What's For Dinner? Part 84 [OLD]

[LindaWhit]

What's cooking at your house? Are you in the throes of Springtime and have dragged out the grill? Or are you still in chilly-willy weather and are still craving comfort slow-cooked foods?

[Harters]

Whooops, wrong thread. Deleted

[onceadaylily]

Let's follow Linda's lead, and pack up our stuff for a new home. New thread started here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/780399#

[rabaja]

You are super cute.

[mariacarmen]

yeah, oadl, quit it. ( :

[onceadaylily]

You two make me laugh. :)

[chef chicklet]

My little one is off for Spring Break. With such good news yesteray, (he's going to regular kingerarten and his IQ is high-yes I'm proud of this little autistic boy!). I feel like experimenting!

For lunch today I'm having a salmon ceasar salad with lefotver roast salmon from Wednesday. For dinner today I've started Matzo Ball soup, and tonight I have planned a salad with radicchio, greens, and a citrus vinagrette. Popovers for the first time! I have no idea what's going on with me but these are the foods I am craving. What I really want to try is popover sandwiches! Several recipes have been graciously given to me here on Chowhound, hopefully I can find them! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! OH and deviled eggs they'll make an appearance today too!

[rabaja]

Congrats to you and your son. That warms the heart.

[Phurstluv]

What great news about your boy!! All the best to you and your family. And even though I am not a salmon fan, every time you post something with it, it sounds so yummy.. I may have to thaw out the TJ's chimichurri salmon in my freezer for tonight!!

And I made Popovers at Christmas for the first time, and couldn't get over how easy they were and they didn't fall like soufflees do! But I've never heard of a Popover sandwich? Do tell!

[LindaWhit]

So glad he's off to regular kindergarten! Must be because of the most excellent parents he has. :-)

[mariacarmen]

what great news CC, happy for you and your boy.

[onceadaylily]

You must be so proud, chicklet. I'm so happy for all of you! Have a wonderful dinner. And I'm another one that wants to hear about the popover sandwiches.

[roxlet]

Tonight will be...bunny! Hey, it's Easter, isn't it? My son asked the DH to make some French food, so after perusing a French cookbook, he came up with rabbit with mustard sauce. He is a very adventurous eater, and always orders rabbit when he sees it on a menu, but it is not something that we make at home. I will make some wide noodles to go with that, and the veg will be haricots verts. To start, frisee salad with the remainder of this this year's confit.

[LindaWhit]

Your entire dinner sounds great! I've been working through leftovers these past few days, and was going to pull out a Frankenchicken breast and do something with it tonight.....but got a text from a friend on another message board asking if I'd like to go out to my favorite tapas restaurant as a congratulations on signing the papers on my new townhouse. Well, you don't have to ask ME twice! LOL

So tonight will be tapas and sangria. Glad she texted me, as I wasn't sure when I'd get there again. Both tapas and sangria will be very welcomed - packing is for the birds! But the Salvation Army made quick work at noontime of removing the entertainment center, boxes and boxes and boxes of books and "stuff", and my old desk and chair (I've now got my monitor and keyboard on a side table with the printer on a small shelf below and I'm sitting in a kitchen chair! LOL)

[roxlet]

I'm glad you're in the packing phase and getting nearer to your new place. You'll know you're ready to go when you pack up the pots and pans!

[acecil]

mmmm, last night we had miso soup with soba noodles and poached salmon. One of my best miso soups ever. I should give proper credit to justhungry.com since that's where I learned to make a proper miso soup. I could eat this in any kind of weather (if I hadn't eaten so much, it would have been a pretty light dinner - ha!)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Last night's dinner was Shredded Chicken w/Tomato Sauce & Spaghetti. I braised the chicken in the tomato sauce then shredded it and served it over spaghetti with a salad.

We are going to Santa Barbara area for the weekend, so dinner tonight will be somewhere on the road. Tomorrow we will be go to Julienne Restaurant that was just reviewed in the LA times. Can you say House Made Charcuterie...yum!

[Phurstluv]

Lucky girl, SB is one of my favorite places in SoCal, have fun!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks! Hopefully, the weather stays nice :o)

[Phurstluv]

Yes, it should. I need to get up there someday soon, I feel La Super-Rica & Palace Cafe cravings coming on!!

[iL Divo]

didn't expect to make dinner last night but did as we didn't do the venture we'd planned on.
pork pot pie.
I had 2 frozen pie crusts one was cream cheese and the other was regular pie crust, both only would do the bottom or the top. made the filling using l-o rice&gravy, then added red potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and the ultra tender pork tenderloin. the cream cheese crust went on the bottom, the reg on top, the pork pot pie was sumptuous. the gravy was killer, garlic bread and green salad and the end of the cookies.

[Cherylptw]

Last night's dinner was not really a "dinner"...I had a smoked sausage on a bun with mustard & slaw then later, a stack of pancakes. Tonight, I'm making curry lamb shank cooked with potatoes, green peas, onion, garlic, coconut milk, etc. A greek salad will accompany and butter pecan ice cream for dessert.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Your sausage on a bun sounds good! Too funny about the pancakes...lol That's the way I eat when my husband is away on business;o)

[Harters]

Well, up here amongst the dark satanic mills of north west england we're having some exceptionally unseasonal weather. It's like summer with temperatures hovering around 23 - certainly nice enough for me to have continued to sit outside reading for a couple of hours after lunch *.

So, it seems a bit strange that the current household "cookbook of the week" is Delia Smith's "Winter Collection" (1995) and the main course is coming from it.

We'll be starting with asparagus - simply steamed with melted butter and sprinkling of Halen Mon seasalt.

The main is "Pepper crusted monkfish with red pepper relish". Relish gets made first - red pepper gets cut into strips and fried for a bit; soem tinned chopped tomatoes , garlic and a coupel of anchovy fillets gop in and it simmers for 25 minutes or so, then blitzed in the blender, before a smadge** of balsamic is stirred in.

Monkfish is sliced into 2cm rounds and is coated in a mix of flour and coarsely crushed black pepper and then quickly fried and then scattered with a few coriander leaves. We're having it with Jersey Royal spuds (almost inevitable for Brits at this time of year) and green beans.

Supermarket chocolate tart and a dollop of double cream for a sweet.

(* Meanwhile, herself has been slaving away in the kitchen making hot cross buns - a traditonal Easter bun which doesnt normally feature in this athiest household)

(** this is a larger amount than a smidge)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I'm impressed that you cook Monkfish! Sounds like a great meal and very pretty with the rounds.

[mariacarmen]

your menu doesn't scream "Winter" to me.... I love monkfish more than a smidge or a smadge.

[Harters]

I though it was actually a bit underwhelming (and herself didnt like it at all). Nothing wrong with it as such, just so-so. The relish was pointless - the fish would have been just as happy with a little melted butter. Disappointing - not least as monkfish is bloody expensive.

[buttertart]

Harters dear, could we possibly have Mrs H's hot cross bun recipe? This fellow atheist always wants them this time of year too (atavistic urge) and have never found a recipe that has satisfied.

[Harters]

Here ya go. They were good!

For 12 buns

350g strong white bread flour
100g wholemeal bread flour
50g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground mixed spice
0.5 tsp nutmeg
1 x 7g sachet easy-blend yeast
50g unsalted butter
125g mixed dried fruit & peel
200mil lukewarm milk
2 eggs

Mix the first 7 then dice the butter and mix to the “breadcrumb” stage. Add the dried fruit then the eggs & milk. Knead this for 10 minutes. Cover with damp towel and leave to rise for an hour

Knock back and form into 12 buns. Leave to rise again for 45 minutes.

While that’s happening, mix together 4 tablespoons white bread flour and 2 spoons of cold water. Put this in a piping bag and pipe the cross across the top (herself says this is not as easy as it sounds). Pre-heat the oven to 200 (400F ??) and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a glaze of 4 tablespoons milk and 2 of caster sugar (bring to boil in a pan). Brush this on the top of the buns when they come out of the oven (it should be a bit sticky when it cools).

(Recipe from The Great British Book of Baking – which accompanied a recenish BBC series – the Great British Bake-off)

[Phurstluv]

Everyone's meals sound so great, and creative, and I feel like I am so overwhelmed lately that straying away from comfort food to branch out and learn other cuisines is too much to bear for me at this point. I love learning all about the asian cuisines everyone seems to know how to do. I guess I am just lucky that we have all of those cuisines here at my back door in the city, so whenever I start getting more time to myself, I will investigate and branch out further.

Last night we had an appointment over the hill (in the Valley) after school, so we usually stick around and get dinner there, to let the traffic die down a bit before heading home. I was such a good girl, that even at one of my favorite chain places that is known for humongous portions, I ordered an appetizer chopped salad, that was huge, and I only ate half of! I'm so glad I didn't order more, I almost always do, since my eyes are always bigger than my stomach, and I want to taste EVERYTHING!! Anyway, had the leftovers for lunch today.

For tonight, it will be leftover meatloaf plates for the boys, a sandwich for me, before heading out to Mass since my older boy is in the processional for Holy Thursday. Our spring break is just beginning this week, and I still barely have had time to breathe, before I have to decide on Easter, and then start packing for a 5 day camping trip - whew!! At least I think I have finalized the menu, and only need to go out and get the protein on Saturday.

[twilight goddess]

I am excited after bopping around preparing for a cooking extravaganza tonight. On a day off, I actually had time to visit two groceries and two Asian markets, thrilling myself with all of the deals! Three lemons for $1.25 = yay!

So later I am making a big batch of homemade broth for later use (using chicken backs and wings, carrot, celery, onion, a tomato, a little bell pepper a la Marcella Hazan) and Chicken Scarpariello (1st time) and another batch of velvety lemon chicken soup with tortellini.

:-)

[AdamD]

On my own tonight-yee haw!
Squid sashimi with shiso, lemon, coarse sea salt and ginger.
Wakame soup with tofu(unfortunately that will be an instant soup with fresh tofu added).
Green salad (with my favorite daikon sprouts) and a sweet onion dressing.
A stir fry of beef with kabocha squash (usual Japanese components-soy, mirin, sake and a twist, a touch of lite kewpie mayo at the end).

Probably topped off by chocolate teddy grahams. :)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

That's pretty fancy for being on your own! Sounds great! Do you usually cook a lot of Japanese meals? I love Japanese food and cooking!

