Come On Summer - King Crab Legs, Grilled Fries and Corn On The Cob

King Crab Legs are very similar to lobster in taste.  I think they are a little sweeter and a little easier to eat.  Now don't go judging me.  I still LOVE lobster.  And you will be seeing many posts with variations on lobster as the summer gets under way.  But for now, I am loving me some KCL!

My darling friend M usually prepares the KCL, but since she isn't here on The Rocky Coast at the moment, I took instruction from her and did it myself.  Start by putting a pan of water on your oven's lowest rack.  This will help steam the KCLs right in the oven.  Place the King Crab Legs on a tin foil lined baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. 
 

Normally I would do oven baked fries, but that has to be at a temperature of 450 degrees.  Since the KCLs were going to be at 350 degrees, we decided to "grill" the fries.  I used fingerling potatoes and sliced them in wedges.  I coated them with EVOO and sprinkled with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  I placed them in tin foil that I had sprayed with PAM, and wrapped them up and sealed them well.  UD put them on the grill, at a high temperature, for about 30 minutes, turning once halfway through

The corn on the cob has been sensational this Spring, and these were the best so far!



UD thought it would be helpful to show you the utensils needed for this meal.

Way to go UD!

 

The grilled fries were slightly browned and so tender inside.  They were delicious.

The King Crab Legs were scrumptious and we devoured every morsel.

Corn on the cob ...  Nuff said?

Profitez!  Enjoy!

A bientot!  See you soon.

Chateaubriand, Salad and Sweet Brussel Sprouts With Mushrooms

Our dinner last night was a variation of one we usually have every couple of weeks.  We are big fans of filet mignon and have found that you can buy a whole tenderloin at the big box clubs, and bring it home to cut up yourself.  UD and I watched a Food Network show done by Alton Brown that addressed the proper way to trim and cut a whole tenderloin.  And we have been doing it that way for the last 5 or 6 years.

I have a Food Saver vacuum sealer that I absolutely love, and we use it for the cut up tenderloin.  I actually use it quite a bit.  If different meats (chicken tenderloins, pork tenderloin, ground beef, etc.) are on sale, I will buy a few packages and then repackage in smaller batches in the vacuum sealed bags.  They last at least 3 times longer in the freezer.

UD and I both love brussel sprouts, and I have tried them many ways.  This is a variation of one that I saw on the Paula Deen show.  This variation doesn't include the bacon and tons of butter that she used.  But it is still delicious!

You will need a couple of dozen brussel sprouts cut in half

6-8 oz button or cremini muchrooms, sliced

6 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons of sugar (a little less is OK too)

2 cups of chicken stock

EVOO and 1 tablespoon of butter

Kosher salt

 

Brown the sliced mushrooms in a separate pan with a small amount of  EVOO and butter.

Saute the smashed garlic in 2 tablespoons of EVOO and 1 tablespoon of butter, until the garlic is a beautiful golden color.  Remove the garlic from the pan. They have infused their flavor into the oils of the pan, hence performing their garlic duties. 

Place the halved brussel sprouts in the garlic infused oil/butter cut side down.  Cook 2-3 minutes until browned.  Turn over, add sugar, chicken stock and salt.  Saute until liquid is almost evaporated and brussels are softening.

Add the browned mushrooms, toss everything together and voila, deliciousness.

UD did the Chateaubriand on the ol' Weber grill as usual.  Depending on the thickness, cook over high heat anywhere from 6-9 minutes per side.  This was 6 minutes per side and the steak was probably 2 inches thick.

We added a salad to the steak and brussel sprouts, and had a lovely meal.  I didn't take photos of the brussel sprouts in their serving dish, or the salad, because we were so hungry we just wanted to dig in.  Des moines?

A bientot!  See you soon.

On Going Side Notes

A follow up on the post "Helpful Cooking Info From Various Sources"

I tried the Rustichella brand of pappardelle and loved it.  I have not tried the De Cecco brand yet, but I have a comment on the packaging of both.  Italian food is by far my favorite food.  It warms my heart and soul.  A day without pasta..., well it stinks.  I love to twirl the pasta on my fork and eat it while it is steaming hot.  So I usually tend towards the long pastas, like pappardelle.  I received the Rustichella brand first and it was packaged as 3 perfect nests of pasta per box.  There was nary a broken strand to be found.  When I received the De Cecco pappardelle, there were so many bits of broken pasta in the box, I thought I was looking at a box of lasagna that UD mistakenly stepped on.  Needless to say I tried the Rustichella first, and as I said, I loved it.  I now have a tude towards the De Cecco brand, so it may be a while before I put it to the taste test.  More later.

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Sister E and nephew J kindly set aside 3 plants for me from the friendly gardener they met in Reading.  They even potted them for me, which I really appreciate.  In order are an Iris, Columbine and Salvia.  I can't wait to see their progress.

