What's for Dinner # 113 [OLD]

[twodales]

Looks like everyone is switching gears away from Summer food. What's on your horizon as the days grow shorter?

[roxlet]

With over 300 posts, it's time to take the dinner discussion here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8150...

[beccydinosaur]

I had a really bad day yesterday so to distract myself I made a batch of fresh ravioli filled with goat's cheese, smoked salmon and roasted red peppers. I finished it with a fennel and dill cream sauce.

For afters I baked some chocolate cherry muffins.

[ChristinaMason]

Sorry to hear about your bad day; hopefully the ravioli soothed your soul. That fennel-dill sauce sounds great, btw! I assume it was fennel bulb, not seeds---right?

[beccydinosaur]

It did!

And yes, sliced fennel bulb -- as well as butter, leek, 2 shallots, 4 cloves of garlic, about 300ml of cream, white wine, fresh dill and a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan.

[ChristinaMason]

Wow, that sounds really delicious.

[operagirl]

Threw together a really quick dinner tonight -- made a batch of pupusas with smoked mozzarella filling, served with some homemade salsa I had in the freezer. I'd frozen it into small portions with my mini-muffin tin, so just had to put the salsa pucks in a covered skillet over medium heat to defrost for a few minutes. Insta-dinner!

[Cynsa]

65°F at 7:30 pm. My last hurrah before the winter rain... I fired up the Weber this sunny afternoon for roasted potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, chicken teriyaki, Korean shortribs, shrimp, and pork ribs. It seemed economical with all those hot coals to grill for several meals - so I emptied the freezer. No genoise for the chestnut cake - but I baked whole wheat buttermilk biscuits while grilling the last course after I steamed artichokes, cauliflower and broccoli. The extra cauliflower can be mashed, the chilled broccoli can be tomorrow's salad. Corn goes in black bean salsa. Leftover biscuits will be strawberry shortcakes with yogurt for breakfast. Leftover shrimp for hearts of palm salad.
In my haste to refrigerate everything after dinner, I knocked the jar of teriyaki marinade off the counter in my clean-up mode and splattered the cabinets, the floor, and me. After mopping the kitchen, it still reeks of sticky soy sauce-ginger-garlic. I think I am done for the day.

[ChristinaMason]

We had one of those kitchen mishaps recently. I feel your pain! Our kitchen ceiling will never look the same (ours was gloopy szechuan eggplant stir-fry!).

[JungMann]

Same here. I don't know if I bought Pepsi Max or an IED because when I got home from the office, the 2L exploded, sending up a carbonated geyser to rain back down on me, my suit, my briefcase and everything in my kitchen. I thought I had gotten into every single crevice of the kitchen (after running out of the house like a madman to get my suit to the cleaners before they closed in the next 3 minutes), however when my roommate directed my eyes skyward, I found that my ceiling is now covered with brown splotches that pose a most vexing cleaning challenge.

[twodales]

JungMann, this whole scenario is playing out vividly in my little pea brain. I don't want to laugh, but can I at least smile? Hope one of your, no doubt beautiful suits can be saved. 8 )
Greetings from your old stomping grounds in Chicago.

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight was a mushroom stroganoff over egg noodles. Not bad, but would have been better with some beef...and full fat sour cream. I'm not buying the low-fat again; the gluey texture and weak flavor are just not worth the trade-off.

Salad of romaine, radishes, apples, toasted walnuts, carrots, and daikon with creamy mustard dressing on the side. Now I'm craving dessert---preferably something chocolatey, although your delicious fall pies and crumbles are sounding fantastic, too!

[twodales]

Roast beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Oven-roasted fingerlings, Brussels and baked apples with custard. Going English tonight.

[vanillagrrl]

We have a salmon recipe from one of Martha's mags, Everyday Food, that has been a hit ever since I first tried it. We have tweaked it for great effect and tonight we made sweet sticky brown rice, then I browned some shallots, added some wine and chicken stock, reduced it, and added dried cranberries. I chopped and stirred into the rice a pound of baby carrots, a cup of chopped mint (the snow must have insulated most of it, because despite below-freezing temps and an 11-inch snowfall last week, we still have lots of green mint out in the garden), and the shallot-wine-stock reduction. I greased a glass pan and spread the rice mixture (the original recipe calls for couscous but our dinner guests are gluten-free) in, and then nestled some salmon fillets into the rice. On top of the salmon I spooned a bit of mayo and mustard (a couple of tablespoons of each, blended together, was plenty for two pounds of fish). Baked for about 25 minutes at 375 F, covered in foil for the first 20 min. Very good.

I made a dessert that would work for tonight's dinner party and for my kid's class Halloween party tomorrow: Pumpkin pie bars. As always, it was impossible to find the crust I imagined, so I made one up: 1 cup each almond meal, Pamela's gluten-free baking mix (flour would work), and toasted quick oats, whirled in the food processor with 1 tsp. salt, 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/3 cup white sugar, and 1/3 cup dark brown sugar. Pressed this onto a big jelly roll sheet and baked it for 10 minutes, then poured on pumpkin pie filling: 2-14 oz. cans pumpkin, 4 eggs, 1 6 oz. can evaporated milk, 1 cup whipped cream, 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp. ground cloves. Baked at 350 F until set. Served with whipped cream. Delish and easy, and everyone liked the crust.

[nomadchowwoman]

A big no to low-fat sour cream, CM: it just doesn't do the job.

[JungMann]

I went to Costco to buy pillows and left instead carrying a rack of pork in my oversized Ikea bag. It was priced so competitively that even though I've never eaten or made a rib roast, I figured it was a better buy than new pillows. When I got home I rubbed the roast down with salt, smoked paprika, vinegar, garlic and a homemade vindaloo paste which I hope will form a spice crust in the oven.

It's roasting at 400, filling my home with delicious smells. On the stove top I have red cabbage braising away with apple cider, bay leaves and cloves and in the refrigerator I have a cucumber salad marinating in tarragon vinegar.

[mariacarmen]

wow, that rub sounds fantastic.

[JungMann]

It was good. I played it too cautious with the vindaloo paste for fear that it would be too spicy, but the sharp spices mellowed with cooking and the onions in the paste added to a gorgeous fond in the pan which is going to make a delicious onion gravy tonight with some of the riesling I have left over from dinner. This is definitely a nice change from the more typical herbaceous pork roasts I'm used to.

[twodales]

A True Hound. Run errands and end up with something nice to eat.

[steve h.]

Veal parmigiana with pasta on the side. The last of the home-grown basil will contribute to the pesto. House red to wash it all down. Football on the panel. The Giants won, barely. In a perfect world, Washington loses and the Eagles beat Dallas. I'm hoping the Steelers can provide a blueprint for beating New England this afternoon for the Giants when they face them down the road. We'll see.

Deb is doing all the heavy lifting on tonight's meal. I'm on KP.

Lots of limbs/trees down after the snowstorm here in CT. Power, fortunately, was never cut where we live. Weather happens.

[twodales]

Thanks for the reminder Steve. I'd better pick my basil before we get a freeze and make some pesto. Oh and my other herbs too if they won't survive.

[steve h.]

Scrambled eggs and bacon was today's brunch. The chives survived the snow and tasted mighty fine atop the eggs. Fresh herbs give "pop" to any meal. I'm not a fan of winter.

[sunflwrsdh]

Used the last of my homegrown sweet basil Friday night. Will soooo miss picking basil to throw into sauce until next summer!!!

[inaplasticcup]

steve and lily and whomever else was kind enough to give me good gardening advice that I didn't follow so well, I just had to come back and tell you that I discovered that all the stuff I was killing that wasn't planted in the ground didn't have drainage holes. :P

Well, they looked like they did, but they were really just deep grooves that were sealed.

Oddly, this is encouraging news. Well, that I'm so dim that I didn't realize there were no drainage holes, not so encouraging, but that the problem is easily fixed - very encouraging!

Mums 5 days transplanted and thriving. *Party.*

[twodales]

Give her a Woot! Woot! Proud of you. Baby steps. 8 )

[inaplasticcup]

Awww. Thanks, td. <3

[steve h.]

Very cool, Splinter.

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks. Who knows? Something edible might grow in those pots with drainage... ^-

[scubadoo97]

Another roasted chicken. Sides will be roasted brussel sprouts and a salad of cucumbers, red peppers and tomatoes in a citrus dressing. The vegies were purchased from a farmers market today

[sunflwrsdh]

Slow roasted sirloin tip roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, baby carrots, homemade by my husband white bread, and homemade crumb topped apple pie with cheddar crust, a la mode.

[ChristinaMason]

cheddar crust on an apple pie!? that sounds genius. could you please elaborate?

