I've been thinking about meals I want to cook this weekend. I looked at the
Manresa site and figured his "Seasonal and Spontaneous" approach might be
interesting. He lists all his main ingredients, chooses combinations, then
figures out how to make those combinations work. Here are the combinations
and menus I've come up with:


DINNER 1
salmon
melon
cucumber
onions
Gravlax with melon-cucumber gazpacho


summer squash
elephant garlic
Squash and elephant garlic migas


peppers
potatoes
wax/green/purple beans
eggs
Vegetable salad with homemade mayonnaise (thinned with lemon juice)


arugula
mizuna
lettuce
radishes
skirt steak
Bavette steak with blue cheese on top of a salad


ricotta
nectarines
Fresh ricotta with nectarines and bourbon caramel



DINNER 2
brassicas
elephant garlic
Roasted caramelized cabbage (or broccoli) and elephant garlic bruschetta


tomatoes
yogurt
garlic
cheese
Creamy gazpacho with crunchy Pecorino (from that NYT article which Sitara
recently posted)


bluefin tuna
blackberries
plums
Seared tuna with blackberry-plum sauce. Maybe flamed with sloe gin?


fennel
celery
carrots
lemon verbena
Marinated vegetable salad with lemon-verbena vinegar


Bosc pears
Pear waffles with pear-honey compote


Maybe an apple coffee cake for brunch one of those days, too, but probably
not, since neither Lin nor I would be likely to eat much of it.

Bob

On Sat, 6 Aug 2011 20:14:35 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

> Squash and elephant garlic migas

This sounds very interesting. Do you have a link to post as your
inspiration recipe? I had to look up "migas", but I'm still not sure
exactly what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:36:46 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Sat, 6 Aug 2011 20:14:35 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:
>
>> Squash and elephant garlic migas
>
>This sounds very interesting. Do you have a link to post as your
>inspiration recipe? I had to look up "migas", but I'm still not sure
>exactly what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas

Looking at your wiki reference, I suspect that Bob is making a Tex-Mex
Migas -- at least that makes the most sense to me.
Interesting.
Janet US

sf > wrote:

> I had to look up "migas", but I'm still not sure
> exactly what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas

"Fried bread and eggs" is the general concept. Think of migas
as matzo brie, but substituting tortillas for matzo crackers.

That's a little inaccurate because the range of other ingredients
that make sense is a little wider for migas. I standardly include
onion, green chiles, cheese and tofu.


Steve

Janet Bostwick > wrote:

>Looking at your wiki reference, I suspect that Bob is making a Tex-Mex
>Migas -- at least that makes the most sense to me.

Yes, in north America I have only ever heard of or seen the
Texan / New Mexican version. They are completely standard on breakfast
menus in an arc from Austin to Taos.

Steve

On Mon, 8 Aug 2011 00:46:40 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>sf > wrote:
>
>> I had to look up "migas", but I'm still not sure
>> exactly what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas
>
>"Fried bread and eggs" is the general concept. Think of migas
>as matzo brie, but substituting tortillas for matzo crackers.
>
>That's a little inaccurate because the range of other ingredients
>that make sense is a little wider for migas. I standardly include
>onion, green chiles, cheese and tofu.
>
>
>Steve
I was with your until the tofu. Why tofu and cheese? Isn't the
texture similar in the finished product? Whatever it is, I now have a
mission for breakfast sometime this week. Or even dinner.
Janet US

Janet Bostwick > wrote:

>>That's a little inaccurate because the range of other ingredients
>>that make sense is a little wider for migas. I standardly include
>>onion, green chiles, cheese and tofu.

>I was with your until the tofu. Why tofu and cheese? Isn't the
>texture similar in the finished product?

Offhand, I would say cheese melts and tofu doesn't.

The tofu is of course optional, but I tend to put tofu into nearly
any egg dish.

>Whatever it is, I now have a
>mission for breakfast sometime this week.

Of all the egg dishes in the world, migas may be close to my
absolute favorite.



Steve

On 8/7/2011 6:46 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> I had to look up "migas", but I'm still not sure
>> exactly what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas
>
> "Fried bread and eggs" is the general concept. Think of migas
> as matzo brie, but substituting tortillas for matzo crackers.
>
> That's a little inaccurate because the range of other ingredients
> that make sense is a little wider for migas. I standardly include
> onion, green chiles, cheese and tofu.
>
>
> Steve

That's so funny! We think of Migas as South Texas-style Matzo brie. I
thought that definition was just inside my house.

