Ten Basic Rules for Perfect Scrambled Eggs | One Shot at Perfection

by Rustic Garden Bistro on December 8, 2011

Some things only happen once: first kiss, first soufflé, first marriage (ha!)… so when the moment arrives, you want to make it perfect… you need to make it perfect; you HAVE to make it perfect.

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Thumbnail image for Vitamix Choco-Cashew Peanut Butter Date Shake | November at the RGB

Vitamix Choco-Cashew Peanut Butter Date Shake | November at the RGB

November at the RGB (clockwise from top left): Crape myrtle leaves on the brick walkway. An almost-ripe Meyer lemon. A Barred Rock pullet. A Plum Crazy rose. Tangerines on the tree. Chive seeds on the pod. Paperwhites in bloom . A bird-pecked fig… and a Splash Marans pullet. – November was a rockin’ month. I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Roasted Butternut Squash Puree with Apple Cranberry Relish | Refining Rustic

Roasted Butternut Squash Puree with Apple Cranberry Relish | Refining Rustic

I prefer a rustic kind of lifestyle: I collect dishes in my sink, flour on my apron and chicken poop under my shoes. I like my edges sharp, my lines wavy and my dots splashed. I believe in guesstimates and rough chops. In handfuls I trust. Most of the time, I can get away with [...]

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Thumbnail image for Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting | The Calm Before the Storm

Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting | The Calm Before the Storm

It’s a calm, still… almost warm Thursday night in Southern California. Hard to believe that in a few hours, a storm full of rain is supposed to drench us all. It has been a long, long year. We’ve renovated a home, raised a flock of chickens and adopted a second dog. I’m ready to close [...]

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Thumbnail image for Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel | We Can’t All Be Winners

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel | We Can’t All Be Winners

Let me tell you a story about my dog. I have a beautiful dog. She’s sweet, tender, kind, and… famous. Friday comes from a pedigree of outstanding Weimaraner dogs and Weimaraner people. When she was a puppy, William Wegman photographed her for the cover of the Weimaraner Puppies Calendar. At six months old, she obtained [...]

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Thumbnail image for Baked Eggs on Sourdough with Garden Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Basil-Mint Pesto| Chicken Here, Chicken There, Chicken Everywhere

Baked Eggs on Sourdough with Garden Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Basil-Mint Pesto| Chicken Here, Chicken There, Chicken Everywhere

We’re surrounded by chickens… because the eight baby chicks we picked up in June have somehow multiplied into eighteen. I don’t know how it happened.  We officially fail at chicken math.  Sunday was a big morning at the RGB: it was the day fifteen baby chicks were old enough to move from the brooders in [...]

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Thumbnail image for Cooking by Heart | And Sneak Peek of the RGB’s New Kitchen

Cooking by Heart | And Sneak Peek of the RGB’s New Kitchen

Friends… we’re back! And for the record, it feels wonderful to be standing in a kitchen again. I was worried that after ten long (and grueling) weeks without a refrigerator, or range, or sink… or counters, it would feel somewhat foreign to cook. Could I still dice an onion? Crack an egg? Boil water? I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Zucchini, Onion and Goat Cheese Feta Frittata| July at the RGB

Zucchini, Onion and Goat Cheese Feta Frittata| July at the RGB

The grapes were ripe about fourteen minutes before the birds came and stole them all. Fortunately, they spared us the strawberries. And they ignored the blooming artichokes. With tomatoes coming in, we can now plan for gazpacho. There’s plenty of parsley to go around. Lastly, Meyer lemons and tangerines are target for December picking. ———– [...]

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Thumbnail image for Salmon Sashimi with Shishito Pepper Sauce | In Sketch We Trust

Salmon Sashimi with Shishito Pepper Sauce | In Sketch We Trust

I was 22 the first time I had sushi. I don’t remember it being so glorious because it was likely an overcooked tempura shrimp concoction with krab. Probably smothered in sweet sauce. And topped with brown avocado. To be fair, it was only $8.99 for all-you-can-eat, and that’s a steal! Fast-forward a few years. I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Radishes

Radishes

RGB Wordless Wednesdays are intended to highlight our current RGB edibles. You can view all of our Wordless Wednesday edibles by clicking on the category of the same name.