[sunflwrsdh]

Sure. This comes from an apparently now-defunct website, called "Steph's Country Kitchen" and I have used the recipe for at least 10 or 12 years:
1 and 1/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening, chilled
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon vinegar,, mixed with 1/3 cup cold water

1) Combine flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut shortening and butte into small pieces and add to flour. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until crumbs begin to form. Add cheese and cut into mix. Pour in water mixture, 2 tbsp at a time, and mix until dough forms a ball. do not add too much water .
2) Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Specks of butter and cheese will be visible in dough. Shape dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
3) Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll into 11-inch circles.

[ChristinaMason]

Great, thanks!!

[mariacarmen]

aside from the chicken marsala i'm going to try tonight, i want to use up some pork shoulder for dinner this week, and i have a lot of garlic on hand, so i googled garlic pork, and one of the first hits was this: http://visualrecipes.com/recipe-detai...

i'm a little afraid of it! anyone every heard of/tasted/tried anything like this? the pic doesn't look all that appetizing, actually, but that doesn't mean it won't taste good...

[roxlet]

My son has been requesting chicken Marsala. Do you use the dry or sweet Marsala?

[letsindulge]

That would be sweet marsala.

[ChristinaMason]

Really? I use dry...

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

I had chicken marsala in a restaurant once that involved sickly sweet (to my taste) sauce --- not an experiment I'd want to repeat.

[mariacarmen]

the bottle i have says Marsala Cooking Wine (Holland House) so maybe it's not a very good one. It kinda tasted like a dry sherry.

So i made the mistake of throwing in portabella mushroom pieces into the chicken drippings before deglazing with the marsala, and of course the portabella sucked up all the juices, leaving virtually nothing to deglaze. but i added copious amounts of butter, a little flour to make a roux, more marsala, a little chicken broth, and then artichoke hearts (jarred) and finished off egg noodles in the sauce. then i added the seasoned-floured-sauteed pounded chicken breasts. very good, especially those meaty mushrooms, and the marsala flavored the chicken really well, but i think i like the piccata just a tad more. on the side was a pickled beets (that the bf pickled) salad with radicchio, scallions in a lemon vinaigrette.

marinating now are chunks of pork shoulder in sweet chili sauce, dark soy, 15 or so garlic cloves, minced ginger, sriracha, and homemade hoisin (courtesy of someone on this or the last thread, i'm so sorry i'm not remembering who right now!)

[LindaWhit]

My dear mc - PLEASE throw away the Holland House Marsala "cooking wine". It's loaded with sodium. Seriously - down the drain with that stuff.

Just get real marsala wine. It keeps for a LONG time in your liquor cabinet.

[mariacarmen]

will do Linda! i honestly didn't know, thanks for the tip!

[linguafood]

oh yeah, those cooking wines are nasty stuff -- salty and disgusting.

[mariacarmen]

and i just bought myself new bottles of Sherry and Vermouth yesterday - not the cooking kind! Marsala's next on the list.

[steve h.]

Hi mc,
A good vermouth requires a good gin. Shake the classic 4:1 gin/vermouth recipe in your favorite ice-filled shaker. Shake until the liquid is cold as the heart of the Witch of Endor. Strain into a classic martini glass. I like two olives. Take a sip and promise yourself you'll visit Cotogna. Sit at the bar, chat with staff. Have too much fun.
Never buy cooking wine again.

[twodales]

Thanks for the smile steve h.

Think I'll take your advice. ICE cold & the more olives the merrier.

[steve h.]

Olives macerated in gin are really good. Almost too good to share.

[mariacarmen]

the vermouth is mostly for cooking - tho i have made a few martinis with it. my fallback, however, is gin & tonic. but yes - i do want to try Cotogna! and when i do, i'll lift a martini in your name. and i promise to not buy cooking wine again.

[steve h.]

Sit at the bar. Have buffalo mix your martinis. He's a young guy from Buffalo, NY and has a remarkable memory. Maybe have him choreograph your meal.

[JungMann]

That's pickled pork, once a common means of preserving meat in the warmer parts of the U.S. Hormel makes a commercial variety.

[letsindulge]

mariacarmen, you could always make Filipino-style pork adobo. Cubed pork, lot's of garlic, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple w/ juice, oregano, bay leaves, and tons of freshly ground pepper. Because adobo is highly flavorful it's best served with steamed rice, and a simple veggie. Picture is with chicken so just imagine it with pork ;)

[mariacarmen]

you know, i've tried chicken adobo once, didn't much like it. it wasn't bad, but i just didn't love it. maybe i used a bad recipe, but i'm not gung ho about trying it again yet. i was just curious about that dish i'd google-found.

and thanks JM - have you had a non-commercial variety of that?

[JungMann]

I've had pickled meat before, but never pork stew meat. It might be worth experimenting with a small batch -- though I think a Southern variety, particularly the kind that used to go into Creole stews, would be more flavorful.

[roxlet]

Having some former neighbors to dinner and we're keeping it casual with the DH's famous fried chicken and all the fixings. For dessert, I am making Maida Heatters pecan maple tartlets.

[linguafood]

We have some leftover ground lamb from a few days ago which will go into a pasta sauce, along with two hot fennel sausages from DiBruno's in Philly that have been sitting in the freezer for a while, and a mix of bell peppers. Pasta will be conchiglie rigate.

[roxlet]

Yum. Are the sausages lamb or pork?

[linguafood]

Pork. Cause why just have one kind of meat when you can have two? :-)

And fried chicken? Wish I were your neighbor, former or other!

[roxlet]

I wish you were too! We're pretty last minute sometimes, and we're always puzzling over who to invite for dinner at 6PM on a Saturday night. I think people get offended somehow, but for us, it's just a matter of wanting to share!

[megjp]

Yesterday I finally got to make my man's birthday dinner a few days late, so I took him to the butcher and he chose two beautiful sirloin steaks cut from grass-fed hormone-free beef.. you know, the good stuff.

We're in an apartment so have no bbq, but generously salted & peppered, I fried those babies up in my grill pan, finishing a few moments in a very hot oven, and actually hit a perfect medium rare by feel alone (an accomplishment, as I make steak maybe twice a year).

I'd been sitting some straightforward chimichurri that I slathered on top -- gorgeous, I forgot how much I love this simple condiment. I also wilted some bitter greens in nutmeg butter and lemon juice, and served Nigel Slater's celeri remoulade as a second side. I roasted a few campari tomatoes -- I had grand plans of a small spicy carrot soup, but we had people coming over and I was running quite behind. Meh.. he was so happy!

Right now I am simmering a whole chicken into stock with the usual plus some Asian-type flavours (kefir leaves, lemongrass, ginger), with a view to making a coconut-chicken soup tonight. I have frozen edamame and corn for this, along with carrots, bell peppers, and some leftover brown rice. Aduki beans are currently soaking as well, and limes are warming up as I find they're juicier at room temperature and really want a good jolt of citrus to cut the coconut.

[mariacarmen]

your man is a very lucky one! that steak dinner sounds awesome.

[sunflwrsdh]

Fine Cooking's Cheddar Stout Meatloaf, baked potatoes, peas and pearl onions, green salad, and chocolate pudding for dessert:)

[mariacarmen]

i was gonna make chicken marsala with mushrooms and artichoke hearts over egg noodles, but the Boy said he wanted to take me out. who am i to deprive him? Marsala on hold til Sunday.

[noodlepoodle]

Tonight I made a roasted marinated pork loin, mashed sweet potatoes laced with maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg and a little half and half, butter sauteed apples slices with a sprinkle of dark rum, maple syrup and c&n, sides of broccoli and string beans. For dessert homemade hot fudge sauce over vanilla ice cream and walnuts. I'm full.

[mariacarmen]

wadja marinate that pork loin in, NP?

[buttertart]

Snowy day in the Borough of Trees, whose city fathers have sent out a phone message for all to stay indoors due to downed tree branches and power lines. Power has flickered a few times but so far so good...
Perfect excuse for a biggish cook: Fuchsia's Sichuan braised beef, shao bing to sop it up with (from the priceless Wei-Chuan book, "Chinese Snacks"), and a cherry crumble pie (had some pie crust in the freezer and some frozen cherries we brought back from Iowa last trip - WHY can they have them in the stores there and not on the East Coast, why why???). Crumble is a Jane Grigson "Fruit" one, 100 g each flour, sugar, almonds, and butter - whizzed up in the FP - added the bit of pastry that I cut off at the end and whizzed that in too. All goes to the same place. Three nice things to eat from three of the all-time best cookbooks.

[roxlet]

Sounds fantastic. And that pie! I have frozen cherries but I don't dare us them yet. I'm waiting for darkest mid-winter!

[buttertart]

We have a bunch of them he froze last summer. There Must Always Be Cherries Available.

[ChristinaMason]

Love cherries, love that pie. Cherry has to be one of the best flavors out there, eh? I even like the artificial version (except for cough syrup, yech).

