Lori you certainly keep busy baking and it all looks lovely. We've been out a lot this past week but I've been cooking fish, salads, chicken and vegetables at home. Here's some of what we've had, all together. But yesterday Wolf and I went to the tennis and sports club to have a lunch with my friend Anne, who leaves for England today, and Lynne who had just come back from volunteering at the cat refuge, where she helps out every Saturday with abandoned animals. The restaurant at the club is just wonderful and for a small price of ten Euros (not much more than ten dollars) we get a three course meal, including a drink, bread and butter. And sitting outside on the balcony over the courts, it was so sunny and warm we kept moving the overhead parasol to keep us out of the sun. We all chose their cream of squash soup, some with cream, mine without and the three of them had a delicious breaded pork escalope with rice and creamed mushrooms. I had a curried chicken and vegetable dish. Dessert for Wolf and Anne was homemade apple strudel while Lynne had ice cream with chocolate sauce. It was a wonderful lunch, finished off with strong cafes cortado. It was a nice sendoff for Anne. Today I'm not sure what's for dinner, but it will include some lovely new green beans and squash that I bought this morning. Happy Sunday everyone! SharonCb

Oh yes that halibut looks good doesn't it. And also Dixie's apple cake.....I'll cut and paste your recipe Stacy. And lovely presentation of the canapes Dixie. Welcome to the WFD trsinc...I bet your enchiladas were delicious! Yesterday I had the best osso buco I've ever tasted....and I made it from a recipe from the web that looked interesting as it used dry sherry and brandy in the sauce. Oh was it ever good! I halved the recipe as I was using two pieces of beef shank (no veal here) about one pound in weight, and I increased the chopped vegetables. We had it with steamed and mashed potatoes, carrots, leeks and cabbage. Now I'm going to also drag out my slow cooker and try using the same ingredients for some other pieces of beef. Here it is: New Italian Recipes Presents ITALIAN OSSO BUCO Ingredients: 3 lbs. Veal shanks Note: If you can't find veal, or the cost is prohibitive, you might try lamb shanks. Some recipes say you can substitute beef shanks. Keep in mind, if you use lamb or beef, the meat won't be as "fall off the bone" tender. The wonderful, meaty-vegetable stew taste will be there, however, so it's still worth it. Additional Note: If you use veal, you may want to tie cooking twine around the shanks to keep them from falling completely apart during cooking. 3-4 T extra virgin olive oil 2 T butter or Butter Buds 1 red onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 large stalk celery, coarsely chopped 5-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/3 cup Marsala wine or dry sherry...(I used a very dry sherry) 1/3 cup brandy 1 T balsamic vinegar 2 T tomato paste 1 sprig rosemary 4 sprigs thyme 2 bay leaves 2 cups chicken broth (homemade chicken stock recipe) Veal or beef stock can be substituted. Salt and pepper to taste Gremolata: 2 T chopped Italian Parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 t grated lemon peel 1 T lemon juice Mix in a bowl and reserve to sprinkle over individual servings. Preparation: In a large skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, add 2 T olive oil over medium high heat. Season shanks with salt and pepper on both sides, then brown them on all sides. When browning is down, remove the shanks to a bowl to be added back in later. In the same pan, reduce heat to low and add 2 T olive oil and butter or Butter Buds. Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir well to coat, then cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. (This will allow the vegetables to release their juices. Add the Marsala or sherry and the brandy, also the balsamic vinegar. Stir in well, cover again, and let simmer on low for about 6-8 minutes. Make a "bouquet garni" out of the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. (Wrap them in cheese cloth and tie with cooking twine.) Add this to the simmering vegetables, along with the tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and add the shanks and chicken, veal or beef stock. Stir both in well to mix with vegetables. When broth is boiling, reduce heat to low again and cover. Cook for about 1-1 1/2 hours. Veal should be "falling off the bone" tender after an hour or less. Lamb or beef might take a full hour and a half to reach maximum tenderness. Falling off the bone is probably not going to happen with lamb or beef, but the meat should be very tasty and quite tender. Garnish with gremolata, and serve the osso buco with the above-mentioned risotto, or with creamy mashed potatoes. In keeping with true gourmet cooking, here are a couple of variations for you: 1. Add either a 14 oz. or 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes at the point you add the Marsala and the brandy. 2. At the end of cooking, mix 1 cup of sour cream with 1 T of flour. Stir into the osso buco and remove from the heat. (This would give you a German version. Call it German Veal Shank Stew!) Source: New Italian Recipes printer version of online recipe. *************************************************************************************************** Sharon's Note: I halved the recipe but used 1/3 cup each of onion, celery and carrot chopped very finely into a mirepoix. rather than chopping these three ingredients coarsely as called for in the recipe. SharonCb

