What's For Dinner? Part L!

[LindaWhit]

Well, we've made it to Part 50 of our long-running WFD thread. So - what's cooking at your house tonight?

[LindaWhit]

We're making it to 200 rather quickly now, it seems - so it's time to head over to Thread 51 here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/737951

[nomadchowwoman]

First, thanks to all of you for your kind words about the untimely death of my beloved kitty; we're still in a bit of shock. The day after, though, I found much solace by curling up with my laptop and CH (and not getting any work done). What a warm and supportive community this is, particularly this HC one.

So last night was DH's birthday dinner, and I cooked just what he had requested (what he *always* requests on his birthday): Veal parm, eggplant parm, grilled Italian sausages, angel hair tossed w/OO, fresh basil, pine nuts, a big green salad, and a carrot-orange cake (will post on another thread). I had planned to invite a few friends over and prepare an appetizer and a pitcher of Negronis. But he had told me throughout the week that he wasn't sure he could handle being pleasant and social (and would be mortified to get "emotional" in front of guests; me, I'd bawl shamelessly), so I never extended the invitation. So last night, we sat across from each other, two large baking dishes, a plate of sausages, a bowl of pasta and one of salad between us. We laughed at ourselves. We ate. And then we bawled, and I was sorry we hadn't asked our friends over. And then we had cake. DH was very pleased with his tiny new IPOD (I had bought him a fancy bottle of Rye whisky for making his Sazeracs and Manhattans, before he convinced me he *must* have this new Apple product: he is hopelessly techie-collegiate in his toy tastes, so I'm saving the Rye for Christmas).

Don't need to tell you what we'll be having for the next few days.

On a much more upbeat note, I have in my posession six pounds of fresh chanterelles! And two of fresh (Oregon) porcini, which I cooked yesterday as they were aging. I skipped FM today, and I'm about to start cleaning and prepping the chanterelles for the freezer.

[LindaWhit]

Laughter and crying over a lost loved kitty along with a helluva lot of wonderful sounding food. Sounds like a good evening, ncw, something you both needed. Enjoy the leftovers - and prepping the gazillion pounds of chanterelles! LOL

[mariacarmen]

NCW, what a wonderful way to spend a bittersweet evening. Your dinner sounds fantastic. Did you really have two parmiagianas - one veal and one eggplant, or were those combined? Either way, delicious.

[mamachef]

Guiness beef stew with carrots and pearl onions and soda bread, honey. The weatherg-ds have gone on a vaycay, and it actually feels like Fall here in the good ol' SF EB. After a week of pure hell.

[Harters]

I want!

[LindaWhit]

You want the weather? or the Guinness beef stew? ;-)

[Harters]

Stew, of course. I'm a bloke.

[LindaWhit]

A right proper answer. :-)

[Harters]

Upcoming ....... corn on the cob, slow roast belly pork, roast spuds, roast carrots, saute cabbage (with juniper & gin). Dessert - raspberries & cream.

Now, I must rush - I smell the smell of baking coming from the kitchen which evidences the appearance of this week's cake made by the fair hands of my one true love. I gather 'tis to be pineapple upside cake. Bring it on, baby.

[nomadchowwoman]

To your duties, Harters . . .

[LindaWhit]

Taste-testing, after all, is required, and who better for the job? ;-)

[eight_inch_pestle]

GF is in Oakland/SF for a wedding, and I'm still feeling cruddy, so wanted something comforting and simple. Ended up with stir-fried udon with loads of roughly chopped garlic, some minced ginger, scallions, bok choy, cremini, thai bird chiles, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Added some stock and cooked down to a glaze. Sprinkled on a generous amount of shichimi at the table (OK, on the couch).

[mariacarmen]

mmmmm... must be something about not being able to taste things that make hot spicy asian food so alluring - the only thing you can taste are those flavors that just scream out at you. yum.

[mamachef]

what i love about Asian food re illness: we "coddle" illness with soothing foods. THEY kick it's ass.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Right. Although big chewy noodles were also a big part of it feeling like good sick food. And of course that's a typo...s/b "rice wine vinegar," not "white wine vinegar."

[Cherylptw]

I've been on a soup/stew kick this entire week and the fact that it's rained here since Monday night was what inspired me to do it. The temp has dropped & I need a boat to get out of my yard; everything is under water including my garden so I probably won't get any of the greens, etc I just planted a couple of weeks ago....sigh...enough of the ranting...I had a ham panani & broccoli cheddar soup for dinner. My pooch had steamed flounder & 1/4 of an apple. I had a plum for dessert. Okay, let's hear it....

[LindaWhit]

Wait - the DOG had flounder and you had a soup and sandwich? Lucky doggums. ;-)

(And boo-hiss on the garden being under water!)

[nomadchowwoman]

Come now, LW, surely you understand the hierarchy in Cheryl's family by now ; )

Ah . . . to be a dog at Cheryl's table.

[ChristinaMason]

<Ah . . . to be a dog at Cheryl's table.>

Seriously! I missed you guys.

[mariacarmen]

Can I come over and sleep at the foot of your bed???? tho i'd like it if you would share some of the ham sammy, of course...

[onceadaylily]

Ooh, are you east coast? The weather there has been disturbing. The soup and sandwich are classic medicine for an overly-pecked roof. When I read your dogs menu, an unbidden image of a dog with a napkin neatly tied around his neck flashed across my mind. I'll bet your dog has lovely table manners.

[Cherylptw]

Yeh people, don't you all know by now that Yoki gets whatever she wants? LOL!!! Ok, Ok, I know I spoil the dog, everyone knows I spoil the dog...my kids always joke about me cooking her special meals. I also know I probably shouldn't give her most of what she gets BUT (and this is just so I can justify my actions, by the way) she is my constant companion & guard dog...the girl could be dead sleep & snoring (yep, she does) laying on her back & hind legs up and if she hears a car or any noise a mile down the road, I'm alerted instantly.

Could be a double edged sword, I admit but we've been together for almost 7 years and now that the kids are gone, it's just me & her, babe...so how can I not spoil her when she looks at me with those beautiful brown eyes? I'm guilty! I wish I could get her to get up on the chair like that but she will let me put the napkin around her neck and sit at attention at my feet so she doesn't miss out (lol)...

Yep, I'm on the east coast; upon inspection of the grounds today (as the water just receeded enough for me to access the yard fully) I found that some of the seedlings that were sprouting before the storm are still hanging on but it looks as if I lost my green beans and some squash plants, so far. Oh, and the deep freezer which is under the carport in the backyard was out but everything was still frozen solid and I switched outlets so I was lucky this time.

