Rib City

We went to the fair. The fair had some food. Some of that food was pretty darn good barbecue. That barbecue was made by they guys and gals at Rib City. For being a chain restaurant, it had a surprisingly non-restaurant taste to it. They've got locations in Colorado and Utah. We chose pulled pork sandwiches and some smoked chicken legs for the kids. As you can see, the chicken was well received. It had good smokey flavor, and was moist. The pulled pork was very soft, almost too soft, it had a good light sweet barbecue sauce and came in a huge mound on the bun. Their baked beans had a thin flavorful sauce that was very smokey and sweet. They've got some good barbecue, and I can't wait to go back so I can order from the full menu.

Mochi

Clockwise from bottom: Chestnut mochi, black sesame seed mochi with an filling, pink (?) mochi with an filling, toasted sesame seed mochi with an filling, and grass mochi

My father in law just arrived from Japan. He brought me a gift. A box of mochi filled with an. What exactly is mochi and what on earth is an, you might ask? I'm going to tell you. Mochi and an although common to other cultures such as that of the Chinese, are hallmarks of Japanese snackiness. Mochi is pounded glutinous rice. They pound it and process it until it becomes very much like glue. Then it is shaped into little patties. Mochi doesn't have much flavor besides sweet, with a texture like a very soft gooey gummi bear. These patties are sometimes filled with an. An is sweet red bean paste. To westerners, it might sound gross, but seriously, don't judge it until you try it. It is smooth and sweet, with a slight beany taste in the background. An is put into all sorts of things. One of my favorites is an pan, a small sweetish roll that is stuffed with the bean paste. My favorite kind you can buy fresh in Little Tokyo in LA. If you ever go look for the an pan shop and watch the wizened old lady pour the pancake type batter into little molds. It's the only place in the US I know of where you can get steaming hot pancake type an pan. Then go visit Rafu Bussan, you will come away with beautiful Japanese dishes. Oh and I also recommend the sushi at the Frying Fish. Very delicious, and served true to Japanese style on a little conveyor belt.

Mochi with an is pretty tasty. It's sweet and sticky, and will give you a bit of a sugar high. I definitely recommend you try it if you find it. And don't worry, the grass mochi does not taste like grass. It's just colored like grass and sprinkled with super fine brown sweet stuff.

Apricot Rice Pilaf

My sister-in-law gave me some fresh apricots from her tree. I decided that they would be great in a rice pilaf. And they were. You can use a cube of chicken bouillon instead of the chicken soup base. I like to use it instead of salt in this recipe.

2 tablespoons butter
1 stalk celery chopped
2 green onions thinly sliced, green and white parts
1/4 cup sliced almonds
4 fresh apricots peeled and diced
3 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon chicken soup base
salt and pepper if needed

Melt butter in non-stick pan, and saute celery and onions over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add almonds and cook until almonds are toasted. Dissolve chicken soup base into water. Add rice and soup mixture to pan and stir to combine. Gently fold in apricots and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

White Enchiladas

These enchiladas are very yummy. And I came up with the recipe all by myself. I don't think that they're very authentically Mexican, but the flavors of the zucchini and corn are so good together. If you like them spicy get spicy enchilada sauce, if not, get the mild.

2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped (about 3-4 cups)
4 ears of corn, cut off cob, and milked
1 zucchini cut up and sautéed until cooked through and soft
2 tbsp minced dried onion rehydrated
1 lb Monterey jack cheese grated, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup half and half
28 oz can green chili enchilada sauce
10 large burrito sized flour tortillas


Combine chicken, corn and corn milk, zucchini, rehydrated onion, and ½ grated cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
Combine enchilada sauce, half and half, sour cream and cream of chicken soup.
Spray large baking dish (11x17) with cooking spray.
Place small amount of sauce mix in bottom.
Fill tortillas very full, roll and place in row in pan.
Top with all enchilada sauce mix.
Use a spatula to let the sauce run between tortilla rolls.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
Cover with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour removing foil for last 15 minutes.

Beet, Pear, and Goat Cheese Salad

I'm not a huge fan of beets. In fact I wouldn't eat them as a kid. My husband on the other hand, likes beets a lot. So being the dutiful wife that I am, I have tried to find recipes that would enable me to eat them without the constant thought of oh these taste like dirt. This recipe, courtesy of Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine is just that. It actually makes beets taste good. Confirmed beet lovers across the world will love you for making it.

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 recipe Basic Roasted Beets
2 firm, ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick lengthwise
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

In a medium bowl, whisk together juice, vinegar, oil, and mustard; season with salt and pepper.
Arrange beets and pears on four serving plates. Drizzle with dressing. Scatter cheese and nuts over, and season with more pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Basic Roasted Beets

1 pound small beets, well-scrubbed (about 5)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap 1 pound (about 5) small, well-scrubbed beets in 2 or 3 packets of foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake until beets are slightly soft to the touch, 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on their size. Cool beets in packets, then rub off skins (use a paring knife for tough spots) and cut into wedges