex went veg. I'm not sure why I had "Crumbles" in my freezer. They've been there a while. They look and sound like an abomination against all that's good and tasty. When I defrosted them I came very close to pitching them. They reminded me of the mid-seventies elementary school hamburgers that never quite seemed cow-like. But, what the hell. I didn't care for the texture of the chili without them. So, I added the crumbles. They actually weren't bad. After simmering for 30 minutes I don't think they had any flavor whatsoever but the texture was okay. Alex loved this. It actually wasn't bad at all. I suppose having the added protein was worth it. But next time, instead of using crumbles, I think it would have been just as good to serve it over rice.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 chopped red bell peppers
1/2 habañero pepper chopped very fine
1 cup chopped onion, plus chopped onion for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans (15 ounces each) kidney beans, drained
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) stewed tomatoes, crushed
3/4 cup red wine
4 cups soy crumbles
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream and chopped onion

Instructions
In large saucepan over medium high heat, sauté peppers, onion and garlic in butter until they are tender-crisp. Add beans, tomatoes, wine, crumbles, chili powder, cilantro, red pepper and salt.

Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes and serve with cheese, onions, sour cream, and cilantro.

I made preserved lemons last Wednesday. I made them for two reasons. I thought this recipe looked good and I had lemons that were going to mold. Preserved lemons are basically lemons packed in salt. I had no idea what to expect but they were delicious - not nearly as salty as I'd imagined. What was unusual was that I sliced the rind off removing the pith and finely chopped the rind into the salad. It was soft and flexible and had a nice tart taste. I threw the pith away and returned the pulp back into the brine.
The salad was delicious. I'll make this often. I think I'll use a milder vinegar next time, probably rice vinegar. I'm going to have to do some research to know what else I can do with the lemons. I still have three and a half jars.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon preserved lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper plus 1/2 teaspoon
3 to 4 large tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon preserving brine from Preserved Lemons
1/4 cup finely chopped preserved lemon rind from Preserved Lemons
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
1 head butter lettuce, washed, cored, and quartered

Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, preserved lemon juice, and cumin seeds. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until blended. Adjust seasonings with salt and
pepper, to taste. Place tomato wedges in a separate bowl. Season the tomatoes with the preserving brine, and additional salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the chopped lemon rind, cilantro, parsley, and red onions, tossing to coat well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Drizzle a small amount of the dressing over the tomato mixture and toss to combine. Arrange lettuce on 4 salad plates. Top with equal amounts of the tomato mixture and drizzle with additional dressing, if desired.

I'm a grumpy bastard today. Today was an uncharacteristically bad day for me. But this was a fantastic meal. I love beets and this was one of the best beet dishes I've ever made. The sweetness from the maple pecans and the tartness of the apples with the vinaigrette was terrifically complex both in flavor and texture. Make this. This would really be good with a little feta or blue cheese too. I didn't need the cheese because there was blue cheese on the sandwich. The sandwich was really interesting too. The over-easy egg with the blue cheese and salami was delicious. This meal was practically the only good thing that happened to me today.

Ingredients
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
blue cheese, crumbled
frisee, washed and dried

butter
eggs
Italian bread, sliced and toasted
thin slices salami
sliced blue cheese

Instructions
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until combined. Fold in the crumbled blue cheese. Add the frisee and toss well to coat the frisee with the dressing. Season with more black pepper, to taste.

Cook the eggs, over-easy, in a little butter.

Build sandwich with the frisee mixture, salami, egg, and slice of blue cheese on toast.

Ingredients
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup canned baby beets, drained
1 Fuji apple, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine pecans and maple syrup, remove and bake on a cookie sheet until nuts are roasted.
In a large bowl, add beets, apple, mint, salt and pepper. Toss. Add oil and vinegar and nuts. Toss and serve immediately.

I had a blast this weekend. One of the things I did was visit the property that my friends Chris and Kathy just bought. It's about 22 acres in southeast Ohio and it's absolutely beautiful. While cutting down some weeds, Kathy found some morels. So, we scoured the area and found a few more. When Kathy said, "You want 'em?" I was practically speechless at her generosity.

(If these aren't morels, don't bother telling me. I'll have died already and this will be my final post.)

So, tonight, I made morel sauce. I feel a little guilty that I didn't cook them for Alex but I couldn't bring myself to cook them for a vegetarian meal. This was amazing. I practically swooned when I ate it. I used wheat bread to sop up the last of the sauce. I would have licked the plate if I didn't have the bread. If you're lucky enough to find some morels go ahead and make this. But be warned. It took me over an hour to reduce the sauce. It was worth it.