[boyzoma]

I completely understand!. We've had Rusty (our cocker) for over 13 years and I don't know what I would do without him. He even helped the police catch a bank robber once that somehow jumped our back fence and was hiding under our deck! My hero! Mostly he sits in the window and lets me know if somebody is trespassing on "his" street. And he'll eat anything! Loves his cantaloupe for breakfast, along with some sliced hot dogs. It doesn't matter what I make, bless his heart, he will eat it and never complain. He's a momma's boy. Oh, and he snores too!

[Cherylptw]

It's amazing how much animals are like people...someone told me recently that I turned my dog into a human & that she thinks she's a person...I admit, I talk to her like anyone else & she understands what I'm saying so that's about right.. There's not much Yoki won't eat either...she's the first dog I've had that will eat a salad, all kinds of cooked veggies, including collards and we have to have some type of fruit after dinner. Sigh...you gotta love them!

[mariacarmen]

spoil away! i love spoiling animals. we're all just jealous we're not being fed by you too! she sounds like a sweetheart, and worthy of all the attention. sorry about your veggies...

[LindaWhit]

That's what our pets are for - major spoiling. But I still say Yoki takes the cake in the amount of spoiling she gets! (Please don't tell me she gets cake too! LOL)

[Phurstluv]

Well, I've been marinating two large b/s chicken breasts in olive oil, fresh orange juice, pressed garlic and fresh rosemary. Plan to grill those, and make a dressing for over them at the table with more olive oil, fresh orange juice. zest, garlic and chopped green olives. Serving them over some baby spinach. Alongside some couscous with more chopped green olives and toasted almonds. And steamed green beans with some of the orange dressing. Sounds a little summery I know, but we are still experience hot weather, with humidity and thunderstorms that we are just not used to in SoCal, so it seems appropo. Ice cream cones for the boys, and pinot grigio for mama.

[mariacarmen]

yay for Mama! feel bad for you Angelenos. Our mini-heat wave is over and it's been in the high 60s for the last two days. Your chcken sounds fabulous = especially with the green olives. enjoy.

[mariacarmen]

ugh bad day, came home upset over family issues, had planned to go grocery shopping for tonight's meal (korean bbq-style beef) tomorrow's meal (castelvetrano and garlic braised chicken from recent michael bauer review of a local restaurant) and Sunday's picnic (muffalettas) but told boyfriend all i wanted to do was lay down and cry. what did he do? he fed me. made a beautiful tapas plate of toasted ciabatta with havarti, membrillo and spanish chorizo. and once i'd wolfed that down (no amount of anger or sorrow ever dampens my appetite, it seems), he "whipped up" deviled eggs with hollandaise sauce and bacon! how lucky am i? i feel much better.

[LindaWhit]

Ugh on the family issues, but YAY! on the BF feeding you - quite well! I hope a few hugs and kisses were included to help you feel better. :-)

[onceadaylily]

Ah, family. They can get in the soft spots faster than anyone or anything else. What a good boyfriend you have.

Note to self: Bookmark this WFD entry for a furture off-bad-crummy day so that I can bring it up on the screen just as the boyfriend walks in. I want those eggs.

[mariacarmen]

: )

[mamachef]

I'm thinkin', MC has the best. boyfriend.ever. And, @ daylily: I want them too, right now. A lot of them. Made by my Mr.

[rinkatink888]

Stir-fry snap peas with wood ears and onions in a light oyster sauce, Stir-fry Tomato & beef with green peppers & onions, salt & pepper tofu and rice along with a nice bottle of red wine - TBD.

[biondanonima]

Tonight was sausage and peppers with a hefty dollop of homemade ricotta cheese on top. I actually "ruined" this batch of ricotta by forgetting about it and boiling the curd, but even though it's too tough to eat on its own it tastes pretty good when it gets mixed with all the juices from the sausage and peppers.

[relizabeth]

So heartbreaking all of this sad cat news on the board.

I am still recovering from a horrid cold and my husband woke up this morning with a scratchy throat. London is so cold and rainy and dreary. So, we had a quick spicy black bean soup with corn and tomatoes with some cheddar and salsa and some cornbread. I also have some rice pudding with maple syrup and the last minute impulse addition of prunes in the oven which will be a nice dessert.

[Harters]

We're having a funny few days. Got back from Cyprus on Wednesday night. Ate out every night but two of the fortnight. The cat lovers amongst you would love Cyprus - place is overun with generally very cute feral ones.Personally, I'm less than keen having them sit next to me in restaurants waiting for idiot tourists to feed them.

Last night - keema & peas out of the freezer, topped up with a dhal, sag aloo and naan bread from the supermarket.

Tonight - pizza & salad. Simples (and nothing like the restaurant food we've been eating - amongst the 10 restaurant meal, there were four fantastiuc mezes).

Next week, it's back to eating out for three nights. The city at the centre of our metro area has its food & drink festival and we're going to a number of "events". Including a hands-on cookery demonstration at one of the area's top Indian restaurants - we get to eat what we cook, as well as what the chef cooks. But I'm hoping to pick up some tips for hoem cooking - particularly interested in increasing our range of south asian vegetarian dishes.

[boyzoma]

Welcome back. We missed you and your fabulous stories! And we are having pizza and salad tonight as well! Go figure!

[Harters]

PS - shouldnt we all be having a virtual celebration dinner together to celebrate our 50th thread?

I'll make some Cypriot meze items as canapes. OK?

[onceadaylily]

I'll bring the ouzo. Welcome back!

[LindaWhit]

I'll just break out some wine, as ouzo would knock me flat! Oh wait - I *do* have some Licor 43, so perhaps a snifter of that is in order. :-)

[LindaWhit]

Welcome back, Harters - you've been missed! Enjoy your simples tonight - sounds like you've been eating very well while in Cyprus (almost typed that Cypuss - as in overrun with kitties :::grin:::).

[mariacarmen]

aaah missed your "voice"!
I would be one of the idiot tourists feeding the cats, i'm afraid.
glad to have you back!

[LindaWhit]

I've been hemming and hawing about dinner tonight, but the rain has FINALLY started, and the cool weather has FINALLY started to come in. The canned pumpkin thread (that started last year, I think, when canned pumpkin was scarce due to a poor harvest), was revived, and I had posted that I had seen a huge pallet of Libby's pure pumpkin at BJ's Wholesale Club.

That got me craving something pumpkiny. Could have been pumpkin-cranberry bread. Could have been pumpkin cookies. But I'm going with a savory dish - pasta with pumpkin and sausage. A quick Google came up with this recipe that I'll cut in half so I'm not left with a gazillion leftovers:

http://www.food.com/recipe/autumn-pas...

A small salad alongside, and it's an easy dinner. And hopefully a tasty one!