While we were out today, we bought some New Guinea Impatiens.  They are not ready to be planted outside, but they were in such perfect condition, that we decided to by them now, rather than wait.   We will keep them in the house or garage during the night, and put them back outside during the day, until they are ready to plant around The Rock.

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Another side note was suggested by Sister A.  She mentioned that she had always kept her toaster on her counter top, but had a change of heart while visiting with us.  She said that when she came to visit, she noticed that we kept the toaster in the pantry/cabinet.  That was a year ago, and since then she has been storing it in the same manner.  She thought I should spread the word, so here you are Sister A.

A bientot!  See you soon.

Easter In A Small Town In Eastern Massachusetts

UD and I were supposed to travel together this past weekend to Eastern MA for Easter festivities at Sister E's.  Oh so many Es.  Our plan was to take Frankie and Stella with us.  We were staying at Sister N's and she had graciously invited the pups along.  And Sister E had also graciously invited them to join us at our Easter festivities.  But unfortunately it wasn't to be.  Due to extenuating circumstances with the dogs (they are fine) we decided UD would stay home with them, and I would travel solo.

My first stop was Capellini's Restaurant.  One of our favorite Italian restaurants and a frequent lunch spot for Darling and me.  I met Darling and Darling's children, M, W and J.  It was so much fun.  M and W were as gracious and beautiful as always, and full of fun updates.  J has a membership to a country club and is playing golf already.  He had a picture to show me of an almost hole-in-one.  He was sooooooo close.  When I showed UD the picture, he was amazed at how close he got.  And Darling, well what can you say about Darling?  Any who, great lunch and great fun.

On to Sister N's house.  When I got there, the kids were not yet home.  Sister N and I had  a chance to chat and catch up.  Then the kids came home and the fun began.  LD is getting so grown up, it makes me feel older and older.  But she is beautiful and so very sweet.  Little G was so excited to give me an Easter gift she had for me.  Alas, Mom had thrown it out accidentally.  There was head hanging and apologies, but it was retrieved from the trash and looked absolutely beautiful to me.  It is hanging in the living room right now.  We had a fun night and were ready for Easter the following day.

Our mother was sick, so she was forced to stay home and rest.   I stopped by to pick up some things she had for Easter and brought them with me.  And Sister A is a nurse and works the weekend shift.  She only gets a couple of holidays a year, so unfortunately she wasn't able to be there either.  Happy Easter M and Sister A.  LYMI.  

I got to Sister E's and Sister N and family were already there.  I was greeted by J who came out to help me with all the packages I needed to bring into the house.  Boy is he helpful.  Thanks J! 

Next I saw T, who is the best hugger I have ever known.  When he hugs me, I feel like I don't have a worry in the world.  Thanks T!  (His cousin G is a very close second.  LYMI G).  (W, you know how I feel about your hugs too! :))

Our brunch was a variety of dishes that everyone contributed to.  The first is appetizers.  T and J's dad makes the best stuffed eggs.  My favorite is the basil flavored ones.  I was even able to bring some home with me to share with UD (and thirds for me).

Thanks EK

Next was Blueberry Buckle.  T and J's mother made this.  It was so delicious.  I love blueberries and this was a wonderful format for them.  Yum!

Loving me the beautiful ceramic baking dish Sister E!

Next is the broccoli frittata.  It is a new addition to brunch.  Previously we have had quiche, but I asked the crowd if we could go frittata this year, and I got the AOK.

It was a fine substitute for the quiche I believe.  We didn't have any parsley to sprinkle atop, so EK found spinach in the fridge.  Maybe next year I will do a spinach one and we will adorn with broccoli, nes cafe?

And then came dessert.  The Bunny cake.  Every year Sister N and her girls make a bunny cake.  It is always delicious, and each year it gets decorated just a little bit differently.  It is sooooooo cute.  I will look forward to posting it each year, and sharing with you the different bunnies we have at our Easter brunch.

Thanks Sister N and girls!

A wonderful time was had by all.

A bientot.   See you soon.

After affects from The Rock

This morning UD went outside to rake an area of the yard that has a lack of grass.  I was going to follow right behind him, because we had a list of things to take care of.  However, he returned quickly, because there were men from the town working on the street doing a Spring clean-up and he feared he would look like a novice in comparison to them.  So he decided to come back in and wait for them to hop in their truck and leave.

I went to the computer to read the always enjoyable blog http://www.housebehindtheotherhouses.blogspot.com/.  I was reading how Ellen was checking her compost and doing more reading up on it.  And this was done in order to have the perfect compost set-up.  That dame (french for lady) is always on top of things.  It was then that I realized UD and I were letting a few dedicated town workers make us feel inferior.  I went to the other room and I said to UD, are we Mice, or are we Men?  He said Mice.  Well that didn't stop us from going out and getting to it.  Thanks HBTOH.