For a side dish, I sliced some nice tomatoes and drizzled them with basil in white truffle oil and toasted pine nuts. Awesome.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots, minced
1 cup loosely packed fresh morels
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Chicken breasts
Truffle oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
Place butter and minced shallot in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook until translucent. Add morels and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add white wine and broth and reduce by two-thirds. Add heavy cream, turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Brush chicken breast with truffle oil and add salt and pepper. Grill and serve with Morel Sauce

The tofu was okay. I served it over cold somen (noodles) with the same dipping sauce I made last month. The noodles and sauce were great. So, if you think you want to make this, skip the tofu and just check March 14th for the noodle recipe. It's good.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound extra firm tofu, cut into 3/4inch cubes and patted very dry

1/2 teaspoon chili paste with garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons dry sherry

Instructions
In a medium size bowl combine the marinade ingredients. Gently stir in the tofu and coat well. Let marinate for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours. Cover and chill if longer than 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour the tofu and its marinade into a shallow baking dish in one layer. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing once with a spatula.

Combine the sauce ingredients and pour over the tofu. Toss to coat evenly. Return to the oven and bake 10 more minutes, or until golden brown. Let sit 10 minutes before serving; it should be served warm, not piping hot.

These were delicious but they're really nothing fancy. I used the recipe on the lid of the Quaker Oats container and added dried cherries and toasted pecans. I had some with the boys. I sent some to their mom's house with them. I took several dozen to a party with my sailing team. I even saved a few to drink with 12 year old Irish whiskey at Chris and Cathy's house later that night. I ate a lot of cookies.

Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 medium garlic cloves
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
8 ounces marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Place the cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, pecans, olive oil, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, then pour into a large bowl. Gently stir in chopped artichokes and Parmesan cheese. Serve over pasta.

Ingredients
fresh lemons, washed, patted dry, cut into eighths lengthwise
1/2 cup kosher salt
Glass jars
Extra-virgin olive oil, for storing

Instructions
In a mixing bowl, toss the cut lemons generously with the salt and pack the lemons fairly tightly in the sterilized jar. Cover the lemons with lemon juice and secure a lid. Shake the jar gently daily to redistribute the liquid and salt. Leave in a cool dark place for 2-3 weeks. After opening, pour a little olive on top to make a barrier and refrigerate.

Ingredients
2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons water, or as needed
1 tablespoon honey
6 pita bread
2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions
Mash garlic with the salt in a small bowl. Place into a blender or food processor along with the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, honey, and water. Process until smooth adding a little water if necessary. Spoon into a serving dish, and drizzle olive oil over the top.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush pita breads with olive oil, and cut into wedges. Season with salt and fresh rosemary. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool, and serve with hummus. Garnish with tomatoes, kalamata olives, pepper rings, olive oil, and/or dolmas.

Ingredients
Filling:
3 pounds sweet potatoes, for 2 cups puree
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Topping:
1/2 cup pecans
1 small can (8-ounce) whole-berry cranberry sauce
about 12 ginger snaps
1/4 cup amaretto

Instructions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake them until they are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.

While the potatoes are cooking make the pastry: combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 10-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly. Trim the excess dough around the rim and pinch the edges to form a border. Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with uncooked beans or pie weights. Bake the pie crust until it sets, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans. Brush the bottom with the beaten egg white and set aside.

While the crust is cooking make the filling: When cool enough to handle, peel the sweet potatoes and puree the pulp in a food processor with 1/2 stick butter and a pinch of salt. Measure 1 1/2 cups puree into a bowl. In another bowl beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar has melted. Add the eggs to the sweet potato puree and whisk well. Add the cream, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Place the pie pan on a sturdy cookie sheet to catch any spills. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the pie is set but still jiggles slightly, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, put the pecans on a baking sheet and bake them with the pie for about 10 minutes to toast them. Put the cookies, pecans, and cranberries and amaretto into a food processor and pulse them a few times until they are coarsely chopped. Spread the topping evenly over the cooled pie and serve immediately.

1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 pounds plums, quartered and pits removed
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Set rack in the center of the oven. Combine all of the topping ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms crumbles the size of small peas; do not over process. Set aside.
Pour the plums directly into a large, shallow baking dish and sprinkle with sugar and flour to coat evenly. Spread crisp topping over entire surface of fruit. Bake until fruit is bubbly and the top is golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Ingredients
2/3 cup bourbon or whiskey
1 cup clover honey
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup 100 percent fruit orange marmalade
1 fresh ham

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, heat bourbon, honey, molasses, and marmalade over low heat for 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Spread some of the bourbon glaze over the ham and roast for 4 to 5 hours uncovered(18 minutes per pound) until internal temperature is 150. Baste about every 30 minutes with remaining glaze. Remove ham from oven and cover loosely with foil or roaster lid. Let stand for 30 minutes before slicing.