[mamachef]

Oooooh ooooh ooooh, LindaWhit, you need to google "Swiss Pumpkin" a la Ruth Reichl, adapted by Larry Karol, I believe. Baked pumpkin. Layered with gruyere, good bread, and cream. What an epiphany this stuff was. Rich beyond rich, and delicious beyond delicious.

[LindaWhit]

http://www.bebeaulait.com/blog/2008/10/29/the-swiss-pumpkin/

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/447787

You're trying to kill me, aren't you? :-) Pumpkin, gruyere, emmentaler, AND cream? I'm one person, mamachef - I'd never be able to eat it all!

But I do have to say I *love* the little-kid-in-the-back-of-the-class-with-the-answer "Oooooh ooooh ooooh"! I can just see you waving your hand wildly hoping the teacher will call on you. ;-)

[boyzoma]

Ok, LW, by now, you must know how to cut a recipe to feed maybe 2. I say go for it!

[LindaWhit]

Oh yes, I do. (Just did it with tonight's dinner :::grin:::) But that dinner sounds like it needs to be shared with someone. So I'm going to have to wait until there's someone with whom to share it. :-)

[boyzoma]

If I could afford a ticket to where you live, I would join you! :-) Even leave DH at home!

[biondanonima]

I saw this recipe (or a very similar one) in Gourmet last year around this time and have been wanting to try it - it sounded simply AMAZING. Unfortunately my Thanksgiving guests don't seem enthused. Need to find the perfect occasion!

[goodhealthgourmet]

mamachef, i'm ~drooling~ over that Swiss Pumpkin description!

[mamachef]

It was just......SO not anything I ever thought of, or expected. "Unctuous", which is a word I despise, is the only thing that comes to mind. It was like eating a portion of a rich, layered cloud of creamy deliciousness.

[goodhealthgourmet]

you know, i read Comfort Me with Apples (i've read all her books), and i can't believe i don't remember that recipe! i may have intentionally blocked it out because i don't imagine it would be nearly as good with gluten-free bread ;)

[onceadaylily]

I'm still flipping through the Lebanese cookbook, and just bookmarked the pumpkin kibbe recipe, thinking how well it would complement pork.

[LindaWhit]

A review - this was VERY tasty! I cut everything in half except the pasta - probably used 1/3 of the penne.

Also added a healthy 1/4 tsp. of Aleppo pepper to the spice mixture that gave it a nice bite. Splitting the sausage between sweet and hot Italian sausage would also do the same thing.

It's a keeper.

[mamachef]

Need to lighten up in the food department tonight and am planning baked halibut with herbs, zest and lemon juice, steamed new potatoes and something very green, like probably a salad. What brought the halibut to mind was hearing an old friend's story of the fish she purchased on Friday, which somehow disappeared when she unpacked the groceries. Well. She found it Monday after a weekend of insane record-breaking heat here (again.) In her car. Of course. Tucked neatly under the front passenger's seat, and already baked for her. Brings new meaning to "Manifold Destiny."

[LindaWhit]

Oh, YUCK! I cannot even imagine the smell in her car!

[mamachef]

I know, right? What about hearing that particular story inspired me to eat halibut? There is no method to the madness of being a true CH.

[LindaWhit]

OK, I'll admit - I *was* wondering whatever possessed you. But as you said - no method to our madness. ;-)

[mariacarmen]

THAT is sooooo funny! you heard "i found my rotten fish in my sweltering car" and thought hmm, halibut sounds really good!" you're the best.

[buttertart]

Sad day at ours yesterday - and a terrible week for our pets it would seem - our 15-yr-old girl Maine Coon, Emily, had to be put to sleep. Her decline was very swift, four or five days. Was just going to warm up brisket but my husband suggested I cook, knowing it helps in such situations. Fucshia Dunlop's ma po doufu and the cucumber salad were nice to put together (despite smoke alarm going off 2x when toasting the huajiao) and went down smoothly.

[christy1122]

I'm so sorry about Emily....

[onceadaylily]

Oh, I'm sorry. I'll bet she had a very good life with you. And how sweet of your husband to encourage you to get into the kitchen.

How was the Dunlop recipe? Did you use a pre-ground sausage, or was there a particular cut ground for it? I've been thinking about making this dish.

[buttertart]

It calls for ground beef, actually - I used medium-fatty ground pork (they sell 3 grades at the butcher I patronize in Chinatown). Her recipes are perfection, the food tastes the way it does in China.
I don't think she (Em) ever once ate anything else than kitty food - or showed any interest in people food whatsoever!

[LindaWhit]

Oh, buttertart, I'm SO sorry about Emily. Many {{{hugs}}}

[mamachef]

Awww, buttertart. I am so sad for your loss. Bless our friends and companions. I applaud your DH for knowing what you needed to do, and encouraging you to do it. Hugs your way. (Marci)

[buttertart]

Thanks, everyone, hugs back.

[boyzoma]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about Emily. They are our children. Bake your heart out if that is what it takes. My prayers are with you.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Ugh. Sorry to hear that, buttertart. And Maine Coons are such especially sweet beauties, in my experience. I've always found the best way to fill that void is a furry little kitten or bouncing puppy----after a respectful mourning period of course.

Buying Dunlop this weekend, and that ma po doufu is first on the list.

[mamachef]

good recipe for ma po please? pretty please? ingredients and props. only; no instruction necessary unless you do something very different. tia. (marci)

[eight_inch_pestle]

Moi? Never made the stuff, only eaten it in restaurants, which is why I'm so amped to try the Dunlop version that has received much praise here and elsewhere. I'll certainly post ingredients and props later this weekend if the Dunlop is as heavenly as reported. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[buttertart]

FD's recipe, paraphrased:
1 lb firm tofu cut in 1 in cubes and left to steep in hot salted water, 1 tsp Sichuan pepper roasted and crushed, 6 oz ground pork or beef, 2 1/2 tb chili bean sauce, 1 tb rinsed fermented black beans, chopped,1 cup chicken stock (I cheated with Knorr broth powder), 2 tsp soy sauce, 3 small leeks or a bunch of scallions, thinly sliced at steep diagonal and washed well (especially if they're leeks), 4 tb cornstarch in 6 tb cold water.
Cook the meat over high heat until browned. Add the chili bean sauce, the black beans, stir well, let cook a min or so. Drain and add the tofu, stir gently to combine, trying not to break up the tofu too much. Pour in the stock and simmer for a few mins. Put in the leek/onion, stir up, thicken with the cornstarch slurry (you won't need it all, stop when the sauce coats things nicely but isn't gloopy). Top with the Sichuan pepper. Serve. If you're as handy with kuaizi (chopsticks) as my man is, eat it with chopsticks. I like to eat it with a Chinese porcelain soup spoon.
Can add cayenne/Chinese chili powder with the chili bean sauce (I added 1/2 tsp of one I got in a cellophane packet labeled "Chinese crunch chili" - sort of beige-y colored and hot as the hinges of Hades).
PS I almost always buy Chinese condiments made in Taiwan, because I lived there for a couple of years and prefer them. The brand to look out for is Kimlan - their soy sauce is great as is their chili bean sauce (and rice vinegar). Also got a gorgeous and cheap lightish-colored but very flavorful and fragrant sesame oil from there, Evergreen brand, last weekend.