[buttertart]

Agree completely! My favorite candy flavor is red. I should have thawed and drained the cherries (or used a lot more thickener), it's sloppy but yum.

[steve h.]

Leftover chicken and rice. The ingredients have been hanging out in the coolerator for over a week but should should be even better now. A California red, maybe La Crema, to wash the meal down. Stanford/USC will be on the panel. I'm pulling for the "spoiled children".

Wet, heavy snow has been falling all day here in Sou'west Connecticut. I'm hoping the neighbor's trees fall down on their property.

[onceadaylily]

Black bean chili tonight, with lots of onions, green bell peppers, ancient sweet reds, and diced tomatoes. I'll deglaze the pot with a bit of red wine vinegar, and season the whole thing with cumin, chili powder, a *tiny* bit of cocoa, Aleppo, ancho powder, oregano, and thyme. We'll have jalapeno cornbread to go with, and cilantro, guacamole, sour cream, sharp cheddar, and limes available for garnish. I've been craving chili all week, beautiful smoky, spicy chili ladled over crumbled chunks of cornbread.

I cannot find BTB no-beef base anywhere lately, and will have to use no-chicken instead. Boo. I really hope the company didn't nix it from the line-up.

[roxlet]

It is snowing hard here, and though leg of lamb is not wintery, it is a roast, and that is what we are having tonight along with scallion mashed potatoes and broccoli. To start will be some left over black bean soup.

[Harters]

Leg of lamb is a roast for all seasons in the UK. When I was a kid, you could always tell when winter was on the way,as Mum would stop making mint sauce to go with it and switch to onion sauce.

[twodales]

It seems Wintery to me. Any roasted meat does. Lamb IS promoted as an Eastery/Springtime meat though isn't it?

[mariacarmen]

love leg of lamb.... with lotsa garlic and rosemary. that was my very first really "fancy" dinner item - taken from a Cosmo magazine recipe!

[Harters]

OK, what's left in the house to use up is a bag of mixed salad leaves, a carrot and an onion and a couple of apples.

There's going to be a starter of the leaves, scattered over some brown shrimps (that's the sort that we Brits call brown and the French, Belgians and Dutch call grey).

The carrot & onion are going to get cooked with some lentils. We'll have them with Westmoreland sausages - apparently a traditional recipe from this county that doesnt exist any longer.

The apples are "afters", of course.

Thokoleza ukudla!

[buttertart]

Have a lovely trip, and don't get et by a lion!

[Matahari22]

I finally made my Mac & Cheese with caramelized onions, bacon and I added cauliflower. (inspired by harters who added zucchini). I have leftovers, which will be fried tomorrow as Mac & Cheese balls for lunch.

[linguafood]

I find cauli adds greatness to pretty much everything.

[ChristinaMason]

Great combination. Rich as hell, I'll bet?

[mariacarmen]

office halloween party snacking derailed my plans for making vietnamese garlic noodles tonight. the boy will nibble on leftover piccata and such. i'll wait til later to see if regain the appetite. we have another whole chicken breast left to cook, so maybe it'll be another piccata. yeah, it was that good.

[onceadaylily]

The plans to *not* cook went awry, but the man just wants more barbecue tofu sandwiches--which is, admittedly, pretty close to *not* cooking. He has opted for a coleslaw (with blue cheese) in the sandwich, instead of the usual peppers and onions, and we bought some very nice sundried tomatoes at a new market yesterday, and a few of those will be minced and added to the sandwiches. Roasted broccoli and big salads to go with. Especially since I plan on baking a pie tomorrow. The first apple of the season. My bread machine has made me cocky enough to attempt pie crust again.

Today I had to bring in a ringer for my basil plant. I first put the new one next to the old, but then I thought, "Well, that's just mean. I'm spiting the sick one, and scaring the new one." They are now in separate rooms. Neither of which have enough light. I'm working on a solution. Which mainly involves aggressively using basil while I can, unless the landlord says yes to my kitchen modification.

[steve h.]

Supper will be a Chicago-style, deep dish pizza courtesy of Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. Pepperoni.
House red for drinks. Baseball on the panel.

[JungMann]

I don't much care for parsley; but I care for waste even less so I chopped up what parsley remained from making chicken piccata and the few capers I had straggling about to make a parsley salad with Aleppo pepper.

For mains I whipped up a Greek-inspired pasta sauce of yogurt enriched with an egg yolk and romano cheese. Served on fettucine with a bit of grated garlic, sumac and oregano it was quite filling and balanced out the parsley's bitterness. And whatever happened to the egg whites that didn't make it into my sauce? Dessert: pisco sours.

[onceadaylily]

Aleppo . . . good man.

Can you offer up specifics on the yogurt sauce (with a ratio of yogurt to egg), JM? I'm steeling myself for my first batch of yogurt, if my starter hasn't already gone off. Due to fear. ;)

[JungMann]

I'd say I used maybe 1 egg yolk for a half-cup of yogurt, which is plenty. When I make yogurt sauce for stews, it's usually one beaten egg to about a quart of yogurt, however this was one night I wanted to save the whites for dessert.

Congratulations on your first batch of yogurt! If you strain yours, don't forget all the wonderful uses for the whey!

[ChristinaMason]

Pisco sours are wonderful. Did you top with nutmeg, bitters, both, or neither?

[JungMann]

Always with bitters; I sometimes think I like the bitters more than the cocktail itself. I have never tried it with nutmeg, but I will definitely use your tip this week!

[ChristinaMason]

Freshly grated, if possible! It's delish.

[noodlepoodle]

Tonight we had chicken paprikash from a recipe I had from Epicurious. It was cooked in the slow cooker for five hours and the ingredients were pretty basic but very tasty--two thinly sliced onions scattered on the bottom of the crock, 1T sweet paprika, 1 t smoked paprika, 3 lbs chicken thighs salted and browned in the pan and then placed on top of the onions, and the pan deglazed with half cup of chicken broth. Slow cook that for the five to six hours and then mix in 1/4 c sour cream and some dried dill. Serve with boiled noodles. I have to confess I came back from the mall and it smelled so good I had it for a snack.

[ChristinaMason]

That sounds delicious. Several months ago many of us on this thread went on a chicken paprikas cooking spree. It was fun! Yours sounds good, although I'm not much of a smoked paprika person.

[vafarmwife]

On tap to cook this weekend to have for the week ahead: chicken and dumplings, brown beans and cornbread with fried taters, kraut and polish sausage, and a pot of vegetable beef soup.

[ChristinaMason]

wish we were neighbors...how far are you from DC? ;)

[linguafood]

We ordered a 'small' cluster of "fresh, never frozen" (Wegmans quote) King crab legs for pickup today.

I frankly have NO idea what to do with them, other than bash 'em up and dip the meat in drawn butter....

Anyone? Bueller?

ETA: Please, no Old Bay suggestions. That stuff is vile.

[ChristinaMason]

Hard to improve on butter and a little lemon for squeezing. What are you serving with?

[linguafood]

We got a lobster bisque (courtesy of Wegmans) and I'll probably make a salad of a variety of tomatoes I have flopping about on the window sill & some French feta. It'll be a smallish meal after last night's rather indulgent portion of seafood pasta.

[mariacarmen]

that sounds fantastic.

[linguafood]

For a whopping $50, it better be :-)

[mariacarmen]

ack! for the crab legs too, or just the bisque?

[linguafood]

Ha! For the crab legs. I guess you pay for the fresh, never frozen thing.

The bisque was less than $5, I think. Oh well. Felt like splurging a bit today, mañana will be frugal.

[mariacarmen]

phew!

[roxlet]

Time for another poker party!

[linguafood]

Seriously.

[rabaja]

I think you already have the perfect plan!

[linguafood]

Thanks -- sometimes it's best to keep it simple.

[linguafood]

I ended up "making" a lemon zest butter. 'twas nice. Good amount of crab, too (this is one plate of two!).

[buttertart]

wantwantwantwant want, not a bad price for that.

[linguafood]

Not at all. It was easily 6-7 oz. per person.

[ChristinaMason]

Some of our closest friends are coming for dinner tonight, and with this cold snap, that means comfort food. We'll start with one of those "dirty crowdpleaser" dips I found on chow (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/577088#6823667 dressed up with caramelized sherry onions, thyme, and hot pepper flakes) with baguette toasts and broccoli spears.

For the main, DH's homemade bratwurst and sous-vide babyback ribs. On the side will be a vinaigrette-dressed potato-apple-bacon salad (http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/potato_salad_with_apples_and_bacon/ ) and wilted spinach with dried cranberries, toasted walnuts (or almonds, haven't decided), and lemon zest.

For dessert, Greek yogurt panna cotta with apricots in Lillet syrup: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/gr...