[AdamD]

Sounds fancy, but in reality its a simply prepared basic meal in our house. Yes, my wife is Japanese and we eat Japanese meals 5-6 days a week. The exception is when I make steak, lobsters, burgers, BBQ chicken, quesadillas, shrimp scampi and hot dogs on the grill. And the occasional pizza take out. We are lucky to have a a very good Japanese market close to our house. Its expensive, but the quality of the raw fish is very high.

For tonights meal, I have to slice the squid, the shiso and grind the ginger.
Boil water and slice tofu for soup.
Dressing is already made so assemble the salad.
Slice beef and kabocha, measure ingredients and cook.
Seriously that is about 30 mins of work.

And dont be fooled into thinking its all super healthy, it can be, but a lot of fried chicken, tempura, Japanese mayo and Japanese pork belly means FAT.

Its the flavors I have come to love.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Adam, that is great that you too cook Japanese food! I'm also Japanese, so I know about the fatty foods of Japan...lol I love Kewpie Mayo!

I'm impressed that you stick with Japanese even when your wife isn't around :o) Happy Eating!

[AdamD]

Gotcha! Japanese is my favorite cuisine by far. Even when I grill a steak or cook a lobster, ponzu or yuzu pepper is usually involved. :)

Still cant eat natto though. :)
I have to leave the house when my wife and kids eat that stuff.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I love yuzu, it took a while to catch on here, but now it's all over the place here in LA! Too funny about natto! Yes, it's an acquired taste, I really enjoy it. My husband is American and he can eat it, he doesn't necessarily like it, but he doesn't need to leave the house;o)

[AdamD]

That came as a result of my two kids breathing natto breath on me after dinner! :)
We are addicted to yuzu and probably use it way to much!

Now for tonight's dinner....................?

[chef chicklet]

which form of yuzu do you recommend?
I am learning Japanese cooking and would love to hear more about this citrus ingredient and its uses/ thanks~!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

It's hard to get fresh yuzu, so I get Yuzu Kosho which is yuzu mixed with pepper (that's what kosho means). This one is my favorite brand, but there are many others. The problem with some of them is that they are way too salty. You should be able to find it at an Asian market, especially Japanese. You can serve it with white fish sashimi and I love putting it in light soups and using it in my dipping sauce for Shabu-Shabu. You can use it for a ton of stuff!

[Phurstluv]

Can you guys tell me the difference between Yuzu and Ponzu? I have a bottle of Ponzu in my pantry, and I've only used it a couple of times. Not really sure what to use it for sometimes, and I've had Yuzu in sauces many times in restaurants, but again, not sure the difference. Thanks!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

The packaged ones are basically the same. You can get Ponzu which can be lemon or vinegar & soy sauce and you can get Yuzu Ponzu which should have Yuzu extract. Yuzu is a type of citrus which is hard to get fresh. I think it was only used for the zest in the past, but now also used for the juice. I think that the things with Yuzu has a fresher lighter taste to it.

Now Yuzu Kosho is more common. It's yuzu flavoring mixed with a type of chili pepper and is made into a paste. That's what is used at most Japanese restaurants. It's the combo of the 2 flavors that make it unique.

Stuff that is labeled as Yuzu seems tobe more expensive. You can get plain ponzu (without soy sauce) in a large bottle for about the same cost for a bottle of yuzu that is a third of the size.

The ponzu/soy combo can be used for a ton of things, dipping sauce for sashimi, dipping sauce for shabu-shabu, add some citrus in soups, mix it up in salad dressing etc. You usually mix the ponzu sauce with other stuff.

Hope this made a little sense. I tend to ramble when I start writing;o)

[Phurstluv]

Thanks, yes it did. I seem to have the Ponzu soy combo, and will use it next time I have some sushi or ahi tartar from my local sushi shop. I assume you can use it as a marinade as well? And if used as a dressing, which oil would you mix it with, sesame? I thought sesame was so strong, you need to use it in small doses.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

For salad I would mix some sort of Veg Oil or Rice Bran Oil with a touch of Sesame Oil for flavor and use Rice Vinegar.

You can use as a marinade, but be careful since it is so citrusy :o)

[Phurstluv]

Okay, so are you saying use a splash of the ponzu in addition to the rice vinegar, or not at all in a salad dressing. Thanks for your knowledge and advice!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Sorry, I forgot that there's the citrus in the ponzu for the salad dressing...lol I would taste it without the extra vinegar and then decide to put it in or not. I'm the type that when I make a salad dressing I'll sometimes put in 3 types of vinegar including lemon juice! Coarsely ground sesame probably would taste good in it too! If you have other Japanese ingredients like Mirin and dashi powder, I would throw those in too :o)

I'm thinking about it now and am wondering why I haven't made a dressing with ponzu sauce!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

When I serve a whitefish sashimi like yellowtail or halibut this is what I mix up:

Chopped Garlic
Grated Ginger
Chopped Green Onion
Chopped Jalapeno
Soy Sauce
Yuzu
Ponzu w/Soy Sauce

It probably would be good with seared Ahi or Poke, but I'm not sure if it would go with plain Maguro or Toro.

Where do you get your fish for sushi? Do you ever go to Mitsuwa, Marukai or Nijiya? I think those are the best places to go in LA.
Ponzu w/Soy Sauce

[Phurstluv]

Oooo, that all sounds really good, I go to a sushi resto in my area or get it at my Gelson's, since buying it myself is too expensive.

But I am planning a trip to the new Mitsuwa (I think!) in West LA soon to check them out. Sadly, my knowledge of cooking Japanese is limited to teriyaki & sukiyaki, like my Mom made for us back in the '70s. And I love sushi, and even took a class on how to make it, the cost of the sushi grade ahi is usually too much for my budget!

My kids are still a bit young, and have not tried sushi yet, although I think they will like it, I've held off for a while, hey they just got into cheeseburgers about a year ago! And I'm sure you can tell, we aren't Asian, so I don't do a lot of Asian cooking, but I would love to learn more, but they keep me so busy since they are still at young school ages. Thanks again for all of your help,

[AdamD]

Sorry I missed out on this conversation! I can get fresh yuzu when its in season, but it is very expensive and the yield is low-the only reason I buy it is for the zest-which is fantastic when added to any dish. I buy the bottled yuzu juice and the yuzu pepper just like Bombay.

I dont really care for the flavored soys and ponzu. I prefer to add any flavorings on my own.

Bombay, its funny what you said about vinegars, wife has a whole bunch of different ones-all Japanese and ranging from white to syrupy black. She even has one that she does shots of!

At the moment I am addicted to Japanese onion salad dressing. It is really popular in Japan at the moment. I have been trying to copy the taste. I usually double or triple this recipe.
3 Tbsp Japanese rice vinegar
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp grated sweet onion

Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients other than oil in a bowl. Add oil gradually into a bowl and mix well.
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/japa...

And the weather was so awful yesterday that we had the kids making gyoza.

Pork, shrimp and veg. We had a gyoza party for dinner!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Adam, I agree with you about most flavored soy sauce/ponzu are not very good, but I found one that I like. I've posted photos of it...

I've seen people doing shots of vinegar, it doesn't sound that appealing to me, but I'm sure if it's a good quality like your wife finds, it must taste good! Do you do the shots too?

The onion dressing sounds great! I'm going to have to try it. It's so nice and simple. I have a tendency to put too many ingredients in my dressings;o)

That's great that your kids make gyoza, what a fun family event!

[onceadaylily]

Well, now I have a craving for spicy noodles. ;) I think tonight I'll make a batch of extra hot peanut noodles with shrimp, shredded carrot, basil, and lots of garlic and green onions. And a few hard boiled eggs to dip in soy on the side. Unless I wind up on the couch with a can of sardines, a packet of crackers, my favorite mustard, and the last bottle of beer (it's hidden in the crisper). The boyfriend gets home late tonight, so it's my last day of cooking to please just myself for at least another two weeks. I miss him when he's gone, but I *love* not planning meals for specific times. I find canned fish to be very relaxing.

My dad used to love sardines on crackers, and ate them for a snack most weekends. I think he would have liked the thought of my little couch picnics. Maybe I can do both the noodles and the sardines.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Lily, have you ever had the hard boiled eggs in ramen that still has the gooey yolk? That's one of my favorite ways to have it! I found a video that shows you how to make it that way. This show is called "Cooking with Dog" and has some pretty good Japanese recipes. I think the name of the show is hilarious! I also posted a photo of the ramen I made with the egg technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wa0um...
Yakibuta Ramen - Cooking with Dog

That's so hilarious that you like sardines & crackers. I can just picture you on the couch watching TV, munching on the sardines, but still looking very elegant;o)

[onceadaylily]

I've never had 'real' ramen, just what I throw together at home, but the boyfriend and I decided that our next lunch date is is going to be exactly that (it is my turn to pick, and even when he invariably says, "Are you *sure* you don't want sushi?" I'll stick to my choice). And that video was really cool to watch. Her egg was *beautiful*, perfectly cooked--as is yours!. The next time I make eggs for a noodle dish, I'll try this technique (I usually fry or poach). That dish looked delicious, and would require a trip to H Mart for sure. Welsh onion? I thought it was a leek at first, and had to look it up to be certain that the leek wasn't using an alias in Japan.

And what a well-behaved dog! He knew he had a piece of that pork coming to him at the end.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Oh, you have to go to a "real" ramen joint if you have one in your area! Typically they also serve gyoza (potstickers), & chahan (fried rice) and it makes a great lunch or dinner or very late night snack!

The first time I saw this video I didn't know the name of it and I just kept thinking "that dog is too close to the food and too close to the stove, he's going to catch on fire or contaminate the food...lol"

I'd never heard of the term Welsh Onion. I know it as Japanese Naga Negi which just means long onion, if you can't find that, you can just use regular green onions, but the Naganegi tastes so much better! You can use it for anything that requires green onions!

http://blisstree.com/eat/the-naga-neg...

