Jerusalem: Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak 1 '14

Bruce decided to take a crack at his first recipe from the "Jerusalem" cookbook. He made us Chicken with roasted Fennel  Clementine Oranges and Arak. To die for!

Jerusalem: Seafood and Fennel Soup 1 '14

CC launched the first test of our new cookbook with a supper of seafood and fennel soup. It was sort of a Cioppino but substituted fennel for the usual heavy dose of tomatoes. The recipe called for fish, and shrimp ( which we had in the freezer), and clams and mussels which we picked up at the local fish market, and a ton of exotic spices. Mmmmmm what a feast! We're so glad to be back cooking in our own kitchen.

Red Rice and Kale for Brunch 1 '14

On the trip home from California, we had lunch at an airport cafe. I chose a bowl of red rice and kale topped with a poached egg. It was filling and healthy but rather bland. Bruce took one look and announced, " I can do better than that!". 

So guess what he prepared for brunch this morning? Right" We had red rice and kale cooked in chicken broth, seasoned with onion and garlic, and garnished with spinach, basil, avocado and fresh tomatoes. Then topped with a perfectly poached egg. 

He even plated it beautifully. I believe he made his point

Jerusalem, A Cookbook: 1 "14

 My sweet son-in-law David McClellan gave me the "Jerusalem" cookbook as a belated birthday gift.  Bruce and I read it on the flight home. In Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi explore  the vibrant cuisine of their home city—with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Both men were born in Jerusalem in the same year—Tamimi on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi in the Jewish west. This stunning cookbook offers 120 recipes from their unique cross-cultural perspective, from inventive vegetable dishes to sweet, rich desserts.  Most are gluten free.  We decided to test every recipe in it.

Coming Home to South Carolina 1 '14

Of course fate couldn't let us just have a peaceful journey home. Ten minutes before we were board the plane, the fire alarms sounded in the San Diego Airport and we had to evacuate the terminal. (Fortunately it was 85 degrees in California, If that had happened while waiting for our connector flight in Atalanta we would have frozen to death). In the long run it was a minor inconvenience and we were able to get off on time and make our connections home.

Birthday Dinner and Bentos and Noodles 1 '14

The evening before we left for home we took Laura and David and the boys out to celebrate Laura and David's  birthdays at Bentos. The place makes the most incredible sushi dishes. It was a feast for the eyes and well at the stomach. It was a lovely way to end the trip.

Bentos Dragon Roll

Pachenga Casino and Hotel 1 ' 14

Most of our time during our stay in California was spend assisting  CC's  Mother to move to Arizona. By the end of the first week, we were physically sore and heart-weary from sorting and packing through years of possessions. Once we saw CC's  Mom was safely off, Bruce decided it was time for a more uplifting environment. He booked us a room for the night at the Pachenga Casino and Hotel in Temecula, CA.

  The hotel upgraded us to a beautiful suite on the ninth floor.  the living area was enormous.

 The bedroom  was gorgeous..  Bruce was really impressed. 

Bruce was really impressed.

The bathroom was a two room affair that was nearly  the size of  half of our house

 

All I cared about by that time was sinking down in that deep whirlpool tub and getting a full nights sleep.

Hull Reunion Dinner at Eileens' House 1 "14

Dennis and Nina Fox, Eileen Lolin Wolfard, BJ, CC

Thursday evening, Eileen Molin Wolfard, another Hull, Mass. emigrant hosted a delicious vegan reunion dinner for the Nina, Dennis, BJ and I. 

Dennis Fox, Eileen Molin Wolfard. BJ

 Talk about party time... I had met Eileen a couple of years ago, and BJ's class reunion, but with the smaller group, we had so much more time to talk. It was so much fun. We all laughed 'til we cried.

Dennis Fox, Eileen Molin Wolfard, BJ

 I wish we all lived closer.

Visiting with Nina and Dennis Fox 1 '14

BJ, Nina, and Dennis Fox

We made time to visited Bruce's childhood friends, Nina and Dennis Fox. Nina lived next door to Bruce in Hull, Mass. while they were growing up, and Dennis and Bruce played together in their high school's band. I hadn't had a chance to meet them before, but it like I had known them all my life. Hopefully we will be able to stay in touch.

BJ, Nina, and Dennis Fox

Visiting with the Cunninghams 1 '14

Marty, BJ, Sam

While we were at the resort, Bruce's son, Marty, and daughter-in-law 'Sam' dropped by for a visit. We were so happy there were in town while we were there and were able to see us.

Visit with Jackie Campbell 1' 14

After lunch in Coronado Island,  Laura, the boys, Bruce and I  headed off to  Hemet to visit with CC's mother, Jackie Campbell.  Here are some photos taken of Mom with Jeannie and  CC on on Jan 10th.  They are the last ones taken while CC's mother was still  residing in Hemet, CA..

Mom and I

Mom and Jeannie

Lawrence Welk Resort 1"14

View looking south from our condo

Friday saw us checking into the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido CA. 

