Preview of Zakushka Food

Time has been scarce since in addition to getting ready for this party, I've been getting my business sales back up after the interruption with Dad. (He is stable by the way. Not going to get better but seems at peace and doing more of his normal stuff. I go back on Sunday for a few days right after the party). But since there was this clamor for food pictures, here is some that I've been able to secure.

First the "How To" of making a (close to) real French Pate (there are suppose to be two accents in that word but I don't know how to do them in Blogger).

You see below on the right a meat mixture, in this case about 1.5 pounds of pork shoulder meat, 1.5 pounds of chicken dark meat, .75 pounds of pork fatback, and .25 pounds of chicken livers ground coarse. I have my butcher do this. I give them the order and pick it up. Easy.

Then the meat mixture is flavored and allowed to rest for at least one day and up to three days for the flavors to meld.

The rest that is needed is the pay and the bacon.

Put some thyme and a couple of bay leaves in the pan

Line the pan with bacon

Put meat mixture in pan

Cover and enclose with more bacon and put more thyme and bay leaf on the top.

Seal with two sheets of aluminum foil put into a pan and put in hot water up to about a half an inch up the sides and cook for two hours at 325 degrees.

When it is done you put some cardboard on the top and weigh it down to compress it. I can't show you the finished product until the party. Sorry

Can You Guess What This Is?

Right you are, cabbage and beets marinating in vinegar and water...for six days at room temperature. This is my most daring recipe. I tried some today and am still alive to write about it so all is going well!

Next Quiz Question - What's This?

Right again. Gravlax curing in its salt, sugar, cognac rub. Here it is without the weights on.
I actually tried some of this today and its going to be great.

The oil cured eggplant doing its curing.

Marinated mushrooms marinating.

Tomorrow is a busy work day but I will have to start the Trout in Orange Marinade. Friday I'm taking off from work just to cook but it may be until Sunday before I have time to get things posted.