Kitchen Notes

Hi all! It's been a while since I have written a word as so much has happened to consume my life over the last couple of months; and the saga is not one I would care to repeat.

The condensed version is that as it became evident that my almost 96-year-old mother was no longer able to live on her own, my life was consumed with hospital visits, a rehab facility and finally placement of my mother into a long-term care center.  The period of adjusting to my mother's new life was a journey for both of us. But the most arduous task of all was getting my mother's home ready for sale. There were storage places in her small house that I never knew existed.  And who knew my father had squirreled away every fan and air conditioner they had ever owned as well as every broken toaster?

I worked for two plus weeks straight getting everything cleared out. Without the help of my friends and my husband I know that I could not have done it.  We sold the house quickly and closed last week.

Phew!

But as crazy as those two months were, every day I would come home and cook dinner. I guess there was something comforting in performing that task. So here is a glimpse at some of the things that went on around here.

A birthday bouquet

Salmon packets with spinach and oranges

At one point during the craziness our son and his girlfriend blew flew in for a wedding.

A giant salted caramel macaron from Laduree on Madison Avenue

And a gigantic bowl of pork belly ramen noodles at Ippudo in NYC

A bowl of mussels

Grilled chicken thighs with lemon, garlic and rosemary

Cinnamon breakfast toasts cooling

Memorial Day Weekend

Dinner Tonight--Walnut Crusted Salmon Fillets

It was a dark and stormy night.  No, really.  It was dark.  It was raining.  And it was cold.  It was the kind of night you wanted to stay at home with a steaming bowl of soup and a crackling fire. But that was not meant to be.  I was meeting friends for an early movie before dinner, and because I knew that John and I would be returning home about the same time, I wanted to prepare something for dinner that would be ready for the oven when we got there.

Walnut crusted salmon fillets was the perfect dish.  A delicious healthy dinner full of heart-healthy  antioxidants and phytonutrients that would be able to be prepared ahead of time, parked in the refrigerator, and roasted in a matter of minutes.  A good choice for a dark and stormy night.

Salmon ready for the oven

Walnut Crusted Salmon Fillets
 Serves 4

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, whatever kind of salmon you prefer
1 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 teaspoons low fat mayonnaise combined with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the walnuts, bread crumbs, melted butter, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. 


Place salmon fillets on an oiled, or silpat-lined baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Spread one teaspoon (or less) of the mustard-mayonnaise on each fillet and top with the walnut mixture, pressing into fish.


Bake until just done 12-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and your preference of doneness.

Cook's Note:  A quick and delicious weeknight meal also works well for dinner parties.  The salmon can be prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated until baking.  If you don't like walnuts, why not try pitachios or hazelnuts.