COMFORTCOOK'S BIG ADVENTURE

A couple of Saturdays ago, Geraldo and I were going out for lunch and got way-layed by some terrible mall traffic, so we took a detour and ended up going into Green Hills to finally check out the Whole Foods Market. First of all, I didn't realize all the renovations there was to the old H.G. Hills area. It has been redesigned as a little village within itself with it's own main street, sidewalks, quaint stores and upscale shops. There were some well known restaurants, too and the entire feeling was very cozy. Parking (parallel) is free and they also offer free valet parking. We went directly to the parking garage located across the street from Whole Foods and grabbed a space a few cars in. So far, so good. Very accessible; once you get thru the Hillsboro Road Green Hills traffic.
There were beautiful plants, flowers, shrubs and garden goodies located outside the doors and my heart was already beating a little fast. I was like that Brentwood soccer Mom entering the doors of the newest boutique in town. I was excited!
The produce is beautiful and there really is such a selection of just anything you could think of. The meat department is huge and beautiful. It really makes our other shopping options look a little scary in comparison. The seafood cases were fabulous and we bought some Orange Roughy fillets and Dungeoness Crab Cakes on our way out. It was the best fish I've ever eaten and I barely did anything to it but a little butter, salt and pepper.
I could go on and on, but it almost seems boastful ...or sad. Whichever way you look at it. This is the stuff that "flips my switch," " floats my boat," " scratches my itch".....pleeeease........anyway, you get it. Seeing all that beautiful food and so many new and interesting products was so much fun. We bought 5 kinds of cheeses and met the Cheese maker/Dairy farmer Kenny, who made our cheese. (I've included a link to his website in the info column at right.) We got a bleu, of course, and a chipotle cheddar, a Wensleydale with cranberries and a Tomato Basil cheddar. Geraldo calls them my "little treasures." They are why the word "yummy" makes sense. Free samples are readily available of all the cheeses and the folks are very accomodating. They encourage grazing.

The bakery, breads, cakes & candies. The different food stations. The olive oil tasting station. The Gelato section. Sushi bar. Fabulous! I loved it! We bought some spices, sea salt and herbs at ridiculously low prices and grabbed 3 pounds of beautiful Granny Smith's that looked like they came right off the cover of Bon Apetit. Geraldo was a great sport and he digs it, too. You have to go if you have one of these places near you. We know we'll go back soon and this time I can make a list! My friend Beverly and I are planning a field trip as we speak. She gets the food thing and like me, she's gonna flip for Whole Foods. I can't wait to be her guide.

So here's a quick breakdown of how I cooked the Orange Roughy. Nothing fancy here. The key to this being so good was that the fish was so fresh. Absolutely no smell. If there was any kind of smell, it was like fresh air. Beautiful. This is right up there with lobster folks!

ORANGE ROUGHY FILLETS

2 Fillets (about an inch thick)
Unsalted butter
Sea Salt
Black Ground pepper
Juice of one lemon
Fresh Dill ( to taste)
Red Pepper Flakes
Preheat oven to 350. Melt 4 TBS unsalted butter. Mix in fresh dill, pepper flakes and lemon juice. Brush butter mixture over fish. Salt and pepper filets. Place fillets in a prepared baking dish with non stick spray or lightly grease with butter. Tent dish with foil. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.
TIP: Cooking time for firm white fish such as Roughy, Cod or Tilapia is about 10 minutes per inch of thickness at 350.

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