[mamachef]

my duuuude is as handy with kuaizi as the next, thanks to years of service in the Orient. Thank you for the recipe, honey. One of his great enjoyments is watching me struggle with them. Cheap date, right? Oh, one more question? Isn't Ma Po Doufu translated as "pockmarked lady's tofu?"

[buttertart]

Yep, it's attributed to a Mrs Chen who apparently had a pockmarked face. The meat bits represent the pockmarks I think.

[mariacarmen]

so sorry! so awful when they go, no matter how old. i lost two earlier this year, both 19, a few months apart.... hope you're feeling better soon....

[Phurstluv]

Oh no, not another kitty. How depressing, sorry buttertart. I know you had lots of funny stories about her. Love Maine coons.

[Cherylptw]

So sorry about your pet...it makes me want to cuddle up to my dog that much more...hope you feel better soon..

[nomadchowwoman]

Oh, BT, so sad for you, and completely understanding the raw sense of loss. (Was she the kitty in your avatar?)

[buttertart]

Thanks, everybody. It's tough and we miss her a lot but there was no way round it.
Avatar is Liam, our boy MC - he was 11 mos old in that photo (last Christmas). He's a bit bewildered about being an only cat at the moment.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Herbed skillet souffle, from Jerry Traunfeld's *The Herbal Kitchen.* (Using gruyere, tarragon, and chives from the chive window container.) A side of peeled ozette fingerlings and nantes carrots peeled and shaped into...what are those little torpedos called like you used to get in old-school steakhouses? Those. Anyway, the potatoes and carrots roasted fairly low with some butter, covered. Might dump the veggies on some lightly dressed arugula from the farmers' market. Still working on it (late hours for the gf tonight), so we shall see how it all turns out.

[onceadaylily]

Our water was turned off again yesterday. There was a knock at the door at eight-something-damn-a-m to let us know they were 'about to turn it off'. I had hair that looked like I'd just recovered from the flu, and a kitchen full of dishes from a late dinner, so I was a bit put off by the lack of water with five minutes notice. Eleven hours later, the plumber left the premises. We order Philly cheese steaks for dinner, and I gave an unladylike gesture to the dirty kitchen as I went to bed.

Today we didn't have much time to cook, after playing catch-up with hygiene, housework and errands, but managed to make a bread that I don't want to call a pizza, despite the fact that we called it a pizza as we were preparing and eating it. We split a pizza (store-bought dough, Mama Mia's) that we brushed with olive oil, smeared (lightly) with fresh salsa, covered in queso blanco, spinkled with diced jalepeno and some crushed ripe olives (from the deli), a few beers, a side of fried corn, and called it a day.

Tomorrow's meal will be better. I am making beef shanks for the first time, and welcome any tips or recipes for the braise. Wine or broth? Stove or oven? I'm looking for optimal cooking of the marrow. Okay, and the beef.

[eight_inch_pestle]

That water sitch is unacceptable. You should let the landlord know you're tallying the hours without water each month and making proportional deductions from your rent.

Philly's Best?

[onceadaylily]

With whiz and giardiniera, son. I think I fell asleep within ten minutes of consumption. Which happens every damn time.

ETA: My landlord is a quaker. A very difficult thing to be aggressive to a quaker.

[buttertart]

You slay me, oadl. The Quaker remark.

[mariacarmen]

BF just made these for me last week: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/em...
he just did a google search to find what ingredients he had on hand. didn't use celery, and added some sumac. his tip is to make sure your shanks stay flat on the pan, not on top of each other, and dont turn them over, so you don't lose your marrow. they were scrumptious.

[onceadaylily]

Thank you! I thought it was either you or Christina, and was going to check the last thread. There are so many recipes out there, and I forgot to add tomato-or-no to my query list. But don't flip them to brown on each side?

When I took the shanks from the cart, the boyfriend said, "I call marrow!" I glared, and said, "There are four! We have enough for everybody!" So, I don't want to lose the marrow.

[mariacarmen]

this response is probably too late, but the BF said he dusted the shanks in flour and then seared them quickly so the marrow didn't have time to break down/melt. how did they turn out?

[onceadaylily]

No, not too late, and thank you. I got caught up in a project today, and the boyfriend (picking up the wine I meant to get this morning) was two hours late getting home, so I threw together a quick pasta salad. I've never done shanks before, and I really wanted both the wine and the time for it, to be just right. I'll make sure not to rush the pan with the sear.

[LindaWhit]

Ugh on the water shutoff - I think I would have done the same gesture as you. :-) And who cares that the landlord is a Quaker. He has a responsibility to his tenants, and he's not keeping up his end of the bargain. He's not being much of a Friend, that's for sure, when it comes to integrity.

As for your beef shanks, wine AND beef stock. :-) And either oven or stovetop will work. Enjoy!

[onceadaylily]

I've settled on the stove top, so I can better keep an eye on things. I've decided to serve it with roasted garlic mashed potatoes (skin on, since they're new potatoes in very good condition) and braised cabbage. The bread will the other round of pizza dough, dressed with herbs, olives, and olive oil. I'm thinking about re-shaping the dough so that it's a bit thicker. It's pliable enough enough, I think.

[Phurstluv]

This is too late, but for next time, agree with lindawhit, both wine & stock. Actually, I do a short rib recipe that uses dark beer, tomato paste, and some red wine vinegar. It's delicious. Maybe next time.

[onceadaylily]

I did wonder about beer in this! The boyfriend loves it in stew, so I had to wonder. Yes, next time.

[goodhealthgourmet]

rotten day + rotten cold + lingering heat & humidity in LA = PB protein smoothie.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Feel better!

[boyzoma]

Get well soon and we will be thinking of you. I'm sure the heat is a real bummer.

[Phurstluv]

Oh no, you too?? A lot of colds going around with this crazy weather here, feel better ghg!

[goodhealthgourmet]

aw, thanks to all of you - it's clearly not my week. woke up feeling better this morning, and got downsized out of my job this afternoon!

but hey, at least i'll have plenty of time on my hands to play in the kitchen until i find something else ;)

[marietinn]

I'm sorry to hear that ghg, but your right, now you'll have tons of time in the kitchen! I lost my job earlier this week and I think I'll probably gain some weight from all the baking/ cooking I'll be doing...