Here is a recipe from DanaIN for fresh salmon cakes. I'm posting it because I know you have access to a lot of fresh salmon: Fresh Salmon Cakes 2 cloves garlic; minced 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 dashes Tabasco (or 1 teaspoon Old Bay) 1 egg yolk (or egg white) 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons real mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (less if table salt) fresh ground pepper to taste 2/3 cup coarse white bread crumbs 1 pound fresh salmon 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil In a small bowl, combine garlic, onion, Tabasco, egg, parsley, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; set aside. Remove skin and bones from salmon and cut into small cubes (about 1/2-inch); place in a medium bowl and gently stir in bread crumbs. Gently fold egg mixture into salmon and bread and refrigerate at least 2 hours before shaping into 4 patties. Carefully coat the outside of each patty with Panko crumbs. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot and add salmon cakes. Fry the cakes until brown, about 4 minutes on each side turning only once. Serve with lemon wedges or your favorite tartar sauce. *May substitute cracker crumbs or bread crumbs for the Panko. Marilyn Marilyn has not posted for a very long time, but I still make this recipe of hers. It is quite different from salmon cakes made with cooked salmon. Here is my own recipe for deviled crab, based on what I used to get in Galveston as a child: Deviled Crab 16 oz. Crab meat (Snow crab is fine) 1 tsp Lobster or Crab soup base (or 1/2 tsp salt) 3 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 large onion, finely diced (approx. 1/4 cup) 3-4 stalks of celery (including leaves) diced 8-10 fresh Serrano peppers, all seeds removed, and minced 1/3 -1/2 cup flour 1 tbsp minced fresh lemon thyme 1 tsp minced fresh Thai basil (optional) 1 tsp fish soup base--crab or lobster preferred--dissolved in 1/2 cup water or clam juice 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (or spicy brown mustard) 3-4 tbsp lemon juice 2 dashes of cayenne 1/8 tsp black or white pepper 1 egg, slightly beaten 2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs, the size of small peas 1-2 tbsp butter, for the crumbs Have all the ingredients ready-mince the onion and celery and set aside together; mince the herbs and peppers separately and set aside. If you are using crab in its shell, remove all the meat first and then put it in a small bowl. Add the optional crab or lobster soup base, if desired. If you can get lobster base, this will improve the flavor the most, but crab or clam base is fine. Adjust the quantity depending on the saltiness of the base. In a medium or large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and celery and saute for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is all broken up and separated. Add the Serrano peppers and cook another 2-3 minutes. Then add the flour and continue to cook to make a light roux, stirring constantly. Add the herbs and stir to combine. Add the water with soup base (or clam juice), and stir to make a paste and remove from heat. Add the mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, and pepper, and allow to cool slightly. Pour a small amount of the paste into the beaten egg and combine before adding the egg to the paste. Add the crab meat and stir to combine. Lightly grease a 9"x6"x2" baking dish (or individual ramekins) with olive oil, and add the mixture, leaving about 1/2" space from the top of the pan. Press the breadcrumbs into the top and dot with butter (or drizzle the butter melted) evenly over the top. Broil for 5-7 minutes not too close to the heat or bake at 425° for 6-8 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are crispy. Serves four as a main course or six as an appetizer. Lars

My DH doesn't care for chicken breast or mint. But he loves this recipe, and it's been a winner on everyone who's tried it. I prefer it with the Romesco sauce, btw. Chicken Skewers with Garlic, Lemon & Mint Adapted from Roving Feast columnist Marlena Spieler. Makes two 15-inch metal skewers, enough to serve 3-4 people. INGREDIENTS 1.5 lbs chicken breast, skinless and boneless, completely trimmed 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, stems removed and chopped 1/2 cup lemon juice (use 3 small or 2 large lemons), seeds removed 1 tablespoons olive oil 2 tsp McCormick's lemon pepper or other brand Optional: only if using the cooked marinade for a sauce: 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry sherry 1/4 cup chicken broth INSTRUCTIONS: Cut the chicken into 2” chunks. Combine the chicken, garlic, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and lemon pepper in a plastic container. Cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours. Remove from refrig 1/2 hr before serving. Drain the chicken, reserving marinade. Place oven rack in highest position and preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes. Line a large flat cookie sheet, big enough to hold both skewers, with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Thread the chicken cubes onto two 15\-inch skewers. Place on cookie sheet, spray again with cooking spray. Broil chicken skewers for 7 min. on one side and 3-4 minutes the second side. (Note: if baking at 500° instead of broiling; add another 5 min to cooking time!) Let rest on a platter 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and sherry to reserved marinade. Bring to a boil over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch, or just cook over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 cup. Taste for seasoning, then cover or low heat to keep it warm. Garnish chicken with additional chopped mint, if you wish. Serve the sauce on the side. A Romesco or Thai/Indonesian spicy peanut sauce is also good with this.