Janet,
posting from North Salt Lake, Utah in her little RV.

--



Janet Wilder
Posting from the Netbaby

On Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:33:21 -0600, Janet Bostwick wrote:

> On Mon, 8 Aug 2011 00:46:40 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
> Pope) wrote:
>
>>sf > wrote:
>>
>>> I had to look up "migas", but I'm still not sure
>>> exactly what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas
>>
>>"Fried bread and eggs" is the general concept. Think of migas
>>as matzo brie, but substituting tortillas for matzo crackers.
>>
>>That's a little inaccurate because the range of other ingredients
>>that make sense is a little wider for migas. I standardly include
>>onion, green chiles, cheese and tofu.
>>
>>
>>Steve
> I was with your until the tofu. Why tofu and cheese? Isn't the
> texture similar in the finished product?

i'm more the 'why tofu and anything' tytpe. (i do sometimes eat it in hot
and sour soup, though.)

your pal,
blake

Steve Pope wrote:
> sf > wrote:
>
>> I had to look up "migas", but I'm still not sure
>> exactly what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas
>
> "Fried bread and eggs" is the general concept. Think of migas
> as matzo brie, but substituting tortillas for matzo crackers.

Do you pronounce it Matzo "Br-eye" or "Bree" ??

blake murphy > wrote:

>i'm more the 'why tofu and anything' type. (i do sometimes eat it in hot
>and sour soup, though.)

Maybe you have not gotten the good stuff. There's a lot of mediocre
tofu out there. Unless you have a steady source of artisan tofu, it may
not be worth it.

For me, it's a good protein source and is culinarily useful.

Steve

On 8/8/2011 2:27 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> blake > wrote:
>
>> i'm more the 'why tofu and anything' type. (i do sometimes eat it in hot
>> and sour soup, though.)
>
> Maybe you have not gotten the good stuff. There's a lot of mediocre
> tofu out there. Unless you have a steady source of artisan tofu, it may
> not be worth it.
>
> For me, it's a good protein source and is culinarily useful.

Tofu is a reasonable protein source but, by itself is blah and
textureless. It will soak up some sauces and isn't bad baked with shoyu
and garlic. Freeze-dried tofu has quite a good chewy texture but it
takes a while to prepa freeze, thaw and drain several times. I'm told
freeze-dried can be bought but I've never been able to find it.
--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not*

Janet Wilder > wrote:

>On 8/7/2011 6:46 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> Think of migas
>> as matzo brie, but substituting tortillas for matzo crackers.

>That's so funny! We think of Migas as South Texas-style Matzo brie. I
>thought that definition was just inside my house.

One similarity in the technique is that with matzo brie, one
moistens (perhaps soaks, but not too thoroughly) the matzo
before sauteeing them; similiarly one moistens the corn tortillas
before proceeding to make migas.

In either case I go with a couple seconds under running water,
then shake of excess water, then toss them in the frying pan.


Steve

On Mon, 8 Aug 2011 21:09:03 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

> Janet Wilder > wrote:
>
> >On 8/7/2011 6:46 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
> >> Think of migas
> >> as matzo brie, but substituting tortillas for matzo crackers.
>
> >That's so funny! We think of Migas as South Texas-style Matzo brie. I
> >thought that definition was just inside my house.
>
> One similarity in the technique is that with matzo brie, one
> moistens (perhaps soaks, but not too thoroughly) the matzo
> before sauteeing them; similiarly one moistens the corn tortillas
> before proceeding to make migas.
>
> In either case I go with a couple seconds under running water,
> then shake of excess water, then toss them in the frying pan.
>
Water? Why did that recipe say to fry the tortillas until crisp?
> Steve


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

In article >,
Steve Pope > wrote:
>Janet Bostwick > wrote:
>
>>Looking at your wiki reference, I suspect that Bob is making a Tex-Mex
>>Migas -- at least that makes the most sense to me.
>
>Yes, in north America I have only ever heard of or seen the
>Texan / New Mexican version. They are completely standard on breakfast
>menus in an arc from Austin to Taos.

There is, however, another major variation that I think is Spanish. I
learned this by posting a recipe for (Texican) migas on my food blog.
Comment #1 out of the gate was (paraphrased) "you awful person, those
aren't migas, migas are with bread, how dare you not post that instead".
(Gee, unidentifiable Internet asshole, I'll get right on that for you.)
That post still gets comments years later ... mostly people from the
places where they make migas with corn tortillas telling Ms. Jerk to
lighten up. Don't mess with Mom Food, people!