Drinks will be whatever beer they bring, DH's delicious fresh-hopped IPA, and Port Authority cocktails.

[GretchenS]

Oh yum, that sounds amazing, CM.

[ChristinaMason]

Thank you! I had a hard time figuring out what to serve because the main is so heavy and meat-centric. As long as everyone enjoys and doesn't leave in an uncomfortable food coma, I'm happy!

[nomadchowwoman]

+1. The potato salad is making me drool.

[mariacarmen]

Lillet syrup! wow, that sounds great!

[ChristinaMason]

Thank you. It's just reduced Lillet (used to rehydrate the apricots) with a little honey stirred in. I'm debating adding some elderflower syrup, but that might be gilding the lily. What do you think?

[mariacarmen]

oh no, that sounds even more awesome! gild! gild!

[ChristinaMason]

I went for it with the elderflower syrup, and we all really liked it. Thanks for the nudge!

That Greek panna cotta recipe (used light cream instead) is a keeper!

[BabsW]

Tonight is Friday, so that means that it is Pizza and Movie Night. The kids each have their own standard personal-sized pizza, and I make an adult-sized pizza with whatever strikes my fancy. I haven't decided yet, but I am pretty sure that there will be bacon on mine. Not sure what else yet.

And I think I deserve a beer, too. :)

[GretchenS]

The plan for tonight is steak, smittenkitchen's garlic butter roasted mushrooms, and this kale and ricotta salata salad. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/re... The oldster will eat the steak and mushrooms happily and I will chip away at the kale salad all weekend as it is supposed to hold well. I am mildly outraged that I had to scrape snow and ice off my car this morning, shouldn't there be a law against that until at least after Thanksgiving? Oh well, happy Friday everyone, have a great and delicious weekend!

[Harters]

The penultimate pre-holiday use-up will see half a kilo of minced beef turned into a pasta sauce (with onion, garlic, carrot, dried herbs and a tin of tomatoes). That'll be half for now, half for a future brown gloop dinner.

[LindaWhit]

Tonight will be takeout of some sort....helping the beau dog-sit his brother's dog while he and his partner escapes the cold (and light snow!) we've had overnight (and will have more of tomorrow evening).

Tomorrow, however, I plan on making a beef stew on the gorgeous 6-burner Wolf gas range that resides in his brother's kitchen (and crime of the century, doesn't get USED because his brother and brother's partner don't cook much anymore!) I haven't decided on whether it'll be an oven stew or stovetop stew, but either way - I'm using that range. :-) The requisite boiled potatoes and carrots (and maybe parsnips?) will be alongside, with lots of stew gravy to spoon over top. I'm hoping to make enough for there to be some for the guys when they return from Florida.

[inaplasticcup]

You should cook 6 things all at once to fully maximize your enjoyment of the Wolf, LW. :)

[Cynsa]

brown the stew meat on the stovetop —with caramelized onion-garlic-herbs; make gravy and add to the oven-roasted parsnips-potatoes-carrots to finish braising slowly in the oven...

have fun deglazing the fond after browning the meat with your red wine or beer... play with those BTUs - on six burners!
add beef marrow bones to the menu? wild mushrooms? green beans? wilted greens? buttermilk biscuits?

[LindaWhit]

It all sounds great - I'm not going to go super-crazy, as I don't know the pots and pans the guys have. But I know I'll have fun, no matter what....it's a GAS-FREAKIN' WOLF STOVE!!!!! ::::Sigh::::: Talk about died and gone to heaven. :-)

[mariacarmen]

all you need is Monsieur Ripert by your side.....

[LindaWhit]

Oh, be still my heart if that happened, mc! LOL

And I was wrong re: the Wolf stove - it's only four burners. But I still enjoyed using their Le Creuset on the lovely gas stovetop. Lots of really good Tangy Beef Stew for dinner and lots in the fridge for leftovers for the guys when they get home from Florida tomorrow evening. It's rain/snowing here in Boston although I've heard it's snowing up near my condo closer to the NH border. And there's massive power outages in CT and western/central MA. So I'm hoping whatever accumulation happens has been plowed and cleared by the time I get home tomorrow evening!

[GretchenS]

Enjoy that Wolf range, LW! My aunt recently got one and when I visited her I barely allowed her in her own kitchen I had so much fun using it!

[mariacarmen]

um, you should get a rental truck and haul that thing to your townhouse!

[LindaWhit]

Believe me, I would if I could have a gas connection! In all of the townhouses I saw in this complex before buying, I'm not sure I saw a gas stove anywhere. :-( But when I replace the electric coil stove and electric oven, it will definitely be an instant on/off flattop.

[roxlet]

Get an induction top!

[LindaWhit]

I think that's what I meant. :-) New homeowner who doesn't know all the ins and outs of stuff. :-)

[letsindulge]

Plan to bake and broil something with the convection, and infra-red broiler too! ♥ my Wolf.

[Berheenia]

Made up a pan of chili using grass fed beef and organic pintos and canned tomatoes with green chili peppers- see what a trip to WF can do. Tasted as good as my regular non-organic chili! Also made a recipe from the November 2011 COTM Gourmet - calabacitas con queso or squash and corn and tomatoes with cheese. Yummy but our usual recipe for calabacitas from the Boston Globe has a lot more zip- a can of Rotel. Love Rotel. Served TJ's frozen jasmine ORGANIC (!) rice- 3 minutes int he microwave instead of the brown rice I usually make- I was done cooking on a weeknight.

[mariacarmen]

Capers - CHECK! Lingua's piccata was WFD tonight, and a more buttery, lemony, capery delight I've never had. we loved it. the only thing i did slightly different was grated parm in the flour mixture, and added a little caper juice in with the lemon and butter. I used an Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, which is lemony itself. alongside were the BF's garlic/parm fried potatoes (sooooo good and crispy with the chicken), and white zukes peeled into thin slivers then quickly sauteed in butter with dill and celery seed. butter was the word de jour.

[linguafood]

The grated parm sounds like a great idea. And I always add some caper juice -- it's almost impossible to get those lil suckers out of the glass without splashing some in the pan. It's all good.

[inaplasticcup]

I failed CAPERS week, but that meal sounds delicious, mc. Did the grated parm crisp up nicely?

[mariacarmen]

you still have the weekend....

it was very subtle- i didn't use a ton - and once you get it in the lemony butter sauce, of course, you don't end up with super crispy anyway, but it was divine.

another thing i did, accidentally, was brown the butter a tad, so i got that nutty flavor too, along with the lemony. it was really, really good.

the BF said i could make that again - it was really so simple and full of flavor, can't believe it took me so many years to ever try it. i definitely will do it again.

[inaplasticcup]

Parentals are visiting this weekend. They don't do capers... I'll have to make a late entry. :)

[mariacarmen]

you get the extension.

and lucky you - parentals means lots of sushi for you, right? turning many shades of green....

[weezieduzzit]

Its a really nice day so it'll be jerk chicken and veggie skewers on the BBQ. Since it'll be flaming, I'll blacken a bunch of anaheims and poblanos ffrom the garden to stuff later in the week.

[inaplasticcup]

What goes into your jerk seasoning, weezie?

[megjp]

I'm alone tonight so I mashed up the leftover molasses-clove sweet potatoes and fried them until crispy. I braised the last-legs leeks in lemon and butter. I pan-fried the thawed ignored chicken, nearly smoking myself out of the apartment, and I ate it all promptly.

I'm now very tired; does emptying the fridge count as housework? If so, I needn't vacuum..but I do feel compelled to make squash soup now!

[inaplasticcup]

Of course it counts, meg. Just thinking about emptying the fridge counts...

[roxlet]

A new Whole Foods opened near to us, and they were having a sale on large shrimp -- $7.99 a pound. I'm making garlic shrimp with rice and a salad. I added some of the last very hot jalapenos from the garden, and whirred them in the food processor with garlic, onion, green onion, and some olive oil. They're marinating now, and I will fry them in a hot pan as soon as the rice is done. Spicy, garlicky, oniony deliciousness.

[linguafood]

Yowzah.

[roxlet]

It was really good! The jalapeños from our garden are at least 10 times hotter than the ones we buy at the store. One will add serious heat to an entire dish.

[ChristinaMason]

That sounds excellent, and reminds me, I need to try that recipe you shared.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Very Happy ....Have some FRESH - I mean it was caught less than 6 hours ago - TURBOT...will skin it boil it up with celery, carrots, onion (just added for flavor) Can't wait!
Have some Lobster too...more excited about the Turbot!

[Harters]

I lurrve turbot.

Last time was at a restaurant in Calais before we got the ferry back to the UK. It was served very simply on a bed of softened leeks and a little lemon/butter sauce. Preceeded by scallops. Followed by local cheeses from the Pas de Calais and Nord regions. And, finally, chocolate tart. Just fab.

