UMTravels

OK — this may be silly, but there are people who have asked for the dinner recipes that I’m concocting on my trips to various unfamiliar kitchens. Here are the Victoria 2008 Recipes for your amusement.

Dinner with Uncle Markie and Robin Hood
in Victoria, British Columbia, 1-7-08.

Appetizers:

• Smoke Sable and Cold Smoked Peppered Salmon from FAS Seafood in Victoria
• Savory crackers from the Thrifty Market down the road
• Great cheeses including a nice chevre

Main:

Mixed greens with ruby red grapefruit wedges and a commercial raspberry/lime dressing (Litehouse Organic)

• Local baguette of bread, warmed to 170 degrees
• Mussels and Clams from FAS Seafood in Victoria steamed in a White Wine Shallot Garlic Red Pepper broth. Recipe for the sauce below.

 Broth for steaming shellfish…

• 1 shallot
• 1/2 red pepper
• 5 cloves garlic
• several squirts of olive oil
• 1 packet gyoza hot oil from your local Chinese restaurant
• 1 small Roma tomato
• small amount of half and half or coconut milk
• several glugs of white wine

Directions: Put the oils (olive and hot) in a deep pot (with a lid) and saute in this order; garlic, shallot, red pepper. Hold at this point if necessary, but keep the burner hot if it’s an electric stove. When it’s time for dinner,  bring pot back to heat and add the tomato, parsley,  and white wine (enough to steam the shellfish). Bring to a boil, insert shellfish, take off heat when they open. Serve and mop up the sauce with the bread you’ve been warming.

Desserts:

• Lindt chocolate wafer thin squares. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

Dinner with Chip and Linda
in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 1-6-08.

Rolled Pork Roast with Seasonal Root Vegetables

• Big hunk o’ Pork
• Root vegetables including Yukon Golds, turnips, beets, and red onions
• Schilling Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Olive oil

Directions: Remember to take than damn roast out of the fridge at least half an hour before popping it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Factor in 30 minutes per pound to bring that pig to medium rare. Coat the pig in the Montreal Steak Seasoning liberally. Chop the root vegetables and onion into smaller chunks, coat in olive oil in a bowl and layer the bottom of a greased baking pan. Calculate your time you want the roast done (please remember to allow 15-20 minutes for the roast to “set”) and pop that pig and veg in the oven. In 15 minutes turn the oven down to 350. When done to your liking, pull out and let rest 15 minutes.