[twilight goddess]

Last night was ultra light and ultra satisfying: steamed green beans with a shallot Dijon vinaigrette. CRRRRRUNCH-y! Just perfect. yum. I have been looking for some simple fresh new.to.me veggie sides, and this one ended up being the whole meal.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Your green beans sounds delicous:o)

[twilight goddess]

thanks, Bombay. Confess: I just saw the container of leftover green beans as I was unpacking groceries, and I ran to the table, put the green beans in front of me, and started eating them. With my fingers. Yup. They're that good. I can't rave enough about the satisfying crrrrunch. I thought 1 these are so much better than anything at the Whole Foods cold bar, and I enjoy that stuff actually and 2 these would be a great accompaniment to a deli sandwich for lunch. Or even on their own these could be a tasty and healthy brown bag lunch!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Twilight, do you ever eat Sugar Snap Peas? They are even better than regular green beans;o) It would be great with your dressing!

So funny about eating while you unpack your groceries, I think we all end up doing that sometimes!

[twilight goddess]

Haven't made ssp-s for a while! I will give them a try with my dressing, or maybe with my sesame dressing. I usually do sesame noodles (bow ties) with broccoli and red bell pepper, but I think I may lighten it up with a carb.free version for spring.

[twilight goddess]

Steamed Green Beans with Toasted Almonds and Shallot Vinaigrette

1 to 1 1/2 pound haricots verts (thin French green beans), or slender green beans trimmed
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1 big shallot, minced
a few Tbsp slivered almonds

Set the minced shallot in a bowl with the vinegar for five minutes.
Steam the green beans in about 1/2 inch of water in a skillet or in a steamer.
While the beans steam, whisk the mustard into the vinegar and shallot, and finally add the olive oil, whisking constantly. Toast up the almonds on a baking sheet at 375 for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, OR toast in a dry heavy pan, keeping a close eye on them so they don't burn. Stir often until they are medium brown.

Combine the dressing, green beans, and almonds. Mmmm. Leftovers are also equally delicious. Crrrr-unch~!

[Harters]

We're dining out tonight - at the generally acknowledged "best place" in the south of the metro area. In truth, this isnt saying that much but it's a nice enough "good bistro" restaurant.

http://www.thelimetreerestaurant.co.u...

I have unseemly urges that the pigeon/pork belly/black pudding starter will be available.

[buttertart]

They don't muck around at that restaurant, I'd be happy with most anything on that menu. (Hope the starter is available, I'd like to hear more about it.)

[mariacarmen]

yes please, do tell about that starter...i'm with BT - that menu made my mouth water at 7:45 a.m.

[Harters]

My urges are sated. The starter was on the menu and, as a meat fest, was bloody good and could be replicated at home.

There was a pigeon breast, cooked pink and sliced into two lengthways. There was half a black pudding, also lengthways and just crisped a little in the pan. The only thing that I wouldnt be sure about cooking was the slice of confit belly pork - it was very fatty (and absoloutely delicious) and very slippery in the way belly pork is in Sichuan restaurants. The meats sat on some just wilted spinach and there was little jus. Nice - more details here - http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/...

[buttertart]

Ooh ohh ohh...

[MartiniGenie]

Tonight was salad greens from the garden (spinach and leaf) mixed with a tad of store bought organic romaine, garden chives and rosemary, OMG quality blue cheese crumbles, balsamic with reconstituted dried basil, dried cranberries, pan toasted walnuts and EVOO. Then a very simple pan sauteed cod with butter and EVOO, dill and lemon zest. Love the growing seasons in SW FL...yummers.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

That's so great that you grow your own greens!

[MartiniGenie]

Thanks, Bombay... really worth it. Some of our plants are in pots so we can move them around to get them out of the full sun. I encourage anyone to give it a try...

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Dinner tonight was Shrimp & Grits. I recently got a Rice Cooker cookbook and they had a recipe for grits. It turned out really well, but it took a lot longer than making it on the stove. You cook it twice on the porridge setting or regular setting, which was a total of over 2 hours and you have to stir it! The good thing is it doesn't stick to the bottom even if you don't stir it every 20 mins:o) I tasted it after the first round and the texture seemed to be fine. I think if I make it again, I'd just cook it once for just over an hour.

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com...

[Noamuth]

Last night, managed to whip up a delicious roasted pumpkin and carrot risotto with rosemary. Throwing the veggies into the oven while doing the dishes made things a lot easier, then just had to make the base and add A to B, so dinner was on the table (with a side of greens) in half an hour (once the dishes were done)!
Risotto is my emergency dish, and is great for using up bits and pieces of veg left in the fridge. ^.^ Love it~

[mariacarmen]

you must be a pro at risotto - i always look at it as a dish to carefully watch and baby and worry over. i need to get more comfortable with it - just need to do it more often. yours sounds yum.

[roxlet]

When I stopped working to take care of my son full-time, we reluctantly parted with his babysitter, whom he called -- and still calls -- "Nanny." Every once in a while, he summons her to come to see him, and this time he begged her to come and make him some Jamaican chicken and her rice and peas. It was a fantastic meal, and always so great to see Nanny, who will always be a part of our family. I made sure I wrote down the recipe as she was cooking :-)

[Cherylptw]

I adore Jamaican food...I'd love to have been at your table. Nice that you are still connected to Nanny even though she's not the babysitter anymore.

Dinner tonight was BBQ ribs, broccoli with cheese sauce, potato salad, cornbread...I made sweet potato layer cake for dessert.

[iL Divo]

It's just me and the little ones tonigh for dinner so I'm taking them to In&Out. Do I like it, not particularly, but it's something they'll like and it can come with a chocolate or strawberry shake for them which is a treat. We need to make cookies cause I promised them we'd make cookies.
Does anyone know if In&Out has no bun burgers? Trying to not over due and want mostly the boatload of veggies on the burger, not duh dum bun

[mariacarmen]

too late, but they do, they have the cheeseburger in a lettuce leaf, which i think they call "Animal Style" .... or something.....

[Rubee]

"Protein Style" ; )

[rabaja]

Yes, and it's seven points on WW!
Still craving one, yet to try it.

[mariacarmen]

oh yeah, Rubee, duh! Animal Style is the mustard one, right? and Rabaja - 7pts is all???? Now I need an excuse to get out there!

[iL Divo]

ended up going to fatburger instead of in&out.
although never had their burgers, they were alright and didn't like the fat fries at all.
oh well, it won't happen again, by the time I ordered I forgot to tell them to forget my buns please, frantic night ended not nearly soon enough :(

[Phurstluv]

You order them lo-carb and they wrap them in a lettuce. Animal style is a double-double with cheese, and they add mustard onto the burgers before they are fried, and add grilled onions and extra sauce on it.

No, I don't eat there ever, ; P))!

[iL Divo]

was the for the In&Out burger?
husband and I are doing a road trip today and if we see an I&O I can do that.
sans the fries and milk shake of course, darn :{

[Phurstluv]

Yes, Friend, that is the lo carb version (in lettuce, it's actually really good) and Animal style, respectively.

No, no milkshakes or fries here anymore, either, {sigh} ;p)

[chef chicklet]

Salmon, fresh spinach, and Israeli cous cous. But what for dessert??? hmmm.

[twilight goddess]

Israeli couscous = a favorite!

[Harters]

Upcoming.......an entirely virtuous.......nay penitent......repast at Harters Hall, courtesy of Yotam Ottolenghi.

Unlike revenge, this is a dish best served warm or, at least, room remperature. 'Tis an eclectic mix of wild rice, basmati rice, cumin, curry powder, chickpeas, onion, currants, parsley, coriander and dill.

Now that sounds a bit dry to me. So, there'll be a dollop of yoghurt mixed with garlic on the side.

[ChristinaMason]

Yum! Is this recipe available anywhere online?

[Harters]

Here you go, Christina:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyl...

[ChristinaMason]

Thanks!

[mariacarmen]

Redolent, comes to mind. yum..... and it cries out for lamb, tho that would blow the whole penitent thing, wouldn't it.

going to try that at home with quinoa.
Glad you're feeling up to par again, Harters!

[ChristinaMason]

Friends from out of town are coming in today, and so all-American burgers on potato rolls, beer, macaroni salad and mixed greens are WFD.

I can't remember if I've really ever made macaroni salad before. I went with parsley, celery, carrots, dill pickles, boiled egg, German mustard, sugar, mayo, white vinegar, celery seed, seasoned salt, salt, and pepper. The final tasting revealed that all-too-Midwestern ingredient, grated cheddar, was the only thing missing. A handful went in, and the whole mess is in the fridge, chillin.

I'm excited to try this oak-barrel aged stout (brewed with vanilla) from Dominion brewery: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/...

The other 6-pack, Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA, out of Baltimore, promises to be good.

[onceadaylily]

That is a nice spring menu. And an interesting website. The boyfriend will dig that, being on the lookout for new beers to try. Let me know what you think of the stout. I like beers that are dark, but not too full, and the reviews seem to promise that.

[onceadaylily]

A few weeks ago, I was teasing the boyfriend that the next time he went out of town, I was going to buy, and entirely consume, a large bag of that ready to eat 'cocktail' shrimp. Last night, I asked him to stop by the market for me on his way home from work . . . before he left town. In addition to the items I asked for, he brought home two pounds of frozen shrimp. "Did you do this to be sweet," I asked, "OR because buying cat litter and a large bottle of vodka looked too depressing?" He admitted he was classing up the shopping cart a little. I love him.

I'm thawing a few of the shrimp now. For an omelet, I think. I'm so far planning on either mixing some spinach with the eggs, and doing a filling with shrimp, green onions, and havarti cheese, or doing a spicy shrimp thing with green onions, cilantro, chiles, and cheddar, with salsa. I can't decide.

[ChristinaMason]

you called it! must know him well :)

on topic: how about shrimp tacos?

[onceadaylily]

Shrimp tacos were the first thing I thought of, but we just had two nights of fish tacos . . . and I cannot shake my craving for eggs lately. I've been putting them on everything, so I figured that tonight I'd really cut loose and put the stuff IN the eggs.

The whole spicy/cilantro/green onion combination is winning out, though.

[mariacarmen]

sooooooooo funny.

[gembellina]

Donated blood this afternoon and they said my iron was a bit low, which I think is code for "Go and eat a big juicy burger RIGHT NOW!" So that's WFD. Don't anyone chime in with biology, please...

[Noamuth]

Any reason for a good burger or steak is all good, to me! <3 being carnivorous.

[chef chicklet]

cream of wheat. When getting ready for surgery same thing, and Red Cross people told me to eat cream of wheat - now a few years later, I'm hooked on it!