[goodhealthgourmet]

goodness, it appears to be going around - a close friend of mine lost his job today as well. i'm sorry to hear that it happened to you too. i suspect there are going to be a lot of very well-fed people in our respective lives in the coming weeks...as long as they pitch in for the ingredients ;)

[nomadchowwoman]

Bake, cook, enjoy! (And maybe take some brisk walks to offset the extra calories--and because you have time.)

[LindaWhit]

Oh, ghg, I'm sorry to hear about your job - and you, too, marietinn!

[marietinn]

Thank you! I'm sure things will be fine. I'm making pancakes for dinner, so life can't be all bad=)

[goodhealthgourmet]

thanks Linda :) i'm surprisingly calm about the whole thing!

[onceadaylily]

Viruses and under-employment, it's going around. I hope you share your time in the kitchen with us.

[nomadchowwoman]

So sorry, GHG; hope you'll be able to enjoy more time in the kitchen.

[boyzoma]

So sorry to hear about your job GHG & marietinn. Welcome to the club. I lost mine last year when they cut 500 of us and am still looking for another job. But on the upside, DH says I have been making a lot of new and interesting dishes since I have more time to research and cook. (And yes, we have gained some weight)

[marietinn]

Well, if this is the kind of club I get to join when loosing my job, at least we'll all eat well;) Thank you for the kind words, I've been trying to stay upbeat. I think I'll make zeppoli tonight!

[Cherylptw]

Wow, welcome to the club; I was laid off two years ago and still have not gone back to a regular job. I get by doing caterings on my own. I guess it's a good thing I can cook :) Hopefully something will come your way soon

[goodhealthgourmet]

thanks to all of you for the kind words, and i'm sorry to hear that so many of my beloved fellow CHers are in the same boat. fortunately i already have some promising leads and an offer for a part-time consulting gig, and this may also prove to be the kick in the ass i needed to finish my business plan and find investors...we'll see.

in the meantime, i hope we all find steady work SOON, and enjoy a wealth of delicious results from our extra hours in the kitchen along the way ;)

[rabaja]

Leftover grilled quail and an absolutely delicious saute of flageolet, cranberry and butter beans with fresh peas, spinach and chanterelles.
Wish I could take the credit for it (-actually I'm just glad to get to eat it) but it was from a catering gig a couple days ago.
Why don't I buy quail more often? It's wonderful tasting and has built in portion control!

[mariacarmen]

roasted butternut squash with butter and brown sugar. whole chicken cut in pieces, browned in butter and olive oil, browned onions, whole porcini mushrooms, sage sauteed in butter, 6 huge whole garlic cloves, in a braise of sherry, white wine and a little chicken stock, few more sage leaves ... smells good, we'll see....

[boyzoma]

That sounds absolutely yummy! I can only imagine the aromas coming out of your kitchen!

[eight_inch_pestle]

Mmm, that sounds downright pestle-ish.

[mariacarmen]

haha- like that, take it as a compliment.
i only got to taste it because i made it for the old folks, and was leaving to go home to have dinner with the BF, which dinner was taqueria-purchased tacos. oh well. parents loved the meal, esp. my mom, who hasn't been able to eat chicken for like six months. she asked for seconds before she even finished the first (teaspoonful)! but now i can (try to) recreate it for me and the BF. maybe this weekend. Although, i'm dying to make this: http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-09-12... Had planned to do this saturday, then left the marcona almonds i bought at my parents'. phooey. maybe i'll find them somewhere nearby.

[onceadaylily]

That sentence just raised the eyebrows clear into my hairline. And my forehead covers a fair amount of ground, so . . . that's a lot of ground to cover.

[mariacarmen]

you are a funny, funny gal, OADL!

[eight_inch_pestle]

Whoa, just meant that it sounded like something I might concoct. No untoward connotations intended, honest.

[onceadaylily]

Sorry. I had an encounter with my butcher today that made me too aware of food-based winks and grins. I couldn't stop myself from teasing you.

[mariacarmen]

would never have taken it as untoward! and i like the way OADL's mind works.

what is it about butchers, anyway - is it being around all that meat all day? they are the, er, most "interested" men of any profession i've ever seen. it's like someone locked them up all day long with testosterone levels bouncing off the walls! No offense to any butchers out there!!

[onceadaylily]

When I came back to the deli, where the boyfriend was minding the cart as he debated cheese, and put my armful of meat down, he asked, "Did you get some good stuff, baby?" I kept a straight face as I said, "Why? Do you need anything else? Because I can go back, I can get more. Do you? Need anything? Because I can go back." Because I find a thirty-something, burly, Cuban butcher who made me say 'beef shanks' twice, to be a interesting addition to my day.

I worked in a grocery for a year before I was even twenty-one, and the butchers were the guys you wanted to take your breaks with. I guess when you're wrist-deep in flesh and blood all day, for the sake of sustenance, you tend to be a little earthier, and a hell of a lot more irreverent than most.

[mariacarmen]

hilarious. i just notice that i get a lot of attention from butchers, more than the average amount of attention i get from men in general.

this is not a complaint!

[mamachef]

OADL, your humor kills. you are so on-point. I love going to the butcher shop and flirting with the handsome, bloody men.

[LindaWhit]

I've taken some of the Tunisian Za'atar rub I got from a Tennessee gourmet store's going-out-of-business sale from a post elsewhere on CH and used it on a Frankenchicken breast after schmearing it with some olive oil. I added some additional ground sumac to the mix, and also added a 1/4 tsp. of Aleppo pepper to the mix. It's roasting in the convection oven until the skin is crispy and the chicken is done. Sides will be basmati rice and steamed asparagus.

[onceadaylily]

I saw that post, but was too afraid for my budget to even click on it. How did you like that za'atar blend? I find that the blends tend to either have the four main components, or add in a little something extra fourth. Was there an ingredient listing with it?

[LindaWhit]

I liked it! I did add a bit more ground sumac and the Aleppo pepper, as I noted, and I think that helped punch it up a bit.

The ingredient list (in order) is: Mediterranean sumac, crushed marjoram-oregano blend, and lightly toasted sesame seeds. Interestingly, NO thyme in this blend.

[onceadaylily]

Interesting about the thyme. I was just poking through my Lebanese cookbook, and there is a recipe for thyme za'tar that is actually just seasoned and pickled stalks of thyme. I can't imagine snacking on pickled thyme. I'll likely go with a blend that depends on either oregano or basil, as dried thyme always tastes a bit off to me (love fresh though).