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Thumbnail image for Grilled Artichokes with Balsamic, Soy and Ginger | Sunday Shout-Out: The Taste Place

Grilled Artichokes with Balsamic, Soy and Ginger | Sunday Shout-Out: The Taste Place

Blooming artichokes mean were at the end of the season. Farewell until autumn, when the second batch comes up! Once upon a time, when my good friend Jeff and I were both single, we occasionally took turns cooking for one another before settling onto the couch for an evening in front of the TV. On [...]

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Thumbnail image for Summer Market Platter | It’s Okay to Keep it Simple

Summer Market Platter | It’s Okay to Keep it Simple

If I had a second sub header for the RGB blog, it would probably be: How to make really complicated food using over ten ingredients, three burners, two people and a very long time. This doesn’t work very well when you’re in the middle of a remodel.

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Thumbnail image for Fried Tempura Squash Blossom with Seared Scallops and Apricot Salad | June at the RGB

Fried Tempura Squash Blossom with Seared Scallops and Apricot Salad | June at the RGB

June at the RGB: grapes dangling over the trellis, neglected artichokes blossoming, and radishes so plentiful we don’t know what to do with them all. Last year’s Meyers are still on the tree. Figs will be ready next month, squash even sooner. And each afternoon ends with another handful of strawberries. [Enter happy dance here.]  [...]

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Thumbnail image for Shrimp and Pork Wonton Soup | Appreciation for The Dirty Life

Shrimp and Pork Wonton Soup | Appreciation for The Dirty Life

I recently finished a wonderful book called The Dirty Life, by Kristin Kimball. A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the [...]

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Thumbnail image for Bok Choy

Bok Choy

RGB Wordless Wednesdays are intended to highlight our current RGB edibles. You can view all of our Wordless Wednesday edibles by clicking on the category of the same name.

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Thumbnail image for King Crab and Asparagus Omelet with Hollandaise, Chevre and Dill | Finding My Bliss

King Crab and Asparagus Omelet with Hollandaise, Chevre and Dill | Finding My Bliss

In my 20s, I had a mentor whose mantra was find your bliss. You want me to find my bliss? Yeah… sure, ok. I’ll do that… right after I return some phone calls and finish my staff report. Too busy chasing rainbows, I never knew what he meant. Now, I know. While pouring me a [...]

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Thumbnail image for Spring Artichoke

Spring Artichoke

RGB Wordless Wednesdays are intended to highlight our current RGB edibles. You can view all of our Wordless Wednesday edibles by clicking on the category of the same name.

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Thumbnail image for Burrata with Pea and Asparagus Puree over Pan-Toasted Baguette | Beyond the Dust

Burrata with Pea and Asparagus Puree over Pan-Toasted Baguette | Beyond the Dust

Until you’ve been through the middle of a home remodel, you cannot image how much dust can collect. It doesn’t matter that there are ET-like plastic walls everywhere, that piles are neatly stacked in corners, or that Mr. RGBistro actually still vacuums. By time I come home from work, it is hours after the days’ [...]

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Thumbnail image for Diver Scallops with Caramel-Mandarin and Soy Sauce | Dinner for One

Diver Scallops with Caramel-Mandarin and Soy Sauce | Dinner for One

At this very moment, Mr. RGBistro on a sailboat with four of his best dudes. On this, their bi-annual sailing trip to Catalina Island, no dudettes are allowed; the boys have a 5-day nag-free hall pass to sleep in, golf all day, banter about sports, scratch their !@#$ and talk like Pirates. Lovingly excluded, I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Hand-Picked Strawberries | Proud New Beginnings

Hand-Picked Strawberries | Proud New Beginnings

As an adult immigrant, one of my mother’s first jobs in this country was to pick strawberries. Yep, Mom picked strawberries. And she once told me she preferred this job over others because most of the picking happened at dawn; she wouldn’t miss me because I’d be sleeping. And I didn’t miss her, because I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Swiss Buttercream Frosting | Old-School Networking at Camp Blogaway

Swiss Buttercream Frosting | Old-School Networking at Camp Blogaway

How would you bake a cake if you didn’t have an oven? Better question: What would you do if, knowing you were missing an oven, had lined up a Plan B, but the Plan B didn’t work out, you were EXHAUSTED from being at Camp Blogaway, you still had a dinner party to attend, and [...]