[twilight goddess]

I am so excited with the results of last night's dinner. Roast chicken breasts with a tarragon cream sauce. Mmmmm. I tucked very thinly sliced lemon and tarragon butter under the skin of each breast, arranged them in 9 x 13 Pyrex, poured 1/2 cup broth over and threw in a few more lemon wedges and 2 cloves roughly chopped garlic. I roasted at 450 for about 40 to 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, I sauteed up one cup minced shallot. Tossed in 1/2 cup white wine, brought to boil, reduced a little. When chicken was just about done, I threw in all of the pan juices from the roasting pan into my sauce and reduced. Added 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh tarragon and 1/2 cup heavy cream. PERFECT. I served with a few of the fresh three-cheese tortellini (Trader Joes, a new product apparently). Just a handful per plate.

Skin crispy and perfect, sauce divine. Slightly lemony without being tart. Rich. A wonderful meal.

[gembellina]

Sounds delicious - I would never have thought to serve with the tortellini. Will bear it in mind...

[twilight goddess]

Just a little handful of tortellini is such a cute and tasty addition. It first occurred me to serve a few tortellini as a side for an epicurious dish this winter -- the braised chicken with olives, tomatoes, onions, link below -- and I just loved a few of them to mop up a delicious sauce.

By the way, that braised chicken is an excellent dish. As written, it's a dryer roast with caramelized vegetables (ideal in a Pyrex), but I've also done it covered snugly in my Le Creuset with parchment, for a wetter braise, and that's the one I served with tortellini.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Chicken-with-Tomatoes-and-Olives-em-Poulet-Provencal-em-241766

Here's the guide I used for roasting the chicken breasts last night and making the sauce:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Sage-and-Garlic-Roast-Chicken-107494

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[gembellina]

yum, thanks!

[mariacarmen]

that sauce sounds amazing.

[chef chicklet]

You had me at lemon.... I love anything lemon and I make roast chicken with lemon all the time, but this-this is incredible. Tarragon, lemon, white wine and cream, what could be better?
Must try this one. thanks ever so!

[twilight goddess]

you're welcome ;-) Did you try the velvety lemon chicken soup yet? tortellini + basil to jazz it up even more!

[iL Divo]

great day shopping in Vegas.
Made dinner at with DD's and her little ones.
Decided on gourmet fat free hot dogs on [Whole Foods] whole wheat buns/fresh watermelon/steamed broccoli/white corn on the cob and water. f
Fun thing was, we shopped with Donny Osmond. :) < handsome man.

[LindaWhit]

Oh too funny re: shopping with Donny Osmond! :-D

[mamachef]

il Divo; may I touch the hem of your garment?
OMG I loved me some Donny Osmond back in the day. I was deeply perturbed by his marriage to some random gal (SO random they've managed to stay together for 30 plus years...good choice, DO.), the fact that he was about 8 years older than me notwithstanding. He could've waited. And if he only knew, he WOULD'Ve.

[iL Divo]

My garment is not precious or special, I know Who's is though.
:)))))
Mr. Osmond should have waited for you, what was he thinking?
He'd obviously not met you or I'm sure you'd be Mrs. DO. :))
To let you know, I was pleasantly surprised at his appearance.
Really very lovely gentleman, in a suit and dress shirt, slighter than I'd ever thought.
But mamachef, you'd have been happy, he was as kind checking out in front of us to the cashier, as he should have been. Nice surprise.

[iL Divo]

it really was. my little guy was asking me what ghetto meant.
we were talking about a certain kind of music that to me isn't music at all and I used the word. so I was trying to explain to him what the word meant and my DD pulled me aside.
I thought I was going to get scolded for bringing up that word in Whole Foods where anyone could hear me and I was ready to be told so. Instead when she pulled me over, it was to say, "Mom, Donny Osmond and his shopping cart is right next to you and yours."
I realized it had nothing to do with the word ghetto but rather to let me notice this gentleman. How funny ...

[ChristinaMason]

I made Lydia's "Traditional Rice and Chicken:" http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/970

Thought it was OK, but wasn't blown away. Went into more detail here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7659...

That said, I am not above eating some cold leftovers over the stove top.

[sunflwrsdh]

Tonight, my husband cooked, and he made a great meat loaf. 99% lean ground sirloin, mixed with whatever vegetables needed to be used up, which were pureed and added to the meat, some steel cut oats, an egg, some parmesan cheese, and seasonings, topped with 2% mixed italian shredded cheese and baked. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables on the side. Excellent meal!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Hubby's on a flight home tonight and won't be home 'til late, so he requested something light. Light is Hiyashi Chuka for me. It's basically cold Ramen with a Salad on top with sesame dressing poured over it. The Japanese are good at taking other ethnic food and making it their own;o) I just get prepackaged raw noodles with the packet of sauce included and then add fresh ingredients to it.

[onceadaylily]

Beautiful! I'm always looking for cold noodle salads for summer, Bombay.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Lily, have you ever had a cold Korean noodle dish called Jangban Guksoo? I just had it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious! It's acorn noodles with a spicy salad and veggies on top. I have no idea how to make it, but I'm sure you could find the recipe somewhere :o)

I've linked Yelp (I don't really like Yelp reviews, but I like the photos that people post), so you could see what the noodle dish looks like. This restaurant is known for their noodle dish, pork dish & pancake dish.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kobawoo-house...

[onceadaylily]

I haven't, but I just looked up a recipe, and it definitely sounds like something we would really enjoy . . . especially the spicy sauce that goes on the noodles. In this recipe, there was a separate dressing for the vegetables, salty/sweet, that would provide a nice contrast to the spicy noodles. And there is *egg* on this salad. It looks really good, Bombay. Thanks for the thoughtful suggestion.

http://www.101cookingrecipes.com/kore...

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

That's great! Thanks for finding the recipe! When I did a quick search, I couldn't find one. It looks like a pretty easy recipe too. I'll have to try it. Yes, I love eggs too! Especially with the runny yolks. Now I can't figure out if just this particular restaurant uses acorn noodles. I also want to figure out how to make their pork Bosam dish;-)

I did a review/description on the LA site...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/778903

[Phurstluv]

I had booted my laptop up this pm, since I've been out all day and it was stuck on reply to this thread since Last Night!!

Last night, we had leftover steak, fried rice and salad. It worked, there was enough steak for the boys, but not me, but I didn't mind.

Then I had gotten the request to make meatloaf, but told son #1 I didn't have all the ingredients, so tonight I had to honor the request. So meatloaf is in the oven, potatoes are already baked and some broccoli will be steamed. Dinner's done.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Sounds like you have a wonderful family and you are going to have a wonderful meal tonight, Phurst :o)

And see, you are Super Mom, most people would have gotten take out after your schedule today, but you are making a home cooked meal!

[Phurstluv]

Wow, you are so good for my ego, I should hang out with you more often, BUWAT!!

I'm lucky in that I get to stay home, but some days can be more hectic than others. And my boys love meatloaf, and luckily it's an easy meal to throw together. And I love how it makes the house smell for the hour it's baking.

[chef chicklet]

Yesterday I marinated some thinly cut pork in soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic. The dish was to be ginger and garlic pork with vegetables and large flat rice noodles

When dh arrived home he kept saying how hungry he was and for once so was the 5yr old! Quickly I cut up two more chicken breasts (halves for a whole) and got them in the same marinade.

I had some time since I still need to prep my veggies and refresh my brain on how to prepare the wide rice noodles. Asparagus, cremini mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, onion, garlic, more ginger, and bok choy, all brought together with the sauce. Sauce has a base of chicken stock with with oyster sauce, ginger root and garlic, soy sauce and sesame seed oil, thickened with cornstarch.

Sauteed the meats first, then the veggies, now the hard part, the sauce and the veggies go back in, getting the sauce where it's just enough to coat the noodles and the noodles a little al dente so they don't disintegrate. After steeping the rice noodles in hot water for 8 minutes, the noodles are drained and then back into the wok with the rest of the ingredients. Wonderful! The noodles retain their shape, and the sauce is absorbed gently.
Thinly sliced scallions overall, and it was perfect.
The best part, there's just enough left for a yummy breakfast this morning!

[Phurstluv]

Sounds awesome, as usual, chef chickie!! One day, we're going to get a big RV and I'm going to end up at your door step and ask you, "do you have any chile rellenos made"??

Sounds perfect too, chef. Good Girl. And Yeah! I relish the leftovers in the am too!!

[chef chicklet]

so funny. Why ya feel the need for an rv? what the heck yer only 5, 6 tops hrs away!

If I knew you were coming, I could promise you chile rellenos, no problem!!

yes mam, I just finished off the last of last night's dinner, no cooking tonight, but of course I"ve been looking for some darn dish to inspire me - it's so like an illness!

[Phurstluv]

Hahaha!! Cuz that's how I roll!! I could just park it in your front yard!! And b/c my husband spoiled me, so we like to meander up the coast a bit before we get to the chicklet's homestead!!

[chef chicklet]

Ah yes, the Southern through Central to No CA coast trip is so awesome.... can't wait to get the back surgery behind me on May 5 and then I'm going places too! But let me know if you do, and park it in front, it's my turn to piss the neighbors off!!! LOL!!

(kidding, i have great neighbors!)

[Phurstluv]

LOL!! Sorry to hear about your upcoming surgery, that can't be any fun. Rest up afterward, and get healthy soon!!

[onceadaylily]

Well, since I've already admitted to buying eggplant in April, I might as well further confess what I've done to it. The night I was to make the rolled eggplant dish got busy, and we wound up having breakfast for dinner, which left the eggplant in dire straits yesterday. Edible, but no longer pretty, even in that 'it's April, how did you get here, tell me of your strange journey'' kind of way. So I cubed it, and cooked it with onions, garlic, carrots, four kinds of peppers, assorted spices, a large can of tomatoes, and two large handfuls of basil. Yes, that's right, I made ratatouille with April eggplants and canned tomatoes. The boyfriend is going out of town for a few days, and I can use this as a base for a few different dishes while he's gone. Last night, we just cleaned up some leftovers, and I baked the ricotta that I had made for the eggplant.

