kitchengretchen

Hello! And happy almost new year! Decided to do a fun dinner tonight, after a fabulous tip from a holiday party made me feel like cooking a treat. Small portions of each protein kept the cost fairly reasonable, though, and also got the neighbors across the way a plate. Had a few goodies in my fridge, but decided to supplement a bit. Li'l man was itching for the escargots at Whole Foods, but then got excited over the clams. His antics entertained the crowd around us, so got me smiling, too. (I know that for li'l ones, my children are near-freakish in their food choices; as a chef, if they weren't, I'd feel like a fraud somehow... But believe me, we have our independence/power struggles elsewhere!) Anyway, dinner. Roasted a mix of cauliflower, King Bolete mushrooms, celery and onion in a bit of olive oil in a deep pan. After 20 minutes or so added garlic and diced tomatoes and juice. Topped all that with some cod, a few large, pretty shrimp, and some of the above- mentioned clams, plus some turkey bacon and Castelvetrano olives. Splashed some Sauv Blanc and olive oil over the mix, plus some fresh lemon juice. Baked until shrimp and fish were done and clams opened. Served with warm, crusty bread. Yum... Oh, and some (much too easy drinking) Vaucluse wine for me! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic, soul-satisfyingly full year of food! Much love from kitchengretchen