[linguafood]

Wow, super-jealous. Haven't seen turbot around here in forever (and it most certainly wouldn't be *that* fresh)!

It's a seafood night @casa lingua as well -- the old house stand-by = seafood pasta. Fettuccine with scallops, wild shrimp, red & yellow peppers in a white wine butter sauce. Side of baby arugula with walnut vinaigrette.

[BabsW]

The kids are having pulled pork sandwiches from the pulled pork I made last week (and froze) and I am making King Arthur flour kaiser rolls because my goal is to avoid leaving the house if at all possible today.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe...

I made a loaf of multi-grain bread and for MY dinner, I will be having Welsh rarebit with sliced heirloom tomato and slab peppered bacon.

[inaplasticcup]

There you go with the breadbaking again. I'm afraid to bake bread because I don't want to find out I'm as crappy a breakbaker as I am a gardener... :/

[BabsW]

Bread baking is important -- anger-management bread-dough therapy is very effective... and tasty. :)

Baking bread just requires practice and a good thermometer. As far as gardening goes, there is no help for those of us born with the Black Thumb of Death.

[ChristinaMason]

perfect!

[mariacarmen]

piccata night! fried garlicky potatoes on the side, i think, and probably a salad. although we have a lot of white zucchini still so maybe i'll sliver that up and use the piccata sauce to saute that up in too.... must go check to see i have plenty o'capers.

[suburban_mom]

Tuesday's meal was boneless skinless chicken thighs with a creole mustard/orange sauce, haricot verts, and mashed yukon golds.

Last night was a macaroni/ground beef bake and salad. I found the recipe at Food and Wine. It was surprisingly tasty with the Cabernet Sauvignon my husband opened. The recipe is a keeper and I think it would go over well as a potluck dish for the high school swimming boys.

[ChristinaMason]

Do you have a link you can share for the macaroni bake?

[suburban_mom]

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ma...

I added extra cumin and used fire roasted crushed tomatoes. Otherwise I followed the recipe as written. Enjoy!

[ChristinaMason]

Fun, thank you very much! Its nice to have options that rely on pantry staples!

[beccydinosaur]

Another easy meal - burgers made with minced pork belly, coriander and carrot, and coated in a sesame-panko mixture. They were good!

[GretchenS]

They sure sound good. Did yu make them up or work from a recipe?

[beccydinosaur]

I made up the recipe! I added to the pork belly (half a kilo??): an egg, 2 grated medium carrots, chopped coriander, Chinese five spice, chilli flakes (and a couple of other things), pepper and black sesame. The coating was a mixture of panko and black/white sesame. I fried them in peanut oil with a touch of sesame oil to flavor.

[Harters]

Upcoming - salmon, new potatoes, courgettes. Cheese for "afters".

Just about our last planned meal before we head off to South Africa for three weeks. The next couple of nights are going to be using up whatever's in.

[roxlet]

Well, you two do get around! I would be curious to hear if there is any interesting food in South Africa.

[Harters]

We're doing a tour so are preparing ourselves for a lot of hotel food :-0

That said, looking at fair number of restaurant websites, menus seem to be very much based on a north European tradition. Some exceptions of course - we've tried to find interesting stuff for the few days we have in Cape Town

[roxlet]

With the exception of Morocco, my experience of food on the African continent has been pretty dismal. Other than Morocco, I've been to Egypt and Kenya, and neither had food to write home about.

[Berheenia]

I once made Bobotie which is the national dish- a colleague at U of Pretoria sent me the recipe. Delicious curry minced meat with an eggy topping served with yellow rice. I think its the shepard's pie of SA.

[Harters]

I've made bobotie a couple of times as well. It's a dish of the Cape Malays, so I hope to try the "real thing" when we're in Cape Town

[ChristinaMason]

This is why I love Chowhound---always something new to learn! I've added this to my (ever-growing) list of recipes to try.

[LindaWhit]

Have a wonderful trip, Harters!

[GretchenS]

Have a great trip, Harters, we'll miss you!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Defrosted the rest of last week's lentil-curry-sausage soup and baked my first loaf ever of no knead bread. The dough has been aging in my fridge for the last few days and I just couldn't resist the thought of homemade soup and fresh baked bread.

I don't have a baking stone, so I used my cast iron skillet instead. In spite of the fact that I forgot to dust or slash the loaf until after it had been baking for 5 minutes and in spite of the fact that I had the skillet too low in the oven and the bottom of the loaf cooked much faster than the rest of it, this was by far the best bread I've ever made. It SANG when I pulled it out of the oven and it tasted like the sourdough you get from a bakery (maybe not a really great bakery, but a totally decent bakery). At the moment, I can't imagine ever buying bread again.

[Berheenia]

Care to share this bread recipe? It sounds perfect for me to bake this Sunday while watching the game on TV.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

It was the basic Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipe.

Put 3 cups lukewarm water in a bowl. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 pkg of yeast and 1 1/2 Tbls of salt. Add 6 1/2 cups AP flour and mix until uniform. Don't knead. Let rise until it's flat on top and has started to deflate (2-5 hours, depending on how warm the water was). Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

Let it age in the fridge for 1-14 days (I did 3 or 4 and it had good-but-fairly-subtle sourdough flavour).

40 minutes before you bake it, take out a grapefruit-sized blob (the recipe should make 4 loaves) and form it into a ball, stretching the dough around to the bottom to form what the recipe refers to as a "gluten cloak". Sprinkle a board with cornmeal and let the dough rest for 40 mins.

20 minutes before you bake, put your baking stone (or cast iron skillet) on the lowest rack and place an empty broiler tray anywhere else in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450F.

When the oven is 20 mins preheated, sprinkle your loaf with flour and slash the top. Slide the loaf onto the baking stone (or cast iron skillet) and pour a cup of water into the broiler tray. Close the oven quickly and bake for about 30 mins, or until golden and crispy. Cool on a rack.

[Berheenia]

I will definitely be making this if not this weekend during the week so I can have a loaf on a Sunday.
thanks!

[GretchenS]

And if you want to read LOTS about the recipe and the technique, just put Artisan Bread in 5 into the search box up top and you will get a ton of links on this board. Here is one: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/483709 I have not made it but my 85 YO father does and it comes out great!

[letsindulge]

Eggplant Parm w/ Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce & Herb-Roasted Pork Loin

[roxlet]

That looks really good!

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight was a quick crisper clean-out: veggie and 5-spice tofu stir fry with jasmine rice, leftover Vietnamese quick pickles, and kimchi. Dinner on the table in under 15 min., and we both enjoyed. An oatmeal cookie for dessert. Life is good.

[scubadoo97]

Yea it is. Some of the best dinners are thrown together at the last minute

[noodlepoodle]

Tonight I wanted something warm and homey. Made salmon /fish chowder with shallots sauteed in butter, potatoes, leftover haddock from the other night, canned salmon and corn. Added a little lemon zest and some lemon juice , parsley and dill. A nice cornbread on the side. Hit the spot on a chilly rainy night. Vanilla ice cream topped with maple syrup and walnuts for dessert.

[GretchenS]

That sounds yummy, especially with the dill. Might just have to steal this one for next week's fish share....

[steve h.]

Chicken and rice, Texas style (Arroz con Pollo - Valley Style). Recipe is cribbed from Epicurious. Wine is Spanish (Flaco Tempranillo).

[inaplasticcup]

How is flaco tempranillo different from plain ol' tempranillo, steve?

[steve h.]

http://www.creamwine.com/site_media/a...

[inaplasticcup]

Gotcha. Thanks! I like that little cheatsheat.

[steve h.]

loves me the interwebs.

[scubadoo97]

Made Caldo Verde soup this evening.

The ingredients before all the stock went in. Broke up the potatoes with a whisk after they were cooked so the soup had body but the potatoes weren't blended.

[inaplasticcup]

Is that Caldo Verde a Portuguese dish?

[scubadoo97]

Absolutely. Kale, potatoes and sausage as a rule

[River19]

Love this soup; it is on my "want to make" list for the winter. So damn yummy.

[scubadoo97]

Don't wait for winter. It's good in fall too and darn healthy for you. The lutein in this dish is off the charts

[River19]

I'm working through the batch of homemade chicken soup (with spinach of course), I think I'll freeze the remainder this evening. So the next soup might have to be this one. My wife wants me to make a batch of Beef Stew this weekend so maybe next week will be kale and sausage time !!!!!

You are right, it is good all year long....

[inaplasticcup]

I'm going to try this next week. I think I could like kale so much better in soup than sauteed.

[River19]

Oh hell yeah........it is much better. Kale has a lot of structure, that sometimes doesn't translate well if people really crave the mouth-feel of chard or spinach etc. I love chard as a side dish and kale in soups.