We ate on the couch last night, and as I was cleaning up, I came back into the living room to find a ramekin on the floor, face-down. Weird, I thought. I then thought the boy must have knocked it off the coffee table, and just wandered away. I was thinking he was terribly lazy, and a little rude, as I picked it up. A centipede, the size of a kitten, raced toward my feet. My screaming brought the boy quickly. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" he said. All I could manage to say was, "Why? Why? Why?" He had gone into the office to get something to slide under the ramekin so he could take the 'pede outside, but then remembered some paperwork he had yet to finish for work, and sat down at the computer. I've been wearing shoes since I woke up this morning.

Tonight, I'm going to take a portion of what I concocted last night and reheat it, adding paprika, some heat, and maybe some feta, and then poach a few eggs in it for a quick and dirty version of shakshuka, to be eaten with a pile of toast. I mean, I've already spit in the eye of French cooking, I might as well head over to Israel.

[LindaWhit]

OK, I actually LOL'd at your centipede story, OADL. I hate when I see those things. But then again, when I had cats, they usually managed to get to them before I did. Legless centipedes can't run anywhere. ;-)

[onceadaylily]

Olli saves her killer instincts for the plastic rings from the milk jugs. I keep looking up that centipede on line, just so I can shudder again. I don't know why. It's the kind with the really long legs, kinda looks like a feather boa. But not sexy.

[LindaWhit]

Well, those plastic milk jug rings are right-killer, so no wonder she saves herself for battling them with all of her kitty-fierceness!

And step AWAY from The Google, OADL. ;-)

[rabaja]

Now I can't wait for the long days of summer and easy dishes like ratatouille and caponata. Yet, I am waiting, patiently, as Alice Waters has told me to do.
I'm kidding. I regularly buy cucumbers in winter, and lately I've been sneaking cherry tomatoes into my basket too.
I don't tell people about that though. You are much more honest.
Your dinner tonight sounds great, by the way.

[onceadaylily]

Thanks! Whenever I embarrass myself, I think of that Andre Gide quote: "It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not". Which goes to say that I think of that quote fairly often. ;) Haha.

[Breadcrumbs]

OMG oadl, like Linda, you had me laughing out loud as well! Too funny and I'm sure many of us have been there!

Years ago I got a frantic call from a friend of mine that had just moved into an apartment in the heart of downtown Toronto. Her issue? A cockroach . . . . "the size of a Volkswagen" She was calling from a phone booth down the street where she stood w no shoes on until we came to rescue her and sort things out!

[onceadaylily]

And now I've gotten my laugh in return. :)

[mariacarmen]

such a great story. why aren't you blogging? but then, i don't have time to look at all the blogs i subscribe to now, CH takes up way too much of my time. so just keep sharing your gems with us.

[onceadaylily]

Ah, you're sweet. I'm in the middle of writing a book, and CH is already my time-suck. The book *isn't* funny, so this is kind of my release valve. :)

[chef chicklet]

ok, that gave me the heebie jeebies. ick and so. why do they always run at you (or me) bugs in particular? Like they must smell our fear and lunge at us! Crapola, more heebie jeebies, meaning the hair is raising on my forearms and neck....uhllllk....so as you were saying....

[onceadaylily]

They like to see the strange two-eyed giants screech. They think it's funny . . . right up until the end.

[chef chicklet]

lol!!! yeah they think we're impaired with only two legs - perfect game!

[Phurstluv]

Centipedes?? Where the F do you live?? I don't even think we have centipedes here in SoCal. Maybe we do, but I've never seen one in my house. And we have black widows, tarantulas, and more, I just have never come across a centipede.

But your eggplant ratatouille plus poached eggs actually sounds wonderful!! With feta even better!!

[onceadaylily]

Ha, just outside of Chicago.

According to google, these centipedes, the scutigera coleoptrata species, originally hailed from the Mediterranean, but have made a nice life for themselves in the US. This made me, at last, understand that I do not love all that hails from the land of olives and colorful mythology.

[sunflwrsdh]

Your entire post is excellent! I love the sound of your ratatouille, and poaching a few eggs on top is a great way to add some protein, which is the only thing "missing (?)" from ratatouille!

[Harters]

We're hosting the family get-together for the sister-in-law's birthday.

So, nice and easy. A few nibbles - crisps, olives, that sort of thing.

Followed by a baked ham (maple syrup glaze), crusty bread (and crispy little roast potatoes), salad leaves.

And herself has baked an orange & almond cake.

And there's fizzy vino chilling for those who drink alcohol (which is everyone except me).

I confess to making absolutely no contribution to this. I spent the morning at the hospital undergoing rather unpleasant examination procedures and have felt decidedly feeble ever since. And I am sticking to that story until at least tomorrow.

[buttertart]

Feel better, Harters, feeling wonky AND family coming is no great shakes.

[onceadaylily]

You said a mouthful there. Feel better soon, Harters.

[LindaWhit]

Sorry you're under the weather, Harters. Hopefully the birthday dinner will perk you up a bit.

[Phurstluv]

Hope you recover quickly, friend. And there's no shame in letting others do the cooking, we've all been there. Feel better!!

[sunflwrsdh]

Hope you feel better soon, Harters.

[haiku.]

Stick to the story until after clean-up is done too :D

Hope you're feeling better soon!

[Harters]

Funnily enough, the last dishwasher load has just gone on and, miracle of miracles, I'm feeling much better. :-0

[LindaWhit]

You crack me up, Harters. Sneaky, sneaky. ;-)

[buttertart]

Totally a MAN ploy!!!

[suburban_mom]

Last night I pan seared a flank steak, sliced it thin and tossed it in a "quick mole" sauce. I served it with a salad - butter lettuce, orange sections, red onions, avocados, and a lime vinagrette. And corn tortillas on the side. I also heated up a can of refried beans for the "picky ones" who wouldn't even try the wonderful mole.

Tonight might be breakfast for dinner because my husband has a work dinner so it is just me and the kids.

[Phurstluv]

I need to do breakfast for dinner, more often. It's such a good idea, instead of frozen crap b/c I couldn't get to the store. Thanks for the idea.

Your steak sounds delicious too. Can I ask how you made a quick mole, or was it already prepared? And trust me, there's no shame in that, we are all busy on this board, and nobody even makes me feel badly when I make frozen fish stick and blue box mac & cheese for my kids on some days!!

[haiku.]

I'm in make-meals-with-leftovers-that-freeze-well mode, as the other half is away at the moment, and I leave before he gets back. I'll be away for about 3 weeks, and if I leave it to him, he'll end up eating prepared meals throughout, and that amount of salt and who knows what else in it is not good. Not to mention pricey!

Last night, I made chicken in sauce (one lemon-herb, the other a mediterranean sauce, which is to say I added stuff when the lemon&herb was done :P), crashed potatoes and grilled green beans and baby corn. That's 2 meals for him with the work of one meal for me.

Tonight I'm going to have hotdogs that have been in the freezer since his birthday party so I can clear out some space in the freezer (he doesn't like it, and I'm loathe to throw out food). I'll also make to freeze: haddock pie with mashed potato topping; chicken curry with rice x2, and wasabi mash that he can have with box fish.

[Phurstluv]

You're a Good Girl, haiku., for looking out for your man and planning ahead!! My husband would subsist on take out & frozen pizza if I left him for that long!

What is a wasabi mash? Is it mashed potatoes with wasabi in them? My husband would love those, tho I'd have to make another whole batch of plain or garlic for my boys, still too young for that kind of spicy. But that sounds really good.

[haiku.]

I think he's living on pizza and burgers now while he's on his trip. He'd be ok with frozen chicken and fish and frozen veg that he can toss into the oven for a while, but I suspect that wouldn't last very long on just that and turn to unhealthy things. Then he'd complain that he's getting fat. Mostly, I don't want to hear refrains of "I'm getting fat" when I get back :P

Yep, that's pretty much it. Make your normal mashed potatoes and just add some wasabi in there. when you're mixing it up. Although I'd ease up on butter/cream if you usually like it with a lot of that.

It's not spicy at all - just a slight wasabi kick but it's really discreet. Nowhere near as intense as straight-up wasabi. Just add a bit at a time until you get the taste you like. I'm sure if you added a lot of wasabi, there would be a different result. I usually go for a pale, pale green (and it's usually made with leftover wasabi from when I get sushi takeaways).

Goes really well with teriyaki fish!

[buttertart]

That wasabi mash idea is utterly brill, would be great with roast beef too.

[Phurstluv]

Totally agree!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Dinner Tonight...Leftover Roast Chicken last night made into soup & sandwiches.

I always have homemade chicken stock in the freezer, so making the soup was easy :o) I added penne pasta, shimeji mushrooms, broccoli, & celery.

[Phurstluv]

That soup sounds yummy, Girlie. (of which I am assuming!!)

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Yes, girlie...lol

[sunflwrsdh]

Leftover lasagna (1/2 cup =3 points) and a salad, again, carted to work. Tomorrow's lunch is aleady packed for work; I am having a childish lunch......Campbell's light Harvest tomato soup, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some tortilla chips and dip, and some strawberry banana jello with cool whip.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Sometimes a childish lunch is just perfect...love that you added the jello and cool whip!

[sunflwrsdh]

It really was good:)

[mariacarmen]

BF made some awesome vietnamese chicken meatballs, riffing on the top chef QF winning recipe. He lightened them up (no pork fat, for example, darn!) but they were still delicious very gingery. White rice, broccoli in a spicy sauce, and a nice spicy salad of greens, cukes, carrots, red peppers.

[LindaWhit]

Did he use the recipe posted at Bravo's site as a base recipe? Or did he just wing it on his own?

[mariacarmen]

he did, but then edited it a bit - less panko, no pork fat, a little less sesame oil. and unfortunately he didn't make the sauce (which would have been really good - i'll try it myself next time.) instead, he had them braise in just the chicken stock.

[Phurstluv]

Very cool. And it sounds yummy, even without the pork fat!! You one lucky b*!$h!!! Wish my man would cook for me, I find it very sexy!!!

[mariacarmen]

he's a marvel, for sure.

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh that sounds like such a delicious meal mc. I'm a sucker for those meatballs, so addictive!! I love them wrapped in lettuce leaves and drizzled w sauce too. I wish I had some for breakfast!

[mariacarmen]

THAT's what we should have done, wraps! funny, we'd just had Korean BBQ 2 nights before, it would have been the same concept.... next time!

oh yeah, it took everything i had not to snack on the meatballs this morning.

[Phurstluv]

LOL!! You are a woman of great fortitude and willpower!!!!