[nomadchowwoman]

Pickled thyme, hmmmmm.

[DoobieWah]

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and purple hull peas.

And a green salad of course.

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night we were in need of comfort food, DH especially because he did something especially dear: after finding our beloved, dear sweet kitty dead in his favorite lounging space under a tree a few evenings ago, apparently attacked, he gathered him up and buried him so I wouldn't have to see him. Neither of us could eat the first night, but last night I made one of DH's favorites: French Farmhouse Chicken in Vinegar Sauce (a Saveur recipe) which we had with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts "caramelized" in butter and cream w/lemon zest. And wine.

Tonight, we'll have the leftovers, this time w/egg noodles, and a spinach-avocado-bacon salad as I turn my focus toward DH's b-day dinner tomorrow.

[LindaWhit]

Oh, no! ncw, I'm so SO sorry about your poor sweet kitty! It's always so tough to lose a family pet, but even worse in that way, I feel. {{{{Hugs}}}} to you and Mr. NCW. I do hope the dinner and wine helped a bit (although I suspect it didn't...sometimes even wonderful food can't heal the hurt).

[mamachef]

Much sympathy and many hugs your way. I'm a cat-lover too. Glad you soothed your souls as much as you could though.

[Perilagu Khan]

Very sorry to hear about your cat. I do dread the day when one of ours departs for the great sandbox in the sky.

[onceadaylily]

Oh, I am so, so, so sorry. How awful for you both. Your DH is a good, kind man.

[mcel215]

How sad about your kitty...... :(

[boyzoma]

My sympathy goes out to you. We've lost 3 cats, but each of them were around 17 years each at the time. Bless your DH as well. That was a very kind act. Your dinner sounds lovely, though. Glad you had the wine to go with!

[buttertart]

Oh no, how absolutely dreadful. So sorry to hear that. Hope you can find comfort in the coming days.

[rabaja]

So sorry to hear of your loss! They fill our days with so much joy, it must be tough not to have him around now. Glad you have one another to help ease the pain. Best wishes to you both.

[mariacarmen]

oh how awful! i'm so sorry for both of you. and that was incredibly sweet of your DH. sad.... hope his bday dinner is not too bittersweet.

[Phurstluv]

Awwww, poor kitty, sorry to hear it, ncw.

[mamachef]

I've been all over the place recommending long-cooked slow simmered green beans with bacon and cubed white potatoes, and that is exactly what's for dinner this evening; shot of vinegar and hot sauce in mine, with cornbread and some sliced cold ham. : )

[nomadchowwoman]

Every time I've seen you post about this, I get nostalgic. My grandmother made these a lot, and they were sooo delicious. I still make them this way, and this is one of the three or four things my sister cooks--she brought me some a few days ago--and Sis's come closest to tasting like Ma-Mere's. My sister is funny--she pretty much hates to cook and hardly ever does, but her green beans, her pork chops, and her red beans (that about covers it), are all delicious; always come out better than mine.

[mamachef]

Yeah, but it's making me sound like a one-note wonder to constantly keep raving about it!

[dcdavis]

I am also thinking about my grandmother now! I don't know if she did the vinegar but I will try it this weekend!

[Jen76]

My grandmother made this, too, but she added fresh dill in at the end and called them Dill Beans. One of my favorite dishes to this day.

[Phurstluv]

It's been a crazy week, so I am posting very early today, since we have a back to school night tonight. Tuesday I made the roast tri tip, since I defrosted one, so we had that with some baked potatoes, and a spinach salad. Had to be easy since it was still hot, and I was glad that the ovens didn't heat up the house too much.

Last night was leftovers of said tri tip, with some corn off the cob, more spinach, more potatoes. Tonight is up in the air, since we'll have a babysitter while we go off to school for a couple of hours.

And I am looking at a recipe for rosemary orange chicken breasts, that I have all the ingredients for, except it makes a stuffing for under the skin and I have boneless skinless breasts thawed out, so somehow I need to adapt that to those. May or may not grill them, just depends how hot and humid it is.

[Perilagu Khan]

A rice pilaf featuring capellini and a little allspice and cinnamon. Some incarnation of broccoli on the side.

[mcel215]

Home with a sore throat and woozy head today.

Found a chicken carcass in the freezer, threw it in a pot with a head of garlic, onion, couple of carrots, celery and bay leaves. That will make the stock for chicken soup with orzo for my dinner tonight.
Love those rotisserie carcass' frozen, just for times like these.

[LindaWhit]

Sorry to hear about the sore throat and wooziness. I *LOVE* that you threw in a whole head of garlic into your stock - that'll help burn out the cold in your head! Hope you're feeling better very soon!

[mcel215]

Thanks Linda,

I love making this stock with Costco's rotisserie carcass, it's delish.

And I agree about the garlic. ;)

[LindaWhit]

Oh. And vampires. Garlic's good for warding those off. Just in case there are any in your area, of course. ;-)

[betsydiver]

I bet your house smells delish!

[eight_inch_pestle]

Chicken breasts with leeks and tarragon in a stock, lemon, and butter sauce/broth, from the Herbal Kitchen. Bread for dunking. A side of roasted delicata squash with rosemary.

[Cherylptw]

It's been raining cats, dogs, horses, guinea pigs, etc. all day and is expected to go on through tomorrow...we needed the rain but enough already! Leftover veal stew for dinner with a salad....nutella will be slathered over something later or maybe just eaten off a spoon depending on my craving at the moment.

[hannaone]

Tteok-Kaibi

Minced rice cake, beef short rib meat, and pork seasoned with asian pear, onion, garlic, maesil-cha (plum tea concentrate), rice vinegar, and ground black pepper.
Formed into bars and pan fried with a final brushing of Yujang (sweet seasoned sauce) for glaze.

[JungMann]

That sounds great. You prompted me to do a little recipe searching and some say that tteokgalbi doesn't necessarily have rice cake in it. Do you think adding the tteok adds anything to the final product? Could I just add sweet rice flour instead?

[hannaone]

Rice cake is a traditional ingredient that most contemporary recipes leave out.
It adds bits of rice cake chewiness, but it was probably included more as a digestive aid for royals with digestive issues.
Many contemporary recipes also use ground beef instead of minced beef rib meat, and so have a bit different taste.

[eight_inch_pestle]

oh my.

[nomadchowwoman]

Wow.

[boyzoma]

Tonight’s dinner will be my grandmother’s version of pigs in a blanket. Strips of round steak pounded thin with a strip of bacon laid on top then rolled up with the bacon inside and secured with a toothpick. These are browned well and then simmered with S&P, fresh rosemary and thyme from the garden until fork tender. In addition, there will be potatoes and carrots which are cooked in with the meat towards the end. When all is done, a nice brown gravy will be made to pour over the meat and potatoes.

