Thank You All,

I had a great time at the cook-in! Mainly because Jamie,
Koko and Charlie did so much work. Jamie set up a drawing for
some baskets Charlie brought, and we all filled with goodies.
We ended up with about $78 for charity. (Is that right Jamie?)

Everything was great. The weather, the people, the food,
and then toward the end Debra Fritz, Koko, and Jamie cleaned up
the kitchen. David and I agreed we should have a cook-in once
a month, so much fun, and someone else cleans up! Wow!

OK, we do have a few leftover tools. One of the pink
holders from Koko's rice sheets, Jamie's strainer, and some tongs.
I don't remember whose tongs. Oh, also the bottom to a ziplock
container and an old fashioned wooden clothespin thingy.

For those concerned, Merry showed up right after
everyone left. She was in the guest room, and we looked there.
Oh well, she is just fine, and I don't look like a pirate
anymore either. ;-)

RECIPE:

Back some years ago the lox recipe was posted by me.
This time I splurged and bought copper river chinook. The
meat is very fine grained and almost red compared to
the King salmon.

The scallops are very simple:

Use large scallops, wrap with maple cured bacon, and
secure w/ a toothpick. Set oven to 425 and place one rack
near the top. (electric oven) Mix enough maple syrup and same
amount of soy sauce to coat the scallops. Add about a tsp.
ground ginger, and chinese five spice to taste and stir.
(I have also done this adding 2-3 Tbs. Fino) Let the scallops
swim through the liquid and put on broiler pan. Bake about
20 min. Turn and cook another 5-10 min.or until bacon is done.

This sounds like a loooong time for scallops. The bacon
I use is thick cut (from Cost-co) and it protects the scallops,
while they get nicely browned on the open ends.

Thanks everyone, and Koko do you have time to post the
food list?

Katherine Barto

"David Barto" > wrote in message
...
> Thank You All,
>
> I had a great time at the cook-in! Mainly because Jamie,
> Koko and Charlie did so much work. Jamie set up a drawing for
> some baskets Charlie brought, and we all filled with goodies.
> We ended up with about $78 for charity. (Is that right Jamie?)

Excellent! However, I am still ****ed that I didn't win anything. ;-)

> Everything was great. The weather,

The weather couldn't have been better! It was perfect Sandy Eggo weather!
June in SD is usually overcast in the moringings but very dry. Our Cook-In
day in Poway was all blue skys all day and perfect temperatures! The evening
was perfect and the views from the mountain top were long, full of lights
and very soothing to the soul.

> the people, the food,
> and then toward the end Debra Fritz, Koko, and Jamie cleaned up
> the kitchen. David and I agreed we should have a cook-in once
> a month, so much fun, and someone else cleans up! Wow!

Koko is a workaholic. She cleaned up some of my mess too! What a doll! I
love Koko, Debra and Jamie. They take care of me. All I have to do is look
pitiful and helpless. Ok, well Debra does give me a ration of shit with it,
but still.....

> For those concerned, Merry showed up right after
> everyone left. She was in the guest room, and we looked there.
> Oh well, she is just fine, and I don't look like a pirate
> anymore either. ;-)

I am so relieved that you found her safe and sound! I hope she got some
extra loving and hugs!

> The scallops are very simple:

The scallops were VERY good. I could have easily eaten more of them but they
went very fast! Darn good bacon too!

> Thanks everyone, and Koko do you have time to post the
> food list?

I hope so! Not everyone followed instructions and the food was difficult to
track. I will be sending out another email to the attendees reminding them
to post their recipes. There is a certain beautiful young lady who needs to
post her ginger caesar-style salad recipe for me! Also, Debra's outstanding
Tri-Tip and chocolate cake with raspberry coulis, Charlotte Blackmer's
truffles and other goodies - I shouldn't have started! - the list is long
and my memory is not the best. Tarts! Lamb! Indian thingies (so good)!
Margaritas! Artisan Beers!

I am not sure that I really NEED dear David Fetter's recipe for homemade
moonshine although it did make the most kick-ass screwdriver I've ever
tasted. I really, really wish I had had more of it. It was my error. One
which I hope to rectify if I can make it up to San Francisco and David still
has a supply. Those of you who have met David Fetter will know how much I
look forward to seeing him again! He has that "coolness" factor that I have
never been able to achieve. (ATTN: Jack Schidt, you and David would get
along like a house on fire!) There were so many super people who were at the
cook-in that if it lasted for 3 days there would not be enough time to talk.
It always happens! There were some folks that I didn't spend much time with
and I regret it! I hope that there will be another cook-in in L.A. or S.F.
in the late summer. If anyone wishes to try to host one and is
inexperienced, let me know and I will be glad to help you with plans and
organization.

> Katherine Barto
>

Thank you and David so very much for your wonderful hosting and the
wonderful site for our gathering. You define graciousness!

Charlie

In article >,
David Barto > wrote:
> Thank You All,
>
> I had a great time at the cook-in! Mainly because Jamie,
>Koko and Charlie did so much work. Jamie set up a drawing for
>some baskets Charlie brought, and we all filled with goodies.
>We ended up with about $78 for charity. (Is that right Jamie?)
>
> Everything was great. The weather, the people, the food,


Yes!

I have been quite busy since but am remembering this with much
fondness. I tried the summer rolls and remembered too late that Koko has
Feed The Planet tendencies as to quantities. The pork has been good in
sandwiches. :-) I am trying the Lamb on a Stick next for a party
soon; it should be perfect with a plated Greek salad (summer tomatoes are
here!) and, I think, a Greek-style pilaf of some sort (lemon and
spinach??) and, what's better, has the advantage of Most Prep Work Done
Ahead so I can talk to my guests.

I brought:

Raspberry Truffles
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
and Sour Cherry Upside-Down Cake.

I also brought some marcona almonds (my new snack love!) and
citrus-stuffed olives from the Berkeley Bowl.

I have brought all these to cookins before, so the recipes are posted
and available via Google Groups search (same account), but if you need
them, give a shout out. The upside down cake recipe would be great with
plums or other summer fruit. And as our charming hostess has noted, it
makes a great breakfast :-).

It was good seeing you all and a fabulous time, even if I was too stunned
by the travel and the unexpected warmth (I live in the fogbelt ;-) to be
as social as I might have liked.

Oh yeah. Other food adventures:

I went to the Chino farm in Rancho Santa Fe for some exquisite organic
produce. I wish I'd brought the camera, everything was so beautiful and
perfectly arranged. The French mara des bois strawberries were
divine and smelled of vanilla. The corn was ace. Even my picky nephew
succumbed to the charm of baby squash (he is quite a veggie tales fan, btw
.... a refrain was "No peaches for you!").

La Super Rica in Santa Barbara is all that and a bag of chips. I had
adobado and rajas and only restrained myself because I planned to try to
do justice to a steak and some central coast red at McLintock's later that
evening (it was my birfday after all). Debra, if you know places as good
in Santa Ana, I am so there next time I'm in north county.

Also, if you are in south Orange County and looking for a nice festive
place to eat, you could do much worse than the place we had dinner Friday
night, Cedar Creek Inn, right across from the Mission in San Juan
Capistrano. The seared ahi with lemon-cilantro-caper sauce was first
rate and the garden seating area quite pleasant with its view of the
jacaranda trees and the Mission ruins.

-- Charlotte