[MarleneDietrich]

Not much cooking, but I had canned salmon, avocado, and cucumber wrap. I seasoned the canned salmon with dill mustard, yogurt, lemon juice, and pepper. I also had sugar snap peas on the side.

[Phurstluv]

What a great idea. Love the idea of it in a wrap with avocados, sugar snap peas, very nice.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Snack for today...Asian Pickles made with Purple Korean Radishes called Bordeaux Radish. It was simply salted for a couple of hours, rinsed, put into a a Japanese Tsukemono Press w/slivers of carrots, kombu & lemon peel and ready in about 12 hours. I also have other types of Asian pickles in my blog:o)

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com...

[Phurstluv]

Ok, that's it. I will be visiting your blog on Wednesday. Normally, would be tomorrow, but I have a field trip to chaperone for my third graders, so if we have time after school. Other wise, I'll be all over it Wednesday like white on rice ;p))!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks! Hope you enjoy reading as much as I had writing it;-)

Field trip with 3rd graders, sounds like you will need a relaxing night afterwards...lol

[Phurstluv]

Don't you know it!! I stayed out all day, after the field trip hiking in the LA foothills, then monitoring their recess period once they got back to school, it wasn't even my duty, but they begged me, and they can't play on the structures without supervision. Then groceries and clothes shopping, cuz I need clothes in the worst way!! Picked the kids back up.....so YES, I NEED IT plus a big glass of PINOT GRIGIO!!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

My gosh, Phurst, you are Super Mom! I can't believe how much you can fit into one day! I think you deserve a whole bottle of Pinot!

[Breadcrumbs]

Very pretty BUWT! I just love those radishes.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Thanks Bc :o)

[Breadcrumbs]

We're very excited here at casa bc tonight as I'm making the "Chicken in a Pot" that's featured on the cover of the COTM. Now I know what you're thinking, how boring must it be at the bc household if they get this giddy over a chicken in a pot?!!

Well what makes this dish exciting is that the pot is sealed w a ring of bread-like dough which is supposed to create a super-seal on the pot and, of course, makes for a pretty cool presentation. At least that's the idea!! All went well up to the "slide pot in the oven" stage so in 55 mins or so, we'll see how it all turns out!

Wish me luck and happy dining!

[Breadcrumbs]

I'm back and I'm happy to report that this dish exceeded our expectations on all levels. Simply put, this was one of the best chicken dishes we've had, ever! While mine may not have the visual appeal of Dories', it blew us away w flavour! Here's a link to my review and some photos if you're interested:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/775862#6477211

I found the recipe online just in case you don't have the book and would like to enjoy this delectable dish:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Wow! That looks beautiful & delicous!!

[mariacarmen]

BC, i can see why you were so excited about it, and glad to see it was such a success!! gorgeous! thanks for the link.

[Phurstluv]

Very nice. And no, not boring, you should see what I get excited about lately!! :o))

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks everyone, now I need to figure out WFD tonight. . . sadly, no chicken in a pot leftover.

[roxlet]

I have a very nice piece of guanciale that I got on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and tonight I am going to transform it into Buccatini All'Amatriciana. I'm sort of working from Mario Batali's recipe, but when I looked at comments from when it was COTM, I see that people felt that the pancetta that they subbed wasn't flavorful enough. I am planning on upping the amount of guanciale, and I hope it will be as delicious as the one I had in Rome two years ago. It was super porky and delicious.

[buttertart]

What time do you want us there? ;-)

[roxlet]

Dinner's at 8 ;-)

[Phurstluv]

Oh my, that is my one of my DH's absolute FAVORITES!! I am hoping to source a local butcher for guanciale, and I was so nervous when I went to a new place a couple of weeks ago, and I meant to ask them, but I totally forgot. Thanks for the reminder, I will go back this week.

[roxlet]

The recipe turned out really well, but it was not as good as the one I had in Rome. What I did like about this recipe was that the guanciale was cooked in fairly large pieces, so that when you got a piece of the guanciale, you really tasted it. However, I am still on the hunt for another recipe. Good luck finding the guanciale. It really made a difference. Oh, and by the way, my DH insists that making guanciale is a pretty fast and painless process, so if your butcher doesn't have guanciale, maybe you can find fresh pig jowl!

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi roxlet, for what it's worth, Mario has two different recipes for Amatriciana in his books. One in Babbo and the other in Molto Gusto.

Here's the Babbo version:

http://www.babbonyc.com/rec-bucatini.html

From Molto Gusto:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/mario-b...

[roxlet]

Thanks, Breadcrumbs. The Molto Gusto one seems to have even less guanciale than the Babbo version. I just wish I could go back to that restaurant in Rome and have it again and pay better attention to what made it so great. But as the DH always says, "Everything's better in Italy"!

[Breadcrumbs]

I can't think of a single meal that ever disappointed when we've dined in Italy. That said, dining out on vacation always tends to be a treat, especially when you're discovering a new taste or ingredient.

[Phurstluv]

It may have been the pasta itself. It was most likely fresh. But it's more likely the combo of fresh pasta, super fresh ingredients that don't travel 3000 miles, and the atmosphere!

[Phurstluv]

Thanks for the info, roxlet, and you have no idea how incredibly excited my husband would be if I could score some fresh pig jowl!!! He would be in stitches, but then, really, really psyched. I might have to look into it, since I have nothing better to do with my days, than cure some really nice pig cheeks!!! LOL!!

[iL Divo]

not sure if I'll do dinner because a road trip may be in the works. If it happens, dinner will be fast food someone along the way.

[Harters]

We're having a semi use-up night.

We kick off with butternut squash soup. That was in the freezer.

I've made some "oat slices" to eat with them. Think savoury flapjack - porridge oats, mixed seeds, grated cheese, a bit of flour, mustard, bound together with a couple of eggs and some melted butter. It bakes for 20 minutes.

Followed by that bit of leftover beef that you always seem to have from a roast (or, in this case, Saturday's daube), with some whatever bits of salad also lurk in the fridge.

And I spot a little bit of the cheese we bought when we were "dahn sarf" that'll do for afters.

[ChristinaMason]

Was just discussing with an English friend that Americans and Brits mean two quite different things by "flapjacks." Yours are more along the lines of what we'd call a granola bar. "Flapjacks" here is used fairly interchangeably with pancakes (the big puffy American ones).

[mariacarmen]

another spate of no cooking. plans to go all springy eluded me, as we went out for Korean BBQ Saturday and then the BF was hell-bent on cooking Sunday (i cleaned the house - not quite a fair trade, in my book). He made me a lovely almost vegetarian dinner last night: curried lentils, white rice, roasted squash, green salad, and a very flavorful but light soup made with chicken stock and broccoli. And then he cut up fresh pineapple for me for dessert and lunches this week. The lentils and squash were particularly yummy - taking some to work for lunch.

[Phurstluv]

Wow, you're a lucky girl, friend. Gotta love a guy who will cook for his gal, : ).

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Kbbq then bf cooking...sounds good to me :-)

[mariacarmen]

it really was - the curried lentils were to DIE for today at lunch, and i found that sriraracha goes INCREDIBLY well with roasted squash.

[sunflwrsdh]

Tonight was lasagna, beautiful tossed green salad, and my husband's home made bread, and ricotta orange pound cake for dessert

[Phurstluv]

Nice.

[LindaWhit]

My dinner's not going to be near as good as Rubee's birthday dinner. :-) But it'll give me easy leftovers for the week!

I took a small whole roasting chicken out of the freezer last night to defrost; it's been rubbed with a mix of olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon juice and a bit of herbes de Provence for roasting. Not sure if I'm going to make a pan gravy or not. We'll see what I feel like when the bird's done roasting. Sour cream mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus alongside.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

My dinner sounds similar to yours Linda:-) Roast chicken that I seasoned this morning with a dry rub and it's in the frig now and I'll be serving it with just roasted veggies, salad & garlic bread.

[LindaWhit]

Probably my most favorite comfort food - roasted chicken. :-)

[Phurstluv]

That sounds lovely, too, BUWAT, I love a good roast chicken, especially one that has been dry brined, it's the only way I make them, now.

Tonight for the Phurstluv household is a typical grilled Ribeye dinner. It was unanimous as the vote for what to make, so I've dry brined 4 ribeyes. Two Idaho potatoes are baking now, and I think I will still make some roasted Yukon golds as well. Some steamed broccoli and another green salad, this time with spinach, yellow cherry tomatoes and maybe some sliced strawberries and crumbled goat cheese. There's freezer desserts for the kids, but the hubby & I have had a long, stressful weekend, so we are just glad to all be together and fed well. I'm sure he will want to open a nice Cab for this one. So glad this week is over.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Did you get the ribeye from L&G;o) Ribeye is my fav steak!

[Phurstluv]

Oh jeez, I wish, they only had dry aged, and it was way over my budget. They are my favorites too!

Normally I go to Costco in MDR, and if I feel like splurging I'll get the prime, but this time I had no time to dry brine them (usually I do it for at least 2 days) so I bought them on the fly at my local Gelsons after church. So they only dry brined for a couple of hours, and they were choice, but they were still delicious. I love my local Gelsons, they have beautiful produce & meat, and I only get my fish & seafood there too. Here's a pic:

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Looks great! I'm sure the dry brine helps tremendously! Wow, 2 days...is that like aging it? Do you wrap it after the brine or let it air out in the frig? When I make Prime Rib I dry Brine for a day and have it loosely covered in butcher paper. Sometimes I poke holes in it and put slivers of garlic in it.

I like Gelson's too. I actually like their brand of chicken.

[Phurstluv]

No, no wrapping, you want to air dry it so it sears beautifully. I just have hubby throw them on the grill as is. It is sort of like dry aging it, just not for as long as real restaurants do, since obviously, I don't have the controlled atmosphere to dry age something for 30-45 days. If I had to tell my DH & kids they couldn't open the fridge for their drinks and his beer, there would be a revolt!! But the darned fridge is so freaking cold, it came with the house, and we've had it "fixed" twice, but it still froze my produce & eggs, so it was relegated to be the beer fridge in the garage. So now I do this for most of my chickens, chops, roasts and steaks. Works really well.

[onceadaylily]

The fridge my parents have in their garage is like this (a can of Vernon's ginger ale with icy slivers in it is heaven). I'm going to pass this tip on to my mom. They grill steak at least once a week.