Next time I go into the blog and edit it, I'll add "The Great Migas War"
or something on the sidebar right under my #1 post, "How to Eat a
Tim-Tam".

It all makes sense because "migas" is "scraps". Obvs. in some places the
scraps are more likely to be bread.
--

On Tue, 9 Aug 2011 03:36:22 +0000 (UTC), (Charlotte L.
Blackmer) wrote:

> my #1 post, "How to Eat a Tim-Tam".

What's a Tim-Tam?


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

sf wrote:
> On Tue, 9 Aug 2011 03:36:22 +0000 (UTC), (Charlotte L.
> Blackmer) wrote:
>
>> my #1 post, "How to Eat a Tim-Tam".
>
> What's a Tim-Tam?

Let me google that for you.....

http://tinyurl.com/3g3orgs

You are welcome.

On 8/9/2011 12:54 AM, sf wrote:
> On Tue, 9 Aug 2011 03:36:22 +0000 (UTC), (Charlotte L.
> Blackmer) wrote:
>
>> my #1 post, "How to Eat a Tim-Tam".
>
> What's a Tim-Tam?
>
>
Don't know but I've got a jar of Dri-Tam: dried tamarind extract for
Indian cooking and it works well.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not*

On Mon, 8 Aug 2011 18:27:53 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:

> blake murphy > wrote:
>
>>i'm more the 'why tofu and anything' type. (i do sometimes eat it in hot
>>and sour soup, though.)
>
> Maybe you have not gotten the good stuff. There's a lot of mediocre
> tofu out there. Unless you have a steady source of artisan tofu, it may
> not be worth it.
>
> For me, it's a good protein source and is culinarily useful.
>
> Steve

it's true i haven't tried to do much with it.

your pal,
blake

In article >,
John Smythe > wrote:
>sf wrote:
>> On Tue, 9 Aug 2011 03:36:22 +0000 (UTC), (Charlotte L.
>> Blackmer) wrote:
>>
>>> my #1 post, "How to Eat a Tim-Tam".
>>
>> What's a Tim-Tam?
>
>Let me google that for you.....
>
>http://tinyurl.com/3g3orgs

*golf clap*

>You are welcome.

I didn't realize that the "Tim Tam Slam" had its own Wikipedia page. I
wonder if I should edit my blog post into the references.

Charlotte


--

Charlotte wrote:

>>> Looking at your wiki reference, I suspect that Bob is making a Tex-Mex
>>> Migas -- at least that makes the most sense to me.
>>
>> Yes, in north America I have only ever heard of or seen the
>> Texan / New Mexican version. They are completely standard on breakfast
>> menus in an arc from Austin to Taos.
>
> There is, however, another major variation that I think is Spanish. I
> learned this by posting a recipe for (Texican) migas on my food blog.
> Comment #1 out of the gate was (paraphrased) "you awful person, those
> aren't migas, migas are with bread, how dare you not post that instead".
> (Gee, unidentifiable Internet asshole, I'll get right on that for you.)
> That post still gets comments years later ... mostly people from the
> places where they make migas with corn tortillas telling Ms. Jerk to
> lighten up. Don't mess with Mom Food, people!
>
> Next time I go into the blog and edit it, I'll add "The Great Migas War"
> or something on the sidebar right under my #1 post, "How to Eat a
> Tim-Tam".
>
> It all makes sense because "migas" is "scraps". Obvs. in some places the
> scraps are more likely to be bread.

Sorry for the confusion. I did in fact make the Spanish version of migas. I
used the term "migas" because I wasn't quite sure what to call it: It's a
bit like dressing (like people make on Thanksgiving, not like people put
onto a salad). Essentially, it's a kind of hash which uses bread cubes
instead of potatoes.

The meals I actually made Monday and Tuesday were these:

MONDAY
Seared Salmon with Dijon mustard
"Migas": Crisp salmon skin, bacon, onions, apples, and marble rye
Wax-Bean and Potato salad with sour cream vinaigrette
Vegetable Stew: zucchini, elephant garlic, tomatoes, and okra (plus some
seeds from okra pods which were too stringy to use otherwise); seasoned with
salt, pepper, and grains of paradise

TUESDAY
Cucumber-melon gazpacho with gravlax
"Strong" greens (watercress and arugula) with seared skirt steak and blue
cheese
Slightly-pickled wax beans with red onions
Blistered zucchini


Bob