A slice of ham

Here is an interesting and easy way

to take a slice of ham from the supermarket

and turn it into a very flavorful and tender piece of meat.

Smear about a tablespoon of dijon mustard on the ham slice.

Place it in a small roasting pan

and surround it with about a cup of milk.

Add some sage and 2 or 3 teaspoons of dark brown sugar.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour.

The milk will curdle a bit.

Spoon the milk occasionally over the ham.

The aroma in the kitchen will be great.

I took some corn from the freezer

and had a very nice supper.


I still have half of the original slice
to have with an omelet for tomorrow.

Bon Appetit!
and thanks again to Judith Jones.

Meatloaf for One With a French Accent

This isn't a dish you decide to prepare at the last moment.

The meat mixture has to "macerate" for 24 hours before cooking.

I start with a half pound each of ground sirloin and ground pork.

The market didn't have any ground veal today.


I made a paste of two big cloves of finely chopped garlic and salt and added to the bowl with the meat..


Next 2 finely chopped shallots.



Four chopped sprigs of parsley from my indoor herb garden.




1/4 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
which Ed and Mary brought back from France.







1 dried porcini mushroom crumbled into small pieces.
these mushrooms are called cepes in France.




1/4 cup of red wine left over from dinner last night.
Sorry France, but I used a California wine.

Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix well, squishing the meat with my fingers.

Cover with plastic wrap let the meat mixture

macerate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The next day form into a small loaf,

place a bay leaf,

and some bacon on top.

Arrange some carrots and potatoes,

which have been brushed with olive oil and salt,

aound the loaf.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes,

turning the vegetables half way through.

By the way, I use a small battery-operated

vacuum pump which I purchased at Walmarts

for under 20 dollars

to store items like bacon to keep them airtight and fresh

in the refrigerator.

Correction: This was a gift from my good friend, Beth Sirois.

This dinner plate doesn't represent how I like to eat

which usually emphasizes the vegetables

more than the meats.

It was amazing how the wild flavor

of the mushrooms came through in the

baked meatloaf.

Just enough left over

for a sandwich tomorrow.

Bon Appetit!

Based on a Judith Jones recipe.

Portuguese Chicken

Portuguese Chicken with tomatoes, cipolline onions, roasted red peppers and prosciutto ham

This dish is based on a recipe in the current issue of Bon Appetit.

I started with one whole chicken cut into pieces.

The chicken pieces were coated one at a time in a mixture of 1 cup flour, 1 tlbs + 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika, 1 1/2 tsp salt and a 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

I sauted the chicken in olive oil in large skillet and then placed them in a large pot.
I poured 2 cans of diced tomatoes with the juices over the chicken.

I hope you have one of these gadgets to open those stubborn jars in your kitchen.

I chop 4 oz of prosciutto

and 2 large roasted red peppers

and add to the pot.

Next I blanch a small bag of cipolline onions

in boiling water for 1 minute

which makes them easy to peel,

and add them to the pot.

I add 6 large garlic cloves, pressed

4 flat parsley sprigs

4 bay leaves, bruised

The recipe called for 1/2 cup of port wine and 1/2 cup of white wine neither of which I had.

I added 1 cup of sweet red vermouth to the skillet to deglaze it.

I whisked in 1 tlbs Dijon mustard and 1 tlbs tomato paste.

I poured this mixture over the chicken and brought the pot to a boil.

Then covered and into the oven for a couple of hours until the chicken was very tender.

I set a nice table.



Note the snow piled up against the window.

I placed the chicken and toppings onto a serving platter.

I simmered the remaining sauce in the pot until it thickened a little and then spooned some of it over the chicken.

I served it with a nice bowl of boiled carrots

and accompanied it with a loaf

of crusty chiabatti bread

served with a spanish olive oil and balsamic vinegar

for dipping.

Bon Appetit!