[Phurstluv]

Oh you must. If they enjoy steaks, they will be amazed at this process, it is incredible and delicious. Let me know what they think.

[LindaWhit]

Can't wait to try it after I move. My current fridge will be going into the garage as a "spare" )as well as a "wine fridge ::::grin::::) so it will be a perfect place to try this!

[chef chicklet]

My favorite steak too! These look fab! Bet they were delicious too, did you enjoy the brine method?

[Phurstluv]

You know, chef, I've been doing it for about ten years now, and can only recall ONCE when something was a bit too salty for my taste. (Nothing, and I literally mean NOTHING, is too salty for my DH. I swear, I may have to nail a salt lick by his workbench in the garage (read mancave) where he works at night, cuz the man cannot get enough salt and has the blood pressure of a 19 year old!! It's sooooo not fair!!)

But yes, we enjoyed them, they were perfect, and I can tell the difference when we just eat steak, and don't have to the time to do this. And I've even been to high end restos here in LA, and order steak, prime cuts even, and can tell the difference. You must try it and let me know what you think!

[onceadaylily]

" . . . NOTHING, is too salty for my DH. I swear, I may have to nail a salt lick by his workbench in the garage (read mancave) where he works at night, cuz the man cannot get enough salt and has the blood pressure of a 19 year old!!"

This made me laugh. I labeled our shaker of kosher salt 'salt lick'. When anything frightening happens, and he reacts in a calm fashion, I always say, "You're blood pressure is *too* low." His doctor has agreed.

[Phurstluv]

Its just not right!!

[chef chicklet]

walk me through it, please?
I want to have a ribeye as good as an LA resto! Thx!

[Phurstluv]

Sure. I usually use Montreal steak seasonings, but salt & pepper or just salt alone is fine. Kosher salt, not table. I sprinkle the bone in steaks and put them on a rack over a sheet pan lined with paper towels or that press n seal stuff. I leave it in my cold fridge for a couple of days, uncovered. The air drying helps to dry out the surface so the sear comes out really nice. I don't do another thing to them, except take them out while DH lights the grill, since we have a charcoal weber it takes 20-30 mins to get hot. And then he puts them on. Sometimes I take them out earlier if they are really thick, or if it's a large roast, and let it come up to room temp for about an hour. That's really it. I'd love to hear what you think after you've tried it!!

[chef chicklet]

Thanks we're pretty close at the way we do it here, but I don't leave them in the fridge to air dry for a couple of days. I'm sure that makes a big difference. I'll try it the next time i buy ribeyes, sounds really good! thanks!

[Rubee]

It's the official start to "Birthday Week" (I share a birthday with the lovely Rabaja - Happy Birthday to you!) so while I'd love to spend this glorious sunny 90 degree day at a favorite resort sipping cocktails, it's not in the budget this year. Instead, I'm going to open a nice rosé this afternoon, relax in the backyard, and read a book. For dinner, planning something a little fancy - grilled swordfish with grapefruit vinaigrette over Zuni's citrus risotto. For dessert, butterscotch pudding.

Last night I tackled something I hadn't done in a while - fried chicken! I used the Cook's Illustrated recipe from "Best American Classics", and I have to say the buttermilk brine was absolutely fantastic - the chicken was so juicy and had tons of flavor (the brine was buttermilk, sugar, salt, garlic, bay leaves, and paprika).

[LindaWhit]

THAT is seriously good looking fried chicken, Rubee! And enjoy your birthday dinner tonight - it also sounds wonderful!

[Rubee]

Thank you! Just finished the butterscotch pudding - strained through a sieve, and ready to be chilled:

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh my goodness Rubee, I'm speechless! You had me at butterscotch pudding and then, what did you do? You shared that spectacular fried chicken! I'm in heaven! So delicious!

Warm wishes for a wonderful birthday, enjoy your book and some sunshine!

[rabaja]

Happy Birthday Rubee!
Hope you're having a wonderful day and enjoying lots of deliciousness!

[onceadaylily]

Happy belated birthday, Rubee! I *love* pudding. I could rotate pudding and pie, and not need any other form of dessert, ever. Oh, wait, ice cream. Okay, those three. ;)

[chef chicklet]

Happiest of Birthday wishes Rubee!

But let me just say this, mmmmm! I've carried around a recipe for butterscotch pie for years now! Seeing your beautiful pudding has nudged me into making it and I'm thinking it'll be dessert for Easter! Thank you for the reminder and for sharing your photo!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Rubee, that chicken looks mighty tasty! Have you seen Am Test Kitchen's batter fried chicken recipe? It is so easy and fool proof!

Your dinner tonight sounds wonderful too! I thought I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, but I think you have me beat;-)

[Phurstluv]

I love that CI fried chicken recipe! And I agree, the buttermilk brine is key. And we love grilled swordfish here, I've never though to make it citrusy! What a good idea!! Sounds lovely, as usual, my friend!

[Rubee]

BombayUpWithaTwist - haven't made that ATK recipe, yet but looks good!.

Dinner tonight: Grilled swordfish with grapefruit and herb (chives and lemon thyme) vinaigrette over Zuni Cafe's Citrus Risotto (with grapefruit and lime).

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Looks great as usual :o)

[mariacarmen]

i missed this -- Happy Day, Rubee! hope it was great. that chicken looks WONDERFUL.

[mamachef]

A very happy belated birthday to my friends Rabaja and Rubee. <3

[Rubee]

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I had a nice relaxing day at a local resort and BLT Steak. Cocktails included a Violet French 75 - Hendrick's, Crème de Violet, Sence Nectar, lemon, Gruet Sparkling Wine.

I have some leftover swordfish and was going to toss it in pasta tonight, but was wondering if it would be overcooked and chewy? Maybe I should braise it in a tomato sauce? Any tips appreciated!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Sounds like a wonderful Birthday Week for you :o) Live it up! That French 75 looks very refreshing, Hendrick's is one of my favorite Gins! Continue having a Happy Birthday!

Sorry, no tips about swordfish, I'm not good at cooking fish :(

[Rubee]

Thank you BombayUpWitha Twist!

For dinner, ended up making a spaghetti sauce with extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, capers, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, wine, fresh oregano and basil. I cut up the sworfish into chunks and let it heat up in the sauce, and it didn't end up being overcooked.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Looks great Rubee! The swordfish doesn't even look like leftovers;o)

[Harters]

A rare dip into something Italianish at Casa Harters, compliments of the household cookbook of the week - Glyn Christian's "Contemporary Home Cooking" (1986). We used to use this a lot 20 years but havnt cooked from it in ages. Time for a revival with "liver marsala with parsley gnocchi.

Lambs liver and smoked bacon get cut into thin strips. Bacon gets crisped in the pan. Liver gets tossed in flour and quickly fried in the bacon fat, butter and olive oil. Meat comes out. Marsala, paprika and a little more flour goes in and cooks out to thicken the sauce.

Meanwhile the bag of supermarket gnocchi gets boiled, drained and tossed in some butter and lots of parsley.

Meat goes back in the pan along with a large dollop of sour cream (w-hay - a use for the tub that we forgot with the other night’s goulash) and everything just warms through.

Maybe a little salad alongside - I've got a lettuce, a pack of radish sprouts and a single solitary Marmande tomato.

[thimes]

Actually I just cooked a combo of springtime and slow-cooked.

I made pasta tossed with duck confit (slow cooked), mushrooms, and fiddle head ferns (very spring). It was tasty if I have to say so myself. The duck confit was my first try at doing it sous vide and I have to say I was impressed, wish I would have made more.

[gembellina]

Tonight I'm cooking for two hungry young gentlemen, so the menu is steak and guinness pie, mashed potatoes, roast carrots, and peas. One of the guys, my bf's brother, is very fussy (though polite enough to clear his plate no matter what I cook) but as it's kind of a meal to force feed him some non-junk food i'm trying to keep it plain and hearty.

I got some stewing steak from the butcher yesterday, and asked for some lard for the pastry too. He gave me some chunks of beef fat instead, with the instructions to melt it, strain it, cool it and use it just like lard or suet. Didn't think to mention the timescale though... Just as well I went to the butcher a day in advance!

[onceadaylily]

I was at the market and finally gave in to buying a few of the ancient sweet peppers that always catch my eye. I really do have enough sweet peppers laying around on any day of the week, but these are so beautiful, and I wanted to satisfied my curiosity. I found this interesting blog, by a fellow Chicagoan http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/2010/08/melrose-peppers-its-chicago-thing.html and plan on stuffing the peppers with a mixture of ricotta, parmesan, and fresh basil, dressing them with marinara, and baking them. I've no idea how to get all the seeds and ribs out without slicing the pepper down the side, and I don't have a nifty tool for the job like the blog guy does, but I'll give it a go with a small spoon. Maybe my melon-baller?

And I was thinking, since I'm already going to be making batches of ricotta and marinara, I might as well try to use the eggplant in tonight's dinner as well, and I found this recipe: http://www.grouprecipes.com/47583/rol...

I only have three peppers to stuff, and so this will let me use up the rest of the marinara. Even though the recipes are very similar, I think they'll work together just fine. Spinach salads to go with, as well as steamed broccoli.

[gembellina]

I'm astounded that there's a tool for scooping out tiny peppers! They look so tasty though. Enjoy!

[Phurstluv]

I use a grapefruit spoon.

[vafarmwife]

Even though there is a slight scattering of snow this morning, I'm having blue cheese burgers with bacon on the grill, deviled potato salad-leftover from yesterday which is better the second day anyway, and a pasta salad with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette and leftover chocolate cake. Froze the homemade hotdog chili from yesterday into small serving sizes to use for the next couple of months.

[roxlet]

Tell me how you make deviled potato salad! I use eggs in my potato salad but they're not deviled!

[Gio]

I was intrigued by deviled potato salad too, roxlet, so I googled and found this, among others:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Deviled-Potato-Salad-238696

This might be the original recipe:
http://www.hellmanns.us/recipe_detail...

[vafarmwife]

Fair warning- it takes every pot in the house to put together. I gotta search for the recipe as I don't have the measurements. I just throw it together.

[vafarmwife]

1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar

Combine egg, sugar, and vinegar in saucepan. Stir and cook over medium heat until thick, Cool.

