The Salmon are Running!

My handyman Ron and I are hard at work. This is my favorite kind of "fun" work. Today we are redecorating the Chicago dining room. Actually we are converting what was once an office into a dining room. It's a long, skinny room--17 by 9 feet--so it presents some challenges, but that's what makes it the most fun.

I designed some cabinets for the room to store wine glasses. I can never have enough glassware. My collection is rather -- how you say? -- huge. I tell people I have a glass fetish. Red wine, white wine, water, antique or new. Everything from Waterford to Pier One. You name it. I love glasses. We are going to pick up those cabinets today. I can't wait to see them. Isaac, the Polish glass man did the glass doors for the cabinets. What a cute man. He had four thousand pieces of glass to choose from. That was an experience in itself, especially for my husband. He'd never seen a workshop like that. You gotta love artisans.

The dining table is long and narrow. Kind of a French country look. It has enough leaves to seat at least 14. The room would be crowded with 14, but it would be convivial.

There's one wall that's brick and one long window. The last time Ron was here he transformed a regular closet by building all kinds of shelving into it to store all of my dishes and serving pieces. I've been loving those shelves. That closet also holds the extra under-counter refrigerator that serves as white wine storage or storage for prepped food for dinner parties--especially cold desserts like cheesecakes or tortes.

The paint he's applying right now is a salmon color. (Technically it's called "cranapple." You know how they get creative in naming paint colors.) Saturated colors are very popular now and I'm not afraid of color; that's for sure. Studies have been done to show that the best color to paint a dining room is actually a salmon color. Why? Because the glow off the walls makes the food look best and it makes the women in the room have a warm glow on their cheeks. When the women feel beautiful and the food looks great, everything will taste even better. One of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in was painted a salmon hue. I just could not get over how beautiful it was. I took that idea and transferred it to my dining room in Madison. I've been happy with it ever since. Now I'm doing a version of salmon in Chicago too.

And another nice thing about painting the walls a salmon color--salmon goes with everything. Every color of plate, placemat, glass and napkin seems to work with salmon. I used to think red would clash with salmon and look horrible. Last year I decorated my whole dining room in red for Christmas with the salmon walls. It was stunning.

I met a guy a while ago who runs a grocery store chain. He said they just did another new color study and decided the WORST color to paint a room where you were going to serve food. Guess what it was. Blue. No kidding. They decided you lose your appetite around blue. He repainted the inside of all of his grocery stores.

Since I'm talking about salmon, how 'bout we eat some? Here's a fabulous salmon recipe. It's pretty enough to serve to company no matter what color your dining room. This is a take-off of a recipe I found in a magazine about a year ago. I "Zolafied" it to make it easier. It's just a lovely, homey, yet fancy way to eat salmon. Very French. Bon appetit!

Salmon in Puff Pastry with Leeks and Spinach

Serves 6

4 tomatoes, sliced
Olive oil (spray and bottled)
Salt and pepper
2 Tbl capers, drained and rinsed
1 large leek, sliced (White part and light green part only. Rinse thoroughly)
1 handful pre-cleaned baby spinach (approx 1-1/2 cups)
1 Tbl Italian herbs, dried
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
3 Tbl Italian bread crumbs
1 salmon filet 8 to 10 inches long, trimmed (no skin top or bottom)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Spray a cookie sheet with the olive oil. Put on your sliced tomatoes and spray with olive oil again. Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. Roast in a your oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Take them out and chop them on a cutting board and then put them in a bowl. Add the capers.

In a sauté pan, put in a tablespoon of olive oil and your leeks. Cook the leeks on Medium until loosened and slippery. This should take about five minutes. Add the Italian herbs. Add the spinach and toss the mixture around until the spinach is wilted. You don't have to totally cook the spinach but, if you overdo it at this point, it's okay. Don't worry. Combine this mixture with your tomatoes and capers. Stir to mix.

Unfold your puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface roll out your puff pastry until it's slightly longer than your salmon and three times as wide. It should be shaped like the original only spread out a few inches on each side now. Still a rectangle.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs down the middle the long way. Carefully lift the pastry and put it on a greased cookie sheet. Spread half of your veggie mixture over the top of the breadcrumbs. Now lay your salmon the long way on top. Spread the rest of the veggies on top of the salmon. If there's extra puff pastry at the top and bottom, fold it up toward the salmon. The pastry can overlap the salmon a couple of inches. If there's even more than that because you over-rolled your puff pastry, cut off the excess from the top and bottom.

Now take a sharp knife and slice crosswise about one-half to one inch apart, perpendicular to the salmon, across the puff pastry that extends from each SIDE of the salmon. You are cutting strips but leaving them attached to the main piece of puff pastry with the salmon on it. Make your slices on both sides. When you are finished, grab one strip at the top from each side and pull them up like you're going to tie shoes strings on top of your salmon. Cross the two strips over and twist. Then lay the twist and the two extra flaps onto the salmon. Do this with each pair of strips until the whole salmon is sort of braided on top. You'll see your veggie bits through what look like vent holes. Brush the whole salmon creation with the lightly beaten egg. Now bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 400 degrees until the puff pastry is lightly puffed and golden. Pretty isn't it?

You'll make 2- to 3-inch slices across the salmon as your servings. Serve with a simple salad on the same plate for a light meal, or add pasta or potatoes for a larger meal.

Enjoy!