Kitchen Stadium (at Blackacre)

by BCD Dad

After a month of unpacking, restocking, stacking, sorting, storing, and rearranging, we are finally getting to use our wonderful kitchen, christened “Kitchen Stadium (at Blackacre)” by the BCD daughters. Here’s a sampling of some of the things we have been cooking. Let this post also be a reminder of the standing invitation to come with your favorite ingredient(s) to see what we can come up with.

A few weekends ago, both girls were here and we had a wonderful dinner of cream of crab soup (unfortunately, the recipe was a mess so the soup was more of a...dip), Mom's caesar salad, monster steak, and fresh local corn. BCD Mom and the girls made a beautiful nectarine tart with a gingersnap crust (recipe from Smitten Kitchen) for dessert.

Erin was here last weekend, and the morning after a very satisfying dinner at Bistro Poplar we cranked up the stove to create a refrito and habañero cheese chimichanga with fresh avocado/tomato salsa. Served on our brand new restaurant china.

The following weekend, and left to our own devices, BCD Mom and Dad stopped at our local fish-monger Kool Ice (whose motto is “Wholesale & Retail Seafood from 1lb to tractor-trailer load”) to look at something with which to make sushi/sashimi. We left with very nice looking tuna and salmon fillets. And created this: A platter of tuna and salmon sushi and sashimi, a tuna tartar featuring sriracha, mayonnaise, and chopped green onions, and a surprisingly delicious pan-fried salmon skin. Think deconstructed salmon-skin roll.

And because the sun never sets on Kitchen Stadium at Blackacre, while we were making and eating the Japanese fare, we also prepared a batch of the BCD Dad’s Standard Tomato Sauce No.1. Which took its place (Grandma Irma style) in the frozen food storage facility along side the crab soup, crab stock, chile, and meatballs.

Next day for breakfast, after having an unexpected invitation to dinner the previous evening at Lattitude 38, a very nice restaurant in scenic Oxford, MD, we were back in the kitchen again. This time for breakfast: an omelet filled with crispy fried green onion, poblano peppers, and yellow baby tomatoes, served with a cantaloupe melon salsa. As the BCD girls would say: normal!

On the gas stove

Under the heat lamp awaiting final plating

Final dish

This weekend Xani is in Las Vegas doing restaurant recon for the BBB (big birthday blowout) in January: Uncle Sheldon, Xani, and Janice all have birthdays with “0”s on the end! Joel Robuchon is on top of the list. We are eagerly awaiting Xani’s report.

Come on out to Blackacre! We welcome any challenge in Kitchen Stadium!

Dennis (aka BCD Dad)