[inaplasticcup]

Soup it is then! Thanks, River. :)

[mariacarmen]

you know what would be good in that soup? a nice poached egg. i made something similar following a Lydia recipe from her show once.

[inaplasticcup]

Hey, I think I saw that epi. Sounds good to me too!

[middleagedfoodie]

Wow, made it based on an Epicurios recipe, but used store bought chicken broth instead of the water and twice as much chorizo as called for. Not a fan of smokey sausage, but this soup was amazing. Since the urge to make something that actually takes a recipe only hits me maybe twice a month, I might not make this for awhile, but I am definitely craving it again during cold weather.

[scubadoo97]

It's really so basic, easy, healthy and taste great. Excellent on those really cold nights. Something we have very few of and I'm glad of that.

[westernmeadowlark]

totally fall food - leek and potato soup (hot and chunky style, no vichyssoise tonight!) and garlic/rosemary fried thin-pounded porkchops :) with blackberry experiments for dessert

[inaplasticcup]

How'd those blackberry experiments turn out, meadowlark?

[westernmeadowlark]

awesome! my husband was trying to make a cookie that tasted like a fresh blackberry. he's not satisfied with them yet, but they were awesome and BRIGHT purple :)

[inaplasticcup]

Some catchup meals of the past week or so...

Kimchi fried rice with miso soup and fried tofu. Udon with poached egg, kimchi and sauteed mushrooms. Korean style lettuce wraps with boiled pork and seasoned dwenjahng.

Looking forward to getting back into a regular cooking and posting schedule. :)

[mariacarmen]

damn. that pork!! all of it, really... but that pork, and the miso/natto looking thing, make me drool.

[inaplasticcup]

You really should try the dwenjahng, mc. I love it, and it makes a great marinade for KBBQ pork too!

[scubadoo97]

Just amazing iapc. You really should be a food stylist. And what's best, a food stylist that can cook!

[inaplasticcup]

Thank you scuba. That totally made my day. :)

[kscooley]

SQUEE! I just clicked on your profile and saw your blog. It looks great and I'm looking forward to reading it. :-) As for the meals... They all look incredible!! If I could cook Korean like this, I'd be in heaven. Is there a good spot to go to for recipes or are they all in your head? :-) (Like kimchi... how do I make this at home??)

[inaplasticcup]

I hope I'm not breaking any posting rules to let you know that there is a kimchi recipe there, and it's a lot easier than you'd think.

And thanks for the kind compliments. I'm grateful that you're reading. :)

[onceadaylily]

I made a batch with coaching from that girl. She made it so easy.

ETA: And I'm not breaking rules, because this is the recipe I used: http://ridiculoushungry.blogspot.com/2011/07/baby-batch-of-kimchi-for-dummies.html with a few adjustments, after I got a peek at this one: http://ridiculoushungry.blogspot.com/...

[inaplasticcup]

LOL. Thanks for pimping my posts, lily. :)

[letsindulge]

YUM x 10!!! Looks so authentic. What I do is Koreanesque. LOL! Now I have a craving for daeji bulgogi, toejigogi kui and a side of galbi jjim!

[inaplasticcup]

LI, I do a lot of Korean-esque too! I use a lot of workarounds because I just don't have that much fridge or pantry space for ingredients.

I see you're a fellow pork lover. HIGH FIVE for pig!!!

[steve h.]

Best pictures yet, ina.
I can almost taste the food.

[GretchenS]

what he said ... best pictures yet and that is a high bar indeed. The fried tofu makes me hungry and I just finished lunch....

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, steve and Gretchen. I'm really glad you like them. :)

[Cynsa]

Sake steamed chicken thighs. Asparagus. Quinoa. Coconut ice cream.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/din...

[ChristinaMason]

Nice recipe, how was the chicken? Did you skin the meat? I'm not sure I can picture eating steamed chicken skin...

[Cynsa]

To serve, I removed the skin and pan fried it to crisp it, then chopped it like chicharon manok or gribenes for a garnish with the green onion and toasted black sesame seeds.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/din...

Chicken is cooled in the covered pot after steaming and must sit quietly - the texture is velvety and the flavor is a subtle infusion - we like it - (I am shredding the leftovers for Chinese Chicken Salad tomorrow)

[buttertart]

Chicharon manok...I miss my Bay Area Filipino eating- and cooking-obsessed friends...

[rabaja]

Dunlop's ma po tofu! Yes, again, I can't help it I am addicted and the weather calls for some comfort food.
To go with, my favorite japanese brown rice and some gorgeous broccoli de ceci I found at a farmstand. Tonight may be the night for the first fire of the season, too.

[GretchenS]

I am so envious of your ma po tofu, I have been craving that for days! But Wednesday = fish share and today it's pollack, which is a lovely mild white fish similar to cod but a bit sweeter (in the fish sense). Since we extended Capers Week (which I duly celebrated with pasta puttanesca last night) I am making this dill caper sauce to go on my pollack (but not the crispy potato wrapping). http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/06/... Roasted cauliflower to go with, I think.

[inaplasticcup]

How does broccoli de ceci differ from the regular kind, rabaja?

[rabaja]

Instead of a large head that you break up, the plant produces small off-shoots, which are lovely sauteed whole or sliced up and added to soups or stir fries. I love it and always scoop some up when I find iot at FM's or farm stands. Sometimes I can find a purple variety as well, but it can be buggy. Hopefully this link will work...:

http://www.mariquita.com/images/photo...
Of course, my spelling is totally off.

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, rabaja! Looks like a cross between regular broccoli and broccolini, well, sort of...

[operagirl]

Last night was winter vegetable soup -- sauteed shallots and garlic in olive oil, then added chunks of peeled/seeded red kuri squash, carrots, parsnips, and celery and covered with water by 1". Simmered 'til veggies were tender, then added a big splash of half&half and s&p. Blitzed with immersion blender 'til smooth.

Served with cheesy toasts -- sliced some homemade gluten-free caraway bread very thinly, then topped the slices with some grated aged gouda, black pepper, and olive oil. Baked at 350F while the soup was simmering (about 20 mins). Cut the toasts into squares and sprinkled into the soup, along with a little drizzle of truffle oil.

Served with a big green salad, then homemade tapioca pudding for dessert.

[L.Nightshade]

Your soup sounds lovely with the cheese toasts, what a nice autumnal meal!

[operagirl]

Thanks!

[L.Nightshade]

I think there can be a fine line between sharing and boasting, and I don't want to cross it, but...
we are still in Florence, and after a long day looking at art, walking, and both with barking colds, we just stepped into the minimart to pick up dinner fixings. We are cooking up their hand made pasta with some garlic and onions, adding some wild boar sausage, fresh tomatoes, and pecorino cheese. Salad of greens, anchovies and capers. I don't know about you, but this is not like the minimarts where I live!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Sometimes it's okay to boast! That sounds amazing (the dinner and the minimart).

[roxlet]

When you travel to Italy, there is no boasting. Let's call it reportage...

[GretchenS]

I'm with roxlet, it's reportage and we want more!!! So happy you are having a great trip, colds notwithstanding.

[mariacarmen]

sharing or boasting, you're making us green! what a wonderful time you must be having, despite the colds.

[linguafood]

Hopefully, that dinner will have soothed your barking colds (icky). Florence is gorgeous.

[onceadaylily]

Whatever you want to call it, it is wonderful to hear about.

[rabaja]

Totally agree with everyone, this is all wonderful to hear about! Glad you are having such a wonderful trip.
Ah, the minimarts of Florence, with all that hand made pasta...poor you! This may inspire of few trips for us hounds, thanks for sharing.

[LindaWhit]

In this case, boasting is most certainly allowed. In fact, it's *required*. :-) Hope you enjoyed your meal - sounds heavenly (except those little fishies in your salad; not fond of those!).

[L.Nightshade]

You are all just the dearest!
It has been wonderful, and sadly, nearing a close in a few days. Dinner was delightful, and topped off with a stroll to the next block for some chocolate and hazelnut gelato.
Colds may haves slowed us down a bit, but not hindered our enjoyment of wonderful foods and spectacular sights. It has been great to combine eating out with cooking from the fresh and unusual bounty available here.

[kscooley]

Um, you're in Italy. It's perfectly fine to boast. In fact, please do, as I wish to live vicariously through you! Man... How I WISH to go there!!!! LOL And your dinner fixings sound divine!!!

[inaplasticcup]

If what you're doing is boasting, Nightshade, please, boast awayyyyy... :)

[nomadchowwoman]

Enjoy the remaining days of culinary bliss, LN.

And I'll have LW's share of the anchovies.

[danionavenue]

pot roast, can't wait. first one of the season.

[inaplasticcup]

What do you put in your pot roast, danionavenue?

[Harters]

Seekh kebab, chappatis, mint raita, mango chutney, salad leaves.