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 cup frozen corn
2 red bell peppers chopped

Instructions
Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into small chunks. Add the sweet potatoes to the boiling water, and boil until tender. Drain the sweet potato into a colander. In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Return the sweet potato to the pot, and add the rosemary. Sauté until the sweet potato has developed nicely browned crusts on the cut sides, and then remove it to a large serving bowl.

Sauté the peppers in a pan with a little olive oil. Add the corn to the peppers and sauté until vegetables are crisp yet tender. Add the corn and pepper mixture to the bowl with the sweet potato, and toss gently until combined.

Ingredients
1 (12 to 14-ounce) box spinach fettuccini pasta
Salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cream
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Black pepper
1/4 cup parmigiano cheese
1 cup frozen peas

Instructions
Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add cream and cheese and stir constantly until melted. Add nutmeg and pepper and salt if needed. Turn off heat and add peas. Toss drained pasta with sauce and serve.

2 cup flour
3 cup cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1 t teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup pickled jalapeño, chopped
1/4 cup pickled jalapeño juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together milk, butter, eggs, jalapeño and jalapeño juice. Pour wet ingredients over dry and using a fork, stir until just combined. Do not over mix. Spread batter evenly into cast iron pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into triangles and serve immediately.

The Corral is the site of what is one my family's favorite traditions. Since 1962, (before Judy and I were born) my family has gone to the Corral for dinner on Easter Eve. Naturally, one would ask, "Why?" To which I would reply, "I dunno." The Corral is a drive-in restaurant on South Arlington in the style and vintage of it's two better known Akron competitors Swenson's and Skyway. The Corral is older than one of them but I can't remember which one. When we were very young we'd eat in the car. I didn't even discover they had seven cramped booths inside until the early eighties. Now, we always eat inside. I love it.

Every year, I get the same thing. Onion rings...

...and a Nightmare.

A Nightmare is a burger with luncheon ham, onion, lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, and relish. Fantastic. Normally, the lettuce is leaf lettuce but this year they used iceberg instead. I like the leaf lettuce better.

That's a "small order" of rings on the left and a large on the right.


These are my favorite onion rings. If you've had Hamburger Station's onion rings you know the type but the Corral's batter has a finer texture and is a little sweeter.


Judy always gets the coney. My mom surprised me this year by getting the coney instead of the Nightmare. I admit, it threw me off a bit. I'm not used to people trying anything new when going to the Corral. I tried the coney one time around 1978. I remember that it was good - I really liked it - but it's no Nightmare. My soon-to-be-brother-in-law Bob notched his 2nd Easter Eve visit and ordered the Nightmare. (I think he wants me to like him.) I don't know what Alex, Nick and Ashley ordered at the other table. It's probably better that I don't know. It was probably cheese sticks and milkshakes or something equally healthful.

So what should I have for dinner on a night when my vegetarian sons are are at their mother's house? Meat! It was 75 degrees out so I made a martini and fired up the grill. I poured olive oil, salt and pepper on the steak and stirred some tomatoes, mushrooms and a quartered onion in the oil. Grill food. Make 2nd martini. Plate food with blue cheese on steak and eat. This was the first meal of the year that I've eaten on my screened room. This was damn close to a perfect meal. The only thing keeping me from the third martini is my mom called 15 minutes ago on her drive back from Myrtle Beach. She wants me to bring back her cat. Damn.

Ingredients
2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder

Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until reduced. Serve with naan.

Wednesday, when I was getting to ready to cook dinner, Alex was just hanging around the kitchen looking uncomfortable. I asked him what was wrong and he said to me, "Dad, I want to be a vegetarian."
Crap. "Um, okay. Are you going to eat seafood? Some vegetarians will eat fish and shrimp," I asked hopefully.
"No, I don't want to eat anything that thinks."
Double crap.
"Okay, no problem buddy. I can handle that."
"You're not disappointed?"
"Nope, I'm good. No meat for you."
Unfortunately, I was planning on Tuna Paninis that night and had just bought a beautiful pork shoulder for the Carolina Barbeque for Friday. I made his panini without tuna that night (it was still really good) and brought him and Nick Taco Bell home for dinner while I ate the delicious pork sandwich by myself on Friday.

I've been incredibly lucky over the last two years as Alex has been willing to eat just about anything I wanted to make. This reminds me of when his mother told me she had decided to become a vegetarian. Déjà vu. I adjusted then. I'll adjust now. I only wish I had a girlfriend I could cook for. Dammit, I've got lamb chops in the freezer.

Tonight, was the first PLANNED vegetarian meal. In the words of Cousin Eddie, this was "Goo-ood." I'm serious - absolutely fantastic. Cooking for a vegetarian won't be all bad.