 

View looking North from our condo

 As nice as the resort is ,we really didn't have time to use many of the amenities 

(Bruce and I only got in one round of golf), 

rather we chose it as our base camp because it was centrally located to all the family and friends we wanted to see.

 It was a nice resort.  Hopefully BJ and I will be able to stay there again  when we have time to enjoy it.

The Arboretum and Coronado Island with the McClellans 1 '14

Laura was adamant the CC would get to see the arboretum before she left San Diego, so first thing in the morning we all piled  in her auto and sped off to Balboa Park again.  This time the greenhouse was open.

Ryan and Dylan

Where everyone had a big grin on their faces

 Especially CC

Then it was off to the Coronado Island Hotel for some lunch

a stroll along the beach

and some male bonding

Balboa Park and Old Town with the McClellans 1 '14

View from McClellan's living room of the sunrise

While most of our time in California will be spent helping to relocate Cece's Mother from California to Arizona, we are determined to spend some quality time with as many of our other family and friends as possible while we are here. First on our list of must see people  is Cece's daughter Laura and her family.

Laura, CC, Ryan, and Dylan

Balboa Park

Laura suggested that while David was working the rest of the family visit the arboretum in Balboa Park so that CC could see their tropical plants.  Unfortunately the greenhouse was closed, so Bruce volunteered to take us all to the zoo instead.

BJ and Dylan  on the tram tour

Below CC and Ryan on the tour

It was a good choice as it gave us lots of opportunity to interact with our grandkids, Dylan and Ryan.

CC, Dylan, Ryan, Laura

Later on we went to Old town  for lunch

Laura and CC

Then we  visited a few of the shops in the area

The boys loved the rock shop

and took a stroll around.. TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL, the second oldest synagogue structure extant in the American West, (built in the wake of the San Diego boom of 1886-1888).

BJ in front of Temple Beth Israel

 and  The Mormon Battalion Memorial Visitors Center near Old Town San Diego is an historic site commemorating the long journey of the Mormon Battalion and their contribution to the growth of the west.had the kids pose in front of the Morman Battalion Monument. The Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in American military history, serving from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. We had the boys pose in front of the Mormon Battalion Monumant

Boys will be Boys

New Year’s Day Supper 1 '14

According to Southern Living Magazine, this traditional Southern  New Year’s Day supper will bring you fortune in the year to come: Pork, Greens and, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, Hoppin’ John, and Pot Likker Soup.  Southerners embrace this tradition in a big way... Restaurants feature it on their menus; produce sections of markets are piled with fresh collards, and by New Years Eve, all the ham, and even all the canned black eyed peas are sold out.  Since the South is now our home... guess what we had for New Year's Supper

 You got it...

Pork, Pork, and more Pork
The more pork in your meal, the more luck you will have. So don’t just use ham hock and fatback to flavor your veggies; eat a baked ham or pork chops as a main dish.  I used a Blade Chop, lightly braised in a frying pan, that had been season with bacon drippings and garlic (these were used later in the collards greens), then roasted the blades in the oven at 325 for 30 minutes.  They came out as tender  as butter,

Collard Greens and Black-eyed Peas
These two Southern classics all but guarantee a prosperous year. Some say the greens represent dollar bills and the peas, coins, ensuring wealth and luck.

According tof Southern Living Magazine, "this auspicious New Year’s Day tradition dates back to the Civil War, when Union troops pillaged the land, leaving behind only black-eyed peas and greens as animal fodder. Rich in nutrients, these were the humble foods that enabled Southerners to survive. Details of stories differ, but each celebrates a communion of family and friends bound by grateful hearts and renewed hope for good things yet to come."

Cornbread
Cornbread, which some say symbolizes gold, completes the Southern New Year’s triad. Native Americans were the first to bake a cornmeal mixture, and Southerners made it daily when wheat was a rarity in the region. It is still a regional favorite, although We prefer ours a tad less sweet than the South Carolina  natives

Southern-Style Collard Greens
Slow-cooking collards with pork makes them mouth-watering and tender. I added ham  scraps,  onion, garlic and fresh crowder beans to mine.  It was really good and very nutritious.


Hoppin’ John
This Carolina Lowcountry dish pairs black-eyed peas with rice. The rice and beans are cooked slowly with bacon, fatback, or ham hock along with onion and salt.   Bruce found this dish too dry for his liking... I thought it might have been more flavorful if I had used a genuine Sounth Carolina Golden Rice instead of a California long grain.


 
Pot Likker
Pot likker, is the juice left in a pot after collards cook, and is traditionally valued as a delicacy and aphrodisiac.  I added  turnips, okra, and some fresh shrimp to mine and served it as a first course soup, while I was waiting for the pork chops to cook down enough to serve.  Sorry, my camera batteries failed me , so I didn't get a picture of this course.

Be sure to save a few uncooked greens to tack to the ceiling for good luck or hang over the door to ward off evil spirits.