[roxlet]

Last night I made a variation on Lydia's chicken with rice. The larder seems somewhat bare, so instead of ground up onion, garlic, celery and carrots, I only used onion and garlic. And instead of cutting the chicken thighs into cubes, I browned them whole, skin-on, in a cast iron skillet, and then added them to the other ingredients when they were partially done. It uses arborio rice, and although it is not made in the traditional way, it is really like a poor man's risotto without the fuss. My only cavil, is that it is not the most gorgeous looking dish being mostly beige, but a good sprinkling of chopped parsley ameliorated to a degree.

[kscooley]

Whoops! Didn't see this until after I posted in the last thread, so copy & paste:

I'm behind on posting & reading - eek!

Monday night - Braised Beef with Peppers & Onions from the yellow Gourmet Cookbook (I couldn't wait until November to try this - and oh, it was so tasty!!) Served with basmati rice & a Caesar salad.

Tuesday - Thanks to OnceADayLily, I made the spaghetti squash & Swiss Rainbow Chard gratin. Substituted cream cheese for the cottage cheese (had the former, not the latter), used 2 huge cloves of garlic (farmer's market garlic is SOOO much bigger than those at the food store!), used a scallion (how do I run out of something so basic as an onion???), and freshly grated Pecorino Romano instead of parm. DH & I both agreed - this was a GOOD dish. Definitely making again at the next chance I get!! Just had that with a slice of homemade European peasant bread. Nom nom nom!

Tonight - something with shrimp. Hoping to figure out a recipe that the children will eat, though they won't touch shrimp. Any ideas, my fellow Hounds?

[onceadaylily]

I'm glad you liked it, ks (and the garlic I've been getting from my market lately is annoyingly small, which is kind of a pain, since I like lots of garlic). I thought I'd give this recipe another shot this week with some fresh basil, a different sort of cheese, and maybe top it with crispy fried shallots.

ETA: The links you put up on the other thread to use with that shrimp sound really good to me!

[kscooley]

Oh, the fried shallots... That makes me swoon just thinking about it!

I am making the Burmese prawn curry sans onions (still out) and ground ginger instead of fresh (making do with what I have on hand). Coconut rice was going to take too long. I thought I was going to add a dollop of milk to the finished rice, but saw a recipe on the can that was similar to the Burmese Prawn Curry. Inspired, I added about 1/3 of the can into the pan with the shrimp and now have a nice sauce. YUM. It smells great and the sample taste of sauce I had was delish!

[kscooley]

Oh heaven on a dish... This was just fabulous!!!! Honestly, I need to make it again. Is tomorrow too soon??

Here's the linkie from Chow: http://www.chow.com/recipes/14355-bur...

[inaplasticcup]

That's too funny, kscooley. On the rare occasions I'm out of onion, I also wonder how I could let such a thing happen. It's like having no garlic or no rice...

Oh, and on the shrimp thing - my daughter loves shrimp. My son will only eat it if it's battered and fried.

[beccydinosaur]

Tonight was a lazy meal - I made some hoisin sauce, basted pork hocks with it (and lots of garlic!) then braised them until they were falling off the bone. At the last addition of the liquid I added udon noodles, broccoli and red peppers, and used a little of the braising liquid as a sauce. Today was a long day and I didn't have a lot of produce left so it was nothing fancy.

[mariacarmen]

you "made" your own hoisin?? lazy indeed! how do you make hoisin?

[beccydinosaur]

I use this recipe:

4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp black bean paste
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder

All you need to do is mix all the ingredients in these proportions until smooth-ish.

It's from here:

[beccydinosaur]

Whoops! I mean, it's from http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/1...

[mariacarmen]

thank you!

[mariacarmen]

At home we had the thai marinated, crock-potted pork shoulder chunks to decent effect - the pork was tender but the fish sauce didn't go as well with it as i thought it would - maybe it's just too much fish sauce for pork, tho i don't know why that would be. i've used it before on the pig, but less. that with leftover green beans, and white zucchini rounds the bf sauteed with whole garlic cloves. and the leftover coconut rice.

for the oldster, i made chicken parmiagiano - a first for me. it turned out quite pretty, and i cut a little corner for myself - tasted pretty dang good. made a quick tomato sauce, which turned out kinda sweet, went well with the chicken and the mozz. my dad, of course, looked at it leerily.... what?? you eat spaghetti & meatballs 3 x a week, and you love chicken milanesa - what's not to love?? we'll see tomorrow night if it's a keeper for him.

[inaplasticcup]

How many nights a week do you cook for your dad, mc?

[mariacarmen]

probably 2 x a week. sometimes i'll go over there and make a couple things to last for a few meals. the rest of the time it's my sister. or dinner out or take-out.

[mariacarmen]

oops, duplicate.

[LindaWhit]

Dad's not had chicken parm, mc? Breaded chicken that's been cooked to golden brown with cheese on it in a tomato sauce - what's NOT to love? is right! LOL

[mariacarmen]

hard to believe, eh?
to be honest, i have had it maybe once, ever, myself -and probably some Denny's version or something when i was a kid. It never appealed - but last night's made me a convert.

[nvcook]

I love it made with panko crumbs. I think that makes a big difference.
.

[mariacarmen]

so dad did NOT like the chicken parm. actually, he liked the chicken part but thought the tomato sauce was too rich. this from the man who literally can eat spag and meat sauce/balls 3-4x a week (he'll have it one day for dinner, the next day for lunch. and repeat.) i think mostly what he is objecting to is the cheese. i didn't use a ton, purposely, since i never know what's going to be too much for his palate (ahem, too much flavor!) but still it was too much. ah well.

[LindaWhit]

Awww, bummer. :-( Oh well. At least you know YOU like it now! :-)

[mariacarmen]

yep. will make it again for me & the boy.

[letsindulge]

1 Pot Meal of Potato Gnocchi (prepared) w/ Spicy Sausage, Fennel, & Spinach

[roxlet]

Mmm. Looks and sounds delicious. Homemade gnocchi?

[letsindulge]

Not homemade this time. Although with Thanksgiving around the corner I'll be making a batch of sweet potato gnocchi in brown butter and sage.

[twodales]

Sweet potato gnocchi in brown butter and sage. Sweet music to my ears..

[letsindulge]

I know...I'm looking forward to it as well. Gnocchi making is a tag team effort for my hubs and I. He rolls & cuts, then I mark.

[kscooley]

*drool* That looks amazing.

[inaplasticcup]

That looks amazing, LI. Gnocchi sounds tempting today...

[vanillagrrl]

Felt like last meal of fall, especially because it is snowing now, first snow of the season in our parts. We had curried chicken salad sandwiches and roasted cauliflower. i ate all the butternut squash seeds-and-pulp I roasted at the same time as the cauliflower. I also roasted the squash to make into soup tomorrow, when it's supposed to be much colder.

As good as dinner was, it's dessert I'm excited about, though: pears poached in a syrup of white burgundy, sherry, maple syrup, star anise, lemon peel, sliced peach, and peppercorns, over vanilla ice cream, with toasted almonds. Mmmm....

[mariacarmen]

i am not a dessert person, and those pears sound divine. wow.

[vanillagrrl]

They were.

[JungMann]

After a bit of Googling, I settled on Simply Recipes' chicken piccata, going with the full half-cup of white wine and opting to thicken the sauce with a light roux rather than mounting it with butter. On the side I had steamed broccoli with chorizo crumbs (chorizo, olive oil, garlic, Aleppo pepper, ginger and lemon rind).

The piccata was what I remember from the restaurant: tasty but somewhat flat on the tongue. It drew my mind to a phrase my grandmother used that loosely translated means "tired tongue," a flavor that wears out your tastebuds as you try to find that bit of oomph that makes you crave the next bite. This is often my complaint when I make wine sauces. Wine doesn't have the zingy sweetness of lemon juice or the piquancy of vinegar. It just tastes like I poured my glass into the pot and exaggerated its qualities. Maybe a floral Torrontes was the wrong choice here, particularly since I wasn't a fan of the bottle to begin with, but I can't imagine one of my off-dry Rieslings or slatey Sauvignon Blancs being an improvement. Or perhaps I'm wrong. I wouldn't mind some direction to figure out if perhaps wine sauces are just too "foreign" to my palate.

[linguafood]

I ALWAYS add quite a bit of lemon to my piccata. I sometimes use butter, sometimes just a bit of cornstarch in hot water to thicken. Lemon, -- to me -- is absolutely essential to piccata, whether that's authentic, traditional or not.

But then, sour is one of my favorite flavors, along with spicy, salty & bitter.

[mariacarmen]

what's your recipe, again lingua? i have chicken breasts in the fridge waiting to be piccataed on Thurs. night.

JM, i checked out that simply recipes recipe - it doesn't call for enough lemon, that's clear. but funnily, i just checked giada de laurentiis' and hers doesn't call for wine (but a third of a cup of lemon juice.)