1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 cup mayo- Duke's or Hellman's
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Add above ingredients to cooked and cooled dressing.

6 hard boiled eggs, cut in half and yolks removed. Mash yolks and blend with dressing.

4 cups of diced cooked potatoes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet pickels
1 tsp dried dill weed
Chopped egg whites from boiled eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

While potatoes are hot, pour dressing over them and cover with a towel while preparing other ingredients. Mix in other vegetables, salt and pepper to taste and chill.

[onceadaylily]

You are willing spring to come! I love cold pasta salads on a warm day.

[janetofreno]

grilled salmon with fresh thyme from the garden, a fresh green salad, and rice pilaf. And a chenin blanc. DH loves Chenin blanc, and its hard to find a good one these days! Nice meal on a very warm day.....

[LindaWhit]

Yet ANOTHER great spring meal, janet (just mentioned that to Glam Foodie above with her dinner party menu). Meanwhile, we're back down in the 40s with rain here in New England - doesn't feel like Spring here!

[Phurstluv]

I know, will you guys EVER get spring this year?? Or will it just turn to summer?! Hate it when that happens!

[Phurstluv]

I know, you have had no spring whatsoever, and will it just turn to summer there now? I hate it when that happens.

[Phurstluv]

You are so right, it is hard to find a good chenin blanc now, I guess all the grapes are being now devoted to blends.

[Cherylptw]

So, I had to work the 10-8:30 shift today so no time to cook but my man's cousin was selling plated dinners today so he brought me dinner: roasted turkey wings with rice & gravy, green beans, corn pudding, garden salad, cornbread and citrus pound cake. Hey, it WAS homemade....lol

[Jadore]

Mmm, that all sounds so good! Citrus pound cake especially!

[buttertart]

Cherylptw - No storm problems in your neck of the woods, I hope?

[Cherylptw]

Sorry to be so late with my reply; I've been tied up the last couple of days...we did have storms, in fact, I was leaving work when the rain, wind and tornadoes came through but there was not a lot of damage in my area, although I noticed some trees down.

[buttertart]

Good, I was wondering if you were OK when we didn't hear back for a bit.

[Cherylptw]

Thanks Buttertart for your concern :)

[Jadore]

Went out to dinner and had a great Nicoise salad. The green beans and tuna were especially satisfying.

[Glam Foodie]

Last night was my first dinner party as a married woman! It was SO much fun. Planning the menu, shopping for produce at the farmer's market with Mr. Glam Foodie, and cooking with him was great. We served on our new china and I had a gorgeous bouquet in a vase my grandmother bought us for our wedding, and used the candle holders my best friend purchased for us. It was beautiful! I took pictures before everyone came and made Mr. GF twirl me around a few times in the dining room, until I bumped into the table. No more of that!

Okay, okay, enough blabbing. Onto the most important part, THE FOOD! We wanted to do spring, spring, spring, and we used a few recipes I've been dying to make. Mr. GF is a doll to me that way. ;D

-- To start, a beet salad with spring greens, crumbled chevre and walnuts. I've made this for years, and found the recipe off of epicurious. The dressing is dead simple: olive oil, white vinegar, orange juice, and some orange zest.

-- Lamb chops with a pistachio-green olive tapenade, a la Smitten Kitchen. Everyone loved the tapenade, and Mr. GF did a great job selecting some beautiful chops. http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/06/lam...

-- Garlic mashed potatoes with a garlic sauce, a la Julia Child, from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. OMG. These. Were. AMAZING. It took a bunch of pots to make them, but it was worth all the effort. Holy cow. I can't rave enough. I made them with Yukon Golds and some garlic from the farmer's market, and they were the best we'd ever had.

-- Roasted baby carrots. I wanted something simple to go against the lamb and potatoes, so I just roasted them in olive oil with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt, and some parsley.

-- Ina Garten's raspberry cheesecake. I know, cheesecake after serving goat's cheese and Julia's INSANE mashed potatoes, but nobody complained! I've never made Ina's before, and I was amazed at the complexity of the flavor. My husband loves cheescake, and I always find it flabby and flat. This was with luxuriously creamy but also, somehow, refreshing. All my guests begged for the recipe!

Tonight we had salads with leftover spring greens, a tangy tropical dressing that I made out of oranges and limes, some grilled shrimp. We're still recovering from last night's calorie fest, lol.

[Jadore]

Wow. Why wasn't I invited, GF? I thought we were friends! ;-) Congratulations on your first dinner party. Isn't it fun pulling out your fine china for the first time and setting the table? I just loved doing that last year. Finally took the time to discard each box my 5-piece sets came in and just went to town!

[LindaWhit]

What a wonderful sounding dinner party, Glam Foodie! Can't go wrong with a spring menu like that - especially with something from Julia on the table. :-)

[haiku.]

Sounds amazing, Glam Foodie.

[onceadaylily]

That sounds like a beautiful menu, and a lovely nice. There's lots of bad cheesecake in the world, but the good ones are worth the trouble, and the calories!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Sounds like you were a wonderful hostess, Glam! Congratulations on your fist dinner party!

[Phurstluv]

Good for you, Girlfriend!!! So glad you made an event out of it, that's wonderful, and something you'll always remember. I have that J. Child cookbook, (signed, even, it was my Mom's and I went to a JC dinner about 20 years ago and had it signed by her, now my mom let me have the book, yeah!) so I will def look up that potato recipe. I am planning a similar menu for Easter, rack of lamb persillade, and those potatoes would be great! Thanks for the info!

[sunflwrsdh]

Yum! Sounds like a great dinne party:)

[mariacarmen]

Congrats on your newlywed status and your first big dinner party! your menu is delicious. the potatoes sound divine.

[rabaja]

Spent the day gardening and cleaning up the backyard -family coming up tomorrow to celebrate my bday and I want them to relax with drinks on the patio before we go out to dinner.
Tonight I plan on cooking up a burger and having more of Sunflrdh's butternut squash fries with a salad.
If I peeter out after my shower it could turn into a hot dog with sauerkraut and dill relish. Found some good uncured dogs this morning (3 pts ea!), and I have Alvarado buns to fit both. Really nice Saturday in my neighborhood. We got a visit from both the tamale man AND the ice cream truck.

[Breadcrumbs]

Warm wishes for a wonderful Birthday tomorrow rabaja! You'll have to let us know about your dinner tomorrow. It must be tough to decide w such an abundance of wonderful options there!

The Girl and the Fig was one our favourites!

[LindaWhit]

A very happy birthday to you, rabaja!

[onceadaylily]

Happy birthday, Rabaja! I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful day with your family.

You have a *tamale* man? Geez. We have to special-order ours, and there is always a wait-list.

[sunflwrsdh]

Hot dogs for only 3 points each is wonderful! Did you do the squash fries? I did them again on Saturday, 25 minutes at 450, and although they were really really good, they never did really crisp up. Still loving them though!

[sunflwrsdh]

Happy Birthday!

[mariacarmen]

Rabaja! Hope your day was beautiful and your celebration with family delicious! Hope you splurged all day!!

[Breadcrumbs]

We had some guests stop by unexpectedly this afternoon so I whipped up a quick batch of corn pancakes (a COTM dish) and some Tzatziki (from The Olive and the Caper cookbook). First time for both versions of these dishes and we loved them. I’ll put a link to the COTM review at the bottom of this thread if folks want to take a look. That Tzatziki differed from my usual recipe in that it used red wine vinegar as it’s acid vs lemon juice. Somehow the vinegar “smoothed out” the flavours in the Tzatziki and this may just be our new favourite version, even better than those in AMFT and Arabesque.

For dinner mr bc was craving Italian (nothing new here!). I picked up some lovely, fresh boar sausage at the market so I took inspiration from this and turned to The Splendid Table for a recipe. We’ve made the Gramigna with Wine-Braised Sausage in the past but I thought the boar would be a perfect match for the fresh sage in this recipe and it truly was. Per Rossetto Kasper’s recommendation we served this w a wonderful Sangiovese wine and I’m happy to report; a good time was had by all!

Here’s a link to my review and photos of the Corn Pancakes from AMFT:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7758...

[Rubee]

Beautiful. I'm intrigued by the tzatziki. Even better than Arabesque? Must try.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks Rubee! I'm guessing it must have been the red wine vinegar that made the difference but this seemed to have a balance that we hadn't tasted before. Actually I just made another batch!!

If you have AMFT, do try those corn pancakes . . . ridiculously good, especially since they require so little effort! Oh, and the swiss chard ones are fabulous too!

jic you're tempted to try them, here's the link to the chard pancake review:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7758...

[mariacarmen]

BC, those corn pancakes look amazing. i can't remember, did you gift us with the recipe, had you worked it out yet? you were the one experimenting, weren't you? sorry if you already did and i just missed it....

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks mc! If you click on my link above the photos it will take you to my review in the COTM thread and I did include ingredients and quantities so you're good to go mc.

I wasn't the one experimenting though, this was the first time I've made this recipe and it was great. I did make the swiss chard pancakes from the same book and reported in the COTM and, previous WFD thread. Perhaps that's what you're thinking of?

[mariacarmen]

no, i already copied the recipe for the chard pancakes.... hm.... someone was just raving about a corn pudding (i know yours are cakes) with tzatziki .... but i'll take a look at yours too, thanks again!

[rcallner]

Marinated halibut steaks on the cast iron grill pan, Deborah Madison's baked spinach gratin with red barley and rice. And that's it! Just the two of us.

[Phurstluv]

Well, after an incredibly stressful day yesterday, we went to the beach all day today and relaxed in the sun & surf. So, tonight, it will be rigatoni carbonara a la Rachael Ray, as someone else posted (sorry, can't remember who ) in the last two threads. I have all the ingredients, so, you know how that goes. A large green salad and some garlic bread and that's dinner on a latish Saturday night, with some movies for the kids that we picked up last night. At least we are all showered and clean from the beach, and that pasta's going to be good!!

[roxlet]

The DH seared some pork shanks and now has them braising in the oven, sort of osso buco style. We'll have those with mac and cheese (fontina and cheddar) and a green salad.

[LindaWhit]

As for me, I'll repost from the earlier thread: More cleaning out of the freezer (the upstairs one, this time). I'll be using up a thick slice of honey ham in some mac & cheese and ham. Steamed broccoli alongside.