This is the grass/sod that MW had ripped up and saved for us.

I was actually a little less than gracious when UD told me he asked MW to save the grass.  It just seemed like UD was doing a little "collecting" and I like to get rid of things.  But believe it or not, I had to reverse my bad attitude, because it really turned out to be a good idea. 

We will add some grass seed and give it lots of TLC.  Hopefully we will get a nice thick area of lawn.

The next area we wanted to tackle is right near the water meter.  There is a bush there that I have to cut back each year, in order for the water meter reader to get his reading.  We don't know what the bush is, but we believe it is in the lilac family.  The blooms smell like lilac, but it doesn't bloom until the summer.  And the leaves look nothing like a lilac.  Any who, we decided we want to remove it and put in some perennials.  There is also a jaggedly stone wall there that we have decided to rebuild.  Stone wall building goes back to my Grandmother Mary Bernard, or Nannie as we called her.  I am going to do my best to seize some hereditary resources and build a wall just as fine as she has done.

UD carefully placed the now Stump Bush in the stream across the street.  He did this 5 or 6 years ago with another bush.  That bush flourished the following Spring, and somebody actually dug it up and took it.  So we were hoping for the same with this Stump Bush.

Then I thought of Sister E.  She had posted a blog about an Ugly Strip of land she passes by.  She wondered about planting something there to make it a more of a Beautiful Strip.  Or at least a Passing Strip.  I offered up Stump Bush and she said she would love to take it.  I believe she said she may grow it in a container first.  On Easter weekend, I will travel with Stump Bush from The Rocky Coast to a Small City in Eastern Massachusetts.

Back to wall building:

In the basement we had these two black iron rails.  Several years ago we ordered a mail box from Plow and Hearth.  It stands on these iron rails.  Within the first few days of having set up the mail box, it leaked.  I got in touch with Plow and Hearth and they said they would replace it.  Well they replaced the whole thing.  Rails and all.  Of course UD saved the rails, even though I was sure there would never be a use for them.  Wrong again.  Darn it!!  We will use them to bolster up some rocks we are going to place in there against that piece of wood you can see.  Then hopefully we can level the area out with dirt and plant some flowers.  And the newly built wall will showcase those flowers I hope.

We need additional rocks in order to rebuild this wall properly.  Some we got from the construction site where we found The Rock.  Others we got from our own yard.  UD dug these up from a slope in the back.

We piled the rocks in the wall area and will soon get to building.  I think Nannie is looking down and smiling!

I would like to end this post with a picture of the chimney of the house behind the house that Nellie sold us.  There is a seagull that lands on the chimney every time we are outside working.  Today there were two.  It is nice to have a friend, nes cafe?

 A bientot!  See you soon.

The Rock - Phase II

MW does the lawn here, along with Spring and Fall clean-up.  Occasionally we have an additional project or two for him.  This time UD asked him to cut a circle around The Rock, so we can plant some flowers.

He and a helper were here today.

I have been know to refer to MW as Arms on occasion. 

Boy I love the warm weather!

Wonderful job Arms!

A perfect circle, I must say!

UD is very happy.  See the sparkling smile on his face?  :)

Now we have to decide on flowers.  I know I will do some Daisies.  And maybe Dahlias?  Maybe a few Hostas, to have greenery?  Any thoughts, feel free to make suggestions!  I would appreciate it.

A bientot!  See you soon.

I Love My Label Maker

I truly believe we all have an inner nerd in us.  I certainly do.  I know I look suave and sophisticated on the outside (just joshing), but on the inside is a woman who lives by the words "There is a place for everything and everything in its place".  And I feel it should be in its place with a label on it.  While I was working, our group had a label maker to use on various projects.  Most of my fellow employees stuck with a permanent marker and hand labeling.  Not me my friend.  Oh no.  I took that label maker very seriously.  I would take our CDs and carefully follow the labeling etiquette and then place them in the proper folder and file.  It was wonderful.  And my friend P was often found sharing in the wealth of the label maker.  She would bring it to her area for a few days and come back feeling more organized and refreshed.  However, no one else in my group felt the draw of the label maker.  So it found a permanent home in the bottom right drawer of my desk.  Since I left work I sorely missed the label maker.  So one day UD and I were at Staples and I said "How about we get a label maker UD?"  He said "Sure, what for"?  So I went on to say that I thought it would be helpful around the house in general, but mostly for ingredients that I remove from their original boxes and put into containers that will keep them fresher longer.  Here are some examples.

Here are a few things I have labeled.  The sugars were very helpful to D and R when they were making Oatmeal Raisin cookies.  No need to open them to see which is granulated and which is confectioners.  Just read your label!

This is my LB out of it's protective Ziploc casing.

The Panko Breadcrumbs were the very first thing to be labeled.  I was so pleased.

Before

After

Nuff said?

A bientot!  See you soon.