Ingredients
1 # fusilli
Kosher salt

1 # ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
3/4 cup kalamata olives
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

For the dressing:
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
2 T capers, drained
1/2 t kosher salt
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain well. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and parsley.

Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until coarsley chopped.

Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss well. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Mix all ingredients well in small mixing bowl. Pour onto hot, oiled griddle. Spread batter to make thin, crepe-like pancake. Cook until batter is bubbly. Turn over. Serve immediately with butter and syrup or favorite fruit sauce.

Ingredients
2 large onions, quartered
2 1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Paprika
2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 4-6 Lb boneless pork butt or shoulder roast
1 1/2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
8 Teaspoons Worchestershire Sauce
3 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3 Teaspoon sugar (white)
1 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper and rub over the roast. Placed the roast into a slow cooker with the onions.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, white sugar, dry mustard, garlic salt, and cayenne. Pour 1/2 of this over roast and refrigerate the remaining portion. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. Remove roast and let it drain. Reserve the juices.

Shred the pork with forks and stir in a few spoonfuls of the drippings to keep the pork moist.

Add half of the remaining vinegar mixture to the pork and serve the last of it with a gravy bowl on the table. Serve on hamburger buns with creamy coleslaw.

Ingredients
3/4 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 (6-ounce) cans tuna in olive oil, drained
1 (12-ounce) jar marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
1 tomato, diced

Instructions
Puree the olives, oil, garlic, and zest in a food processor until smooth and spreadable. Blend in the mayonnaise. Toss the tuna, artichokes, lemon juice, and pepper in a medium bowl, keeping the tuna in small chunks.

Spread the olive puree over both cut sides of the bread. Spoon the tuna and artichoke mixture onto the bottom half of the bread. Sprinkle the tomatoes over. Cover with the bread top. Grill on Panini Press.

I would have had these yesterday if I wouldn't have made the pot roast. The Tribe is playing in Chicago to start the baseball season. As much as I don't like the White Sox, I love Chicago and these are great hot dogs. My version of a Chicago Dog has tomato, onion, relish, cucumber, hot pepper rings, Ballpark mustard, and celery seeds. When I can get them, I use buns with poppy seeds.

A few weeks ago, my mom had a conversation with her mother where she learned some things about her childhood that she had never heard before. My mom asked me if I could let her borrow a tape recorder to record some conversations with my grandmother. Instead, I offered to record the conversations straight to computer. So, tonight, I made a roast and had my whole family over to hear some great old stories. Judy and my mom asked most of the questions as I cleaned and it was a huge success. The meal was good too.

Ingredients
1 (3 to 4 pound) piece beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
2 onions, halved
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups mushrooms
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Instructions
Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a tight cover; heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside. Pour in the tomatoes and the water. Scatter the vegetables and herbs around the pot roast, season with salt and pepper; and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Braise for about 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.

Slice the pot roast and arrange on platter surrounded by the vegetables. Serve with the pot juices.

Ingredients
green beans
1 T olive oil
1 T sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
1 T black sesame seeds
1/2 lemon - juiced

Instructions
Steam grean beans until crisp cooked. Heat oils in large skillet, add seeds and stir to keep from burning. Remove from heat and stir in beans until coated. Add lemon juice and serve.

Ingredients
3 # yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half
3 bulbs of roasted garlic removed from skins
3 T butter
salt and white pepper
buttermilk

Instructions
Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker until soft. Add butter, salt and garlic and mash. Add buttermilk to desired consistency.

Nothing special here. This is one of the many coffee cake recipes from Joy of Cooking. I don't feel like retyping it here. I didn't have much yogurt so I used a little yogurt and a little buttermilk. It turned out nicely.

I took the boys to Cleveland on Tuesday, where we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Botanical Gardens, Johnny Mango's (a terrific restaurant), B.A. Sweetie's (a great candy store), and an Asian Market. Since going to the market, I was craving fish sauce and I had to wait until tonight to eat it. This was all I was hoping for. The shallots with the lime juice and mint balance against the saltiness of the fish sauce and it was terrific. The mint I bought was pretty pathetic though. I'm really ready for summer.

Ingredients
Shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup shallots
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 (6.75 ounce) package dried rice noodles
1 cucumber, seeded and sliced

Instructions
Combine garlic, 1/4 cup mint, cilantro, fish sauce, honey, lime juice in food processor and puree until smooth. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles for two minutes, or until done. Coat shrimp with olive oil, and grill over high heat until golden, turning once. Mince the remaining 1/4 cup mint. Serve noodles in a bowl. Top with shrimp and sauce. Garnish with mint and cucumbers