[JungMann]

Meat-wrapped pigs? Sign me up! How do you avoid the bacon getting flaccid in the cooking process? Do you use thick slices?

[Perilagu Khan]

Better still, is it possible to crisp the bacon during this process? Also, in what do you simmer these rouladen? Water? Beef broth?

[mariacarmen]

i love how the boys jumped in at the thought of pig inside beef! im with you tho, those sound amazing.

[boyzoma]

JungMann - it does stay a little flaccid, but it does get cooked and the flavor is wonderful. I just use regular sliced, not thick.

Perilagu Khan - I suppose you could pre-cook a little to get a firmer texture. I do it the way my grandmother and mother did. Never thought about it. It is something you could try. If you do and it works well, let me know! I also use water and beef stock as it makes better gravy.

mariacarmen - yeah - the pig always get's them. Gotta love it.

[Perilagu Khan]

If you've got the recipe written down, I wouldn't mind seeing it.

[boyzoma]

There isn't a written recipe. It's pretty much all in memory and as written above since I've made it for years and helped make it when I was little. The seasonings are just to taste. But the basics are to cut thin slices of round steak - just slightly thinner than the width of the bacon because when you pound it it will get wider and the bacon width will fit nicely once pounded. I also use 1/2 strip of bacon for each one so this also determines the length of each beef strip. Hope that helps.

[nomadchowwoman]

The haute cuisine version! They sound delicious.

[boyzoma]

They were absolutely fantastic. In fact, we are having the leftovers tonight. Almost melted in your mouth.

[Perilagu Khan]

Tonight is three-peppercorn Dijon meatballs with a green salad, probably consisting of iceberg, radishes, sliced mushrooms and some yellow Bell pepper.

[mariacarmen]

so is that meatballs with dijon mustard mixed in before baking/frying?

[Perilagu Khan]

Mixed in and also served as a dip at the table.

[Novelli]

Tonite I'm making spinach and crimini gnudi over roasted summer vegetables (eggplant, fire roasted peppers, garlic, zucchini) drizzled with a little balsamic and a side of burrata w/ baby arugula tossed with some lemon juice and oil.

I'm totally loaded with veg from my gardens and am enjoying every minute of it!

[mcel215]

I want to come over to your house for dinner, lol!

I am having leftover pizza...... got a sore throat. :(

[Novelli]

LOL I'll be sure to make you up a plate...but if you're late, I'm eating it. hahaha

But you really can't go wrong with day old pizza either!

[mcel215]

I have been wanting to try and make gnudi, but haven't done it yet. I watched Ann Burrell make them and her looked delicious. Are they easy? Thanks for the dinner invite, lol!

[rabaja]

Beans con Todo. So delicious and fillings, yet not so heavy in this heat.
Topped it with grilled chicken and green salsa with lots of cilantro and onion.
Happy to have leftovers, this heat wave is killing me. Come on over Fall! We are so ready for you.

[ZoeZ]

Heat still killing us in LA - Chowpup came over to walk the Chows, Razz and Zoe because Mme ZoeZ is having a knee replaced; we ate leftover garbanza bean salad with fennel and mushrooms and cold curry turkeyburgers with rye crisp. Just the right mix

[mariacarmen]

eek- good luck with your knee! hopefully someone will be cooking for you while you recupe. your salad sounds great-haven't used garbanzos in a salad in ages. As a teen, my favorite concoction was a salad made of garbanzos, diced cucumbers and diced muenster cheese, in an italian dressing (at that time it was Wishbone's, the kind that came with the herbs in a packet and a cruet to mix in your oil and vinegar!) your turkey burgers sound good too.

[nomadchowwoman]

Taking me down Memory Lane--we had so many of those cruetsin our cupboard. (My mother had a salad on the table at every single meal. Wishbone IT was our dressing always--except when it was WB neon orange "French.")

[nvcook]

garbanzos are known as "butt beans" at our house as they look like little butts

[betsydiver]

a favorite description in literature of mine is from the shipping news where apricots are seen as "fairy bottoms" by one of the children

[nomadchowwoman]

Oh how I loved that novel and its delightful, if often strange, evocations of food.

[betsydiver]

I thought that was Good Seasons salad dressings; made fresh almost every day by the "jr, sous chef" of the family (me)

[mariacarmen]

you are right, wishbone was the terrible bottled stuff. thx!

[mariacarmen]

ok, what are beans con todo? cilantro, cumin, onions, jalapenos, lime.....? i'm guessing here, hoping some of this is right! or is it beans con todo - as in, beans go with everything?

[iheartcooking]

Chicken salad with a dressing I call "salad crack", a sesame dressing that I've tasted at dozens of restaurants but only yesterday discovered I could buy at Costco!
I think I'll be marinating veggies in it all week. Eggplant, zucchini, scallions. Mmm

[mariacarmen]

Adapted smitten kitchen's (www.smittenkitchen.com) baked chicken meatballs, adding pesto into the meatballs before baking instead of tomato paste, served with pesto linguini... the meatballs were very tender and flavorful. love this recipe - and the oldsters can easily chew them!

[classylady]

Turkey meatballs with spaghetti and ragu sauce. Salad for the beginning and ending with fresh cantaloupe. Tea and I maybe zucchini bread or M & M cookies.Meatballs were baked and finished in the ragu sauce.

[pikawicca]

Taking a serious break from healthy cooking tonight to prepare a family favorite: Penne with Smoked Salmon Vodka Cream Sauce. Killer. quick, easy, and oh so good.

[onceadaylily]

Does this taste fishy, or does it have a smokier, savory kind of thing going on? Do you mind sharing the recipe? This sounds fantastic.

[JerryMe]

Meatloaf in muffin tins (still searching for a recipe), baked small red potatoes and salad as a side. I've had a craving for steak, but this is what I've got, so there you go.

[Cherylptw]

Chicken caesar salad sandwiches & bean soup; still wet & raining off & on today so soup is still in the forecast.

[onceadaylily]

Soup, sandwich, and rain. I hope you have a good book at your side.

I've actually never thought about treating a chicken salad as a caesar-styled sandwich. That sounds really good, Cheryl.

[onceadaylily]

Whew, no more fever, chills or other unpleasantness. I feel like myself again . . . just in time to send the boyfriend off to work thoroughly doped up on cold and flu meds (and *no* kiss). Poor guy.

I think he needs pasta, so I'm making carbonara. I'll use fettuccine instead of spaghetti, and being stubbornly Midwestern, I'm using bacon instead of pancetta, and am adding BOTH peas and cream. A salad would be lovely, but it's been a week since the market, and much of the produce is gone, so I'll likely do a pan of roasted onions and carrots.