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Thumbnail image for Pernod-Scented Mussels | The Girl and the Fig

Pernod-Scented Mussels | The Girl and the Fig

Sonoma Wine Country Springtime is lovely for an 8-hour road trip to the Sonoma Wine Country. Pulling into Sonoma Square late in the day, our road-exhausted selves were starving, thirsty… and miffed because we couldn’t find parking. (Thanks, Sonoma Film Festival.) So when we finally got out of the car, we ducked into the first [...]

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Thumbnail image for Spring Broccoli

Spring Broccoli

RGB Wordless Wednesdays are intended to highlight our current RGB edibles. You can view all of our Wordless Wednesday edibles by clicking on the category of the same name.

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Thumbnail image for Fresh Strawberry Pie | Springtime FAWG Dinner Party

Fresh Strawberry Pie | Springtime FAWG Dinner Party

About this time last year, we planted over 75 pots of ranunculus. This year, we’re happy to report that about half of them made it back.   If it weren’t for regularly scheduled dinner parties, we would never see our loved ones. You see, we’re gearing up to tear down our home, gut it all out [...]

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Thumbnail image for Pacific Clam Chowder | Springtime at the RGB

Pacific Clam Chowder | Springtime at the RGB

      Hello, friends! We know it’s been awhile since we’ve posted. No good excuse, except for I had a horrible February/March. First it was the flu… which turned into sinusitis and bronchitis… then we went to San Francisco for a weekend (no agenda, just to roam)… then I got hit with strep throat. [...]

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Thumbnail image for Mandarin, Soy, Ginger and Garlic Chicken | The RGB’s Last Mandarin

Mandarin, Soy, Ginger and Garlic Chicken | The RGB’s Last Mandarin

Winters in Southern California are quite glorious. With a mild cool season and plenty of sunshine, we’ve hauled in a lot citrus this year. Sadly, while we’ve had a good run with them (crumb bars, duck breasts and winter salad), we’re down to our very last basket of mandarins. Because we also had chilies and [...]

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Thumbnail image for Winter Salad with Blood Orange and California Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette | Late-Afternoon Glow at the RGB

Winter Salad with Blood Orange and California Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette | Late-Afternoon Glow at the RGB

While traveling through the South of France, we befriended an artist who said she painted “in the evenings because that’s when the light is best.” Later that week, while driving around the countryside, we found ourselves surrounded by that late afternoon glow… and realized she was right. And ever since then, my favorite time of [...]

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Thumbnail image for Winter Lettuce

Winter Lettuce

RGB Wordless Wednesdays are intended to highlight our current RGB edibles. You can view all of our Wordless Wednesday edibles by clicking on the category of the same name.

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Thumbnail image for Silky Leek and Celery Root Soup | Detox for the Intoxicated

Silky Leek and Celery Root Soup | Detox for the Intoxicated

To assist with our 21-day meat-free and alcohol-free detox, we recently wandered through the local library to look for meal ideas. A few magazines and an armload of cookbooks later, we spied a vegetarian leek and celery root soup from the 2007 Fine Cooking Annual Cookbook. We were first introduced to celery root soup during [...]

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Thumbnail image for Shrimp Etouffee | Bridging the Gap

Shrimp Etouffee | Bridging the Gap

Hello, friends! Today we’re changin’ it up and doing a guest post for Gwen over at Bunkycooks. Head over there to see what we made with our winter garden pepper this week… And because we’re still giving stuff away, make sure you leave a comment (at Bunkycooks) for your chance at a box of herbs. Happy day! [...]

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