[linguafood]

Pound the shit out of a kosher chicken breast (they are the juiciest) -- well, maybe just flatten a little '-)

Dust lightly with seasoned flour. Heat a mix of oil and butter in pan. Pan-fry chicken breast till browned. Take out of pan. Deglaze with a good sploosh of white wine & a healthy squeeze of lemon. Add capers. Mount the sauce with either more (cold) butter or a little cornstarch. Add chicken breast again. Flop around in the pan to coat. Eat.

[mariacarmen]

sounds really good. thanks.

[ChristinaMason]

Perhaps the missing butter would have made you crave more bites :)

[westernmeadowlark]

I often use dry sherry or vermouth instead of white wine, you might like that flavor better than the white wine :) and get some of the caper liquid along with the capers! and plenty of lemon juice. chicken picatta is def my 'go to' recipe.

[chef chicklet]

A+ vermouth!

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night was my first foray into farro--and I'm smitten.

Forget that someone who shall go unnamed overcooked the ribeye I'd so carefully salted and air dried for 48 hours or that the COTM salad I made was far too hearty and busy for this meal: the wild mushroom "farrotto" was divine. I made the risotto just as I would normally, only I used (pearled)farro instead of arborio rice. I had had this dish in a restaurant in Kalamazoo, MI, and loved it, but didn't have much faith I could do it myself. I think mine was every bit as good, IIDSSM.

Farro is fabulous.

Tonight I'm doing all COTM recipes: Maria Bertuzzi's Lemon Chicken (pan fried w/carrot, onion, herbs; garlic, cloves and tomato are stirred in, and the dish is finished w/lots of fresh lemon juice--hope it turns out as goos as it sounds); Creamy Polenta (to which I'll probably add fontina and parmigiano to make DH happy); Garlic-Sauteed Cabbage.

[onceadaylily]

Do you have a recipe for that farrotto, NCW? That sounds interesting.

[nomadchowwoman]

Well, I just made it as I do risotto. I diced and sauteed a big shallot (although I usually just use onion) b/c I had one in a mix of butter and olive oil. Then I added a cup of the farro (it was "pearled"; I'm not sure if that makes a difference) and sauteed it for a couple of minutes before adding a generous splooch of white wine (sauvignon blanc, on this night). Then I added hot chicken stock (veg or mushroom stock would work equally well) as I would to risotto and stirred every few minutes. (The farro doesn't require constant stirring.) After I'd used just over 4 cups stock--about 30 minutes--the farro was tender, with a nice bit, I added the mushrooms (I had sauteed 8 lg. sliced cremini in some butter, to which I added a 6 oz. pkg of previously frozen lightly cooked chanterelles), another 1/3 c. or so of stock, a generous handful of grated parmesan, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. It was delicious.

Now if I were a vegetarian and making this my main dish, I might be inclined to stir in a spoonful of cream or creme fraiche just before serving. To keep my virtue from going to my head.

I also think reconstituted dried porcinis and their soaking liquid would be a nice addition to this dish.

[onceadaylily]

Thank you, that sounds wonderful. And I am in no danger of letting virtue go to my head. Trust me.

[nomadchowwoman]

Until you give up your martini, oadl, I am not worried about you.

[inaplasticcup]

Also intrigued by the farro, ncw. I'm going to try it after I finish up my arborio.

[linguafood]

It's the last sunny day here in the valley of happiness, at least according to the forecast: brilliant blue skies & almost balmy.... normally, that would set my mood for grilling. But, of course, by the time we cook / eat it'll be bitchin' cold outside, so scratch that plan.

One again, a shower epiphany -- all of a sudden I had ratatouille on my brain. That morphed into baking eggplant with a sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, oregano, lots of garlic & maybe topped with some feta, main will be lamb meatballs with cumin, garlic, fresh marjoram plus whatever else I can find in the pantry & a minty yogurt sauce on the side. My man will contribute his pilaf.

I guess it's club med @casa lingua tonight.

[onceadaylily]

Wish the boy liked ratatouille. It will be lovely with the lamb.

[weezieduzzit]

Last nights risotto was so good (the man repeatedly said so while eating it... and I totally agree! ) that I'm extra sad that I spilled half the box of arborio on the floor when I opened it. :( I would have had left overs to do something with!

So..... it's cool and rainy and that begs for some kind of soup with grilled sandwiches. (I have honeycup mustard in the frige and that makes we want to eat turkey or chicken sandwiches nonstop until it's gone.) Probably a pseudo gumbo with lots of extra veggies. I'm busy with lots of work to get done and that'll be both easy and satisfying.

[letsindulge]

Used up good beef trimmings from the freezer, and carrots intended for carrot cake and made Bo Kho. Extra lime please. :)

[ChristinaMason]

Ooh, that sounds great. Is yours similar to this? http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2010...

[mariacarmen]

that is so weird! i could have sworn i posted the same question, with the same link!

i totally want to make that.

eta: oh duh, i posted it on the old thread, where LI first posted that pic.

[letsindulge]

This recipe is the one I use as a jumping-off point. It calls for whole spices rather then ground which can make the stew "grainy", and murky. I throw in a bay leaf or two as well. I make this from the trim of the boneless short ribs from Costco. I prefer it over shank.

http://foodforfour.com/2010/03/bo-kho...

[mariacarmen]

Thanks!

[inaplasticcup]

Another one in the extra lime camp! This looks delicious, LI. Wish it were my dinner.

[tcamp]

Last night it was farmers market soup, made on Sunday and reheated: Italian sausage, mushrooms, acorn squash, baby white sweet potatoes, 1/2 can of black beans, chicken broth, herbs. Tonight, no cooking for me. Going to a middle school dinner/presentation on "the teenage brain." Low expectations, chow-wise.

[River19]

The soup sounds good, the presentation on the teenage brain......not so much for me......

Anything with sausage in it is fine with me.

[ChristinaMason]

Another evening away from home tonight, but I've left a slow cooker full of Jerk Pulled Pork BBQ bubbling for DH to finish when he gets home. I started with a (gasp!) Betty Crocker recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/s...

Used a wet rub (walkerswood) instead of the dry and subbed Dr. Pepper for the Coke. (Looking back on the recipe, I just realized I shorted it by about 3/4 c. of liquid). Yeah, we'll see. I've asked DH to start slow with the adding bbq sauce at the end---but it looks like it might really need it, now!

We'll have the pulled pork on homemade white rolls, probably with asparagus on the side. The pineapple-jalapeno slaw I'd planned would have been better, but I couldn't be bothered to stop by the store for the pepper. Maybe bruleed pineapple for dessert instead. :)

[sunflwrsdh]

Betty Crocker is my all time favorite stand by go-to cookbook when I want something basic. I was given a copy as a wedding present in 1975, and I still use it for things like basic white sauce or any basic recipe. My macaroni and cheese is from Betty, although I vary things a lot. I used a Betty Crocker recipe tonight for chocolate pudding. And I kept it out on the counter, because I am planning to use it again tomorrow for Crumb topped apple pie. On that one, I make a different crust, but the Betty Crocker apple pie is the one I always make. Sometimes, simple and basic is best:)

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Turkey-avocado sandwiches last night, which were good, but not particularly noteworthy. Coated some strips of Japanese eggplant in egg and a cracker crumb-parmesan mix and baked them until crispy for a zucchini stick-type side. Buttermilk ranch for dipping.

Tonight I will make my second attempt at deep dish pizza. Not sure about the toppings yet, but I'm trying a crust recipe I found here.

[ChristinaMason]

I'll have to copy those eggplant/zucchini sticks, they sound good. And a bit healthier than their carbier cousins. Did you find that the eggplant became tender in the time it took to brown the crumbs? How long/what temp?

[BananaBirkLarsen]

I was worried that the eggplant wouldn't cook in time, but it turned out almost squishy-tender. Almost like crumb shells filled with pureed eggplant. I salted the raw strips and let them sit in a colander to leech off extra water for about 1/2 hour, so that probably had a bit of a brining effect. I baked them at 400F, but I'm not sure how long it was. Not too long. A little longer than it took me to assemble 2 sandwiches.

[ChristinaMason]

Sounds excellent. I will give it a go.

[mariacarmen]

BBL, all your sandwich needed was a little bacon!
and that eggplant does sound really good.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

You're right! Bacon would have made it perfect. Although it would have been even more perfect with bacon and banana peppers.

[cakebakerlady1]

White bean chicken soup. Had it for the first time this weekend while dog-sitting and now, three days later, I'm craving it! Yum!

[roxlet]

Does that have chicken in it, or is it made with chicken stock? I'd love to hear how you made it. I'm suddenly into bean soups.

[cakebakerlady1]

it does have chicken (and