[LindaWhit]

I'm glad to read you're feeling better, OADL! Hopefully your BF will be feeling better very soon! Your dinner sounds very welcoming and tummy-warming. :-)

[mamachef]

That sounds like complete, loving sustenance.

[mariacarmen]

lucky man - he'll start telling you he's sick more often! i love carbonara. and i never make it with peas but i always think it sounds great.

[onceadaylily]

Thank you, ladies. He has the next two days off with me, and his favorite blanket is already on the couch, waiting for him. I plan on taking Mamachef's suggestion and working in a little hot and sour soup into tomorrow's meal.

[krisrishere]

Day 15 of diet and exercise plan. I'm doing well, but really missing things like mashed potatoes, chips, pasta, chocolate, ice cream, chocolate, baked potatoes, Oreos...you get the idea. I'm not so much craving them anymore, but I just want them :)

But, I'm going to be a good girl and stick with the routine. Tonight I'm going to bake some split breasts the size of my head. I will rub them with a Latin-inspired spice mix consisting of cumin, coriander, pepper, garlic, salt, thyme, rosemary and maybe some lime zest. I also have some fresh broccoli that I desperately need to use up so that will simply be roasted with some garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.

[mariacarmen]

keep it going, rooting for you! i know how hard it is, was on WW all last year. paid off, tho, so keep going with what you're doing! after awhile you'll be able to incorporate back in some of the really fun stuff.

[krisrishere]

The diet isn't that bad. I'm limited to 1 serving of carbs a day and I usually use it up on my breakfast. Other than that it's just veggies, veggies, protein and more veggies. In a couple of weeks I actually get 2 servings of carbs :) Exciting.

[Phurstluv]

I never understood those type of diets, my Mom has to watch her carbs too. But, aren't all plants carbohydrates?? I know they are low in calories & sugars, but they are still carbs.

[mariacarmen]

PL, there's a difference between complex carbs and simple carbs, and i don't understand enough about how they interact with other foods, or what your body does or does not do to break them down, but that's what that's about. plants are carbs, but they're complex, so they have fiber and their sugars don't turn to fat as quickly when you eat them. i know i'm being way vague, and incredibly simplistic and unscientific, and i also know that a lot of people don't believe in low carb diets for a variety of reasons, but i do find it easier to lose if i'm keeing simple carbs (potatoes, rice, pasta, corn) at a minimum. i try not to cut anything out, because that's not realistic to maintain, but if i'm actually trying to lose weight, i'll try to eat less of those. and excercise, always exercise.

[onceadaylily]

You're not being vague so much as just intuitive. You eat, and your body responds, and as we age the response can be . . . louder, forcing us to listen. I have issues if I eat too much bread or pasta, and even more so now that I'm in my mid-thirties. I don't remember even noticing this in my twenties. I envy the people who don't experience this.

I picture my body encountering the green bean, and saying, "Why, thank you! That was very useful! Go, go, now, and be one with the world. Thank you for your time, now go spread your joyous health!" And then quickly turning around to the dumpling, and saying, "Ah, ah, ah, where are *you* going, you beautiful thing? You will stay with me FOREVER, no matter what the bloated-cranky-sleepy-gaining-weight girl says. You will stay here with me, and whisper to her of how you need your friends, the ravioli, the biscuit, the pound cake, and we will be so happy here together, all of us . . . forever. Oh, and don't get too attached to the broccoli, because he's just passing through. He's kind of boring anyway."

[mariacarmen]

AHAHAAHHAA! love it! i especially love broccoli "just passing through".
and thanks for the kind way of putting it - i often do things intuitively without knowing what the *$!@! talking about.

[LindaWhit]

LOL! You crack me up, OADL!

[krisrishere]

Too funny!

[boyzoma]

Bwahahaha! You gave me my best laugh of the day. Did the broccoli gas you up for your day along the way? Love your scenario. You are officially a genius!

[onceadaylily]

I envy your resolve. This time of year is so hard to stay away from the 'comfort' dinners. But I suspect you're getting to the point where the workout feels *good*, and maybe you're seeing the changes in energy level from that and a more conscious diet, and having more fun playing with herbs and spices.

Good for you!

[krisrishere]

You hit the nail on the head. After my workout I feel awesome and energized, so I don't mind so much anymore :)

[LindaWhit]

As for myself - it's a burger night. I was actually CRAVING a burger last night, but was too exhausted after playing catch-up at work (after only 1 day out of the office!) to cook anything. So I scrounged last night and had some leftover veggies and mashed potatoes.

Tonight, however - it's a BOIGAH! :-D I'll toast an English muffin, and put a thin schmear of butter on both halves. A squirt of ketchup on the bottom half, topped by a medium-rare cheeseburger. The cheese will be a pat of herbed goat cheese, I think. We'll see if that's what I'm in the mood for when I get home.

Sides? Well, gotta have potato chips and probably a small salad tossed with maple-balsamic vinaigrette.

Trader Joe's Triple gingersnaps for dessert should have a burning desire to add to the calories consumed for the evening. :-)

[Uncle Bob]

Cactus Juice Cocktails.............
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms.......
White Bean Soup..........
Shrimp Stew........
Rice........
Bread.....
Chocolate Ice Cream

[mcel215]

My day at the office was excruiatingly long. I had all I could do to reheat my Shrimp Scampi.... ugh!
But just now, I made one of my quickie desserts. Take a half of tortilla (8 inch), crease it in half, chop some walnuts, and a handful of extra dark, semi sweet choclat chips. Place choc chip and walnuts in the center and fold the tortilla on top of it, pressing the very edges with a fork. Take a pat of butter in a skillet, melt it and place tortilla on med heat and heat 2 minutes on each side, pressing down the egdes with a fork. Move to a plate and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream........ aaahh, long and excruiating day almost forgotten. : )

[LindaWhit]

Well played, mcel. :-)

[mcel215]

Aahh, Linda, do we work in the same office? crazed.. ;)

[janetofreno]

damn: I was craving a burger tonight too...but got home and the meat I'd taken out of the freezer and tossed into the fridge was still frozen solid. So I settled for an avocade/tomato salad and some scrambled eggs...sigh...oh well, it might have been healthier anyway. Burger tomorrow night! (DH is out of town). And desert both nights are pralines that I brought home from New Orleans. I love pralines, but only buy them in NOLA to keep from overdoing it :-)

[LindaWhit]

Pralines - lord, I remember Mom doling them out in the car on the way back from Louisiana on a family vacation. She'd give my little sister and me ONE to split...and we were still bouncing off the car walls on our sugar high. :-)

Enjoy your burger tonight - a craving is a craving is a craving!