Stacked Dungeness Crab Salad...

Stacked Dungeness Crab Salad

I had this salad once at Scoma's......a 45 year old restaurant in San Francisco on the wharf....They are famous for their fresh seafood. They continually win awards, staying current with the most latest trends..

It is a layered salad and for the life of me I can't remember what they called it..I have renamed it, Stacked Dungeness Crab Salad....it goes together very easy....it is a salad that you can prep the components early and put together just before serving....it is just shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, fruit salsa, avocado, and crab. The amount of each, depends on how many you are making, I made 4 salads and used about 1/4 cup of each in each layer...lets get started!

I am sure there is a proper cooking tool for this but, I used a mandarin orange can. Just cut out the top and the bottom, wash all including the top lid of the can, you will need this......

you can purchase your crab already cracked,, or crack your own....the price is so much cheaper to just crack it yourself and it just takes a few minutes....have the fish store worker clean it for you and leave the messiest part there, and you are ready to get started......

you will need a salsa for this....a fruit salsa...make it like you want to eat it...I used satsumas, fresh pineapple, cilantro and shallots.....great flavor!

give it a stir and set aside......

you want to dice up a cucumber in a small 1/4 inch dice...the same with a seeded tomato......and set aside.

No picture of the Avocado, but you will want about 2 avocados diced ...

time to assemble.....

place the can on your serving plate...and add your shredded lettuce....about 1/4 cup.....

then add the chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, fruit salsa, avocado and then the.....

fresh crab....it should come up to the top of your can.....now....

put the lid back on and press down, very firmly, as you are pressing down, lift up on the sides of the can, still pressing down and voila! ......

you can see all the beautiful colors! It is so easy and really looks like you did something gourmet!

this has so many flavor bursts, a sauce is not necessary, but a lime served on the side would be great!

Cheers to Happy!

Name Tags

Have you ever traveled to a very small town, and you have driven down the road and every car or truck you pass..... the person waves at you?...and you wave back and smile a little, and think 'this is so cool!' soon you get used to it and then you are the 'first' one to wave...and it just make you feel like you belong!

Where I live that wouldn't work...we try to not even make eye contact, let alone wave...but I had a thought.....wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone wore name tags....I know crazy as it sounds, just think of it for a moment....Every person you met would have a name...it would give us a sense of community...one that we have not had for 50 years...We could say good morning Mrs. Jones or Hello little Kayla......We would take responsibility for our neighbors, when they were in need we would come to their aid...we would be good citizens......front porch and picket fence folks, the kind of people you would be glad all over to know...Just a thought...

Cheers to Happy  !!

Pot Roast....

Today I made Pot Roast...Many times I make ordinary food and never blog it...like Tuna Casserole or Mac and Cheese or good ol' Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches...Pot Roast falls into that category...so as I was putting it together, to pop in the oven, before heading on a shopping trip to Seattle, I was remembering my Dad (who himself was a great chef) say it was the best Pot Roast he has ever eaten...So I started taking pictures, decided you would most assuredly want to know about this....this is mostly ordinary, except for one secret ingredient....a envelope of powdered brown gravy mix...yep, that is it! I learned to use this little trick many years ago and it is great! Let's get this party started!

First it is important to buy the right cut of beef...buy a chuck roast...hands down the best meat for pot roast....did you know that the steak they sell now 'flat iron' is just a chuck steak, with a new name? any way, season the meat, and flour, then brown on both sides, in a heavy pan.....

mix your packet of gravy mix with 2 cups of water......the packet says one cup of water but use two because..you will lose some as it cooks.........

put a chopped up onion and about 3 cloves of garlic in your pan......

and pour on your gravy liquid......

place in the oven at 225 degrees for about 4-5 hours.....time go to church or shopping in Seattle  in my case.....(please avert your eyes and don't look at the dirty oven, thank you)

I went to lunch at Beecher's...Beecher's is a cheese shop that also sells lunch items....Their mac and cheese was featured as one of Oprah's favorite things.....so that is what I ordered....

while you are eating lunch you can watch them make cheese.....

this is Beecher's lunch counter.....now just across the street is.....

Pike Place Market.....I did need to buy a Christmas present there, but once there you have to take a few minutes and look at your favorite things.....

check out these mushrooms....I have never heard of them before...they look so woodsy...they would look great next to a yule log.....

love to look at the fruits and vegetables....

The fish area is my favorite to just stand with my camera and watch the guys that work with people....

they tease and are so sassy! They wrote a book called 'fish'...it is all about playing at work...or being happy at work no matter what kind of work it is....check it out sometime it is inspirational....

my favorite...Dungeness crab!

then over to Delaurenti......

just a quick walk through to look at the stuff....the cakes....

the meat counter...

I love this picture of the lady looking at the cheese......

Check out all good looking Carmel apples!

then I walked up the hill to the shopping area...to get some real shopping done...

they are all decked out for Christmas......

the Carousel at Westlake Center....

The Christmas tree.....

and my favorite the Macy's star....Now it is is time to head back home and get back to finishing dinner and wrapping presents......

The house smells wonderful and now just lift the lid and the pot roast is perfect! it is tender and plenty of juice.....excuse the splattered pan....

put in the potatoes and carrots and add a little pepper on top and put the lid back on...raise the oven temperature to 375 and close the door and cook for another hour or so....

yes it is finished...if you like.....

you can take out the meat and potatoes, place on a platter and thicken the juice for gravy....it might not need thickening...might be perfect or maybe just a little thickening..you will have to be the judge on that....

perfect......

Cheers to Happy  !!

Choco-Mallow

This is a different and easy change from Chocolate fudge...It tastes like a candy bar...really! The marshmallows are so good in it...and the dried cherries and nuts....

Choco-Mallow
2 2/3 cups chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small handful of dried cherries or cranberries
13 large marshmallows, halved around the circumference
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted if desired

1) Line an 8" x 8" square or 9" round pan, or a small oblong with parchment, and butter the parchment. If you don't have parchment, use waxed paper or plastic wrap

a small group of ingredients....

2) Combine the chocolate, cream, corn syrup, and vanilla  in a saucepan set over low heat on the stove) till the cream is hot and the chocolate has softened.

3. Toast your nuts if you like over medium heat....

4) Remove from the heat, and stir till the chocolate has melted and everything is smooth.

5) Spread about 3/4 cup of the melted chocolate in the bottom of the pan.

6) Space the marshmallow halves atop the chocolate. Distribute the walnuts evenly in the spaces between the marshmallows.

7) Spread the remaining chocolate atop the marshmallows and walnuts, spreading to the edge of the pan so that everything is covered.
8) Refrigerate for an hour or so, to set the chocolate. Remove from the refrigerator, and loosen the candy from the edges of the pan
9) Bring to room temperature, and leave in the pan, covered with plastic, till you're ready to cut into squares.

My only warning to you is DO NOT eat too many of these before going to bed....unless of course you want to read all night and then of course Enjoy!!!!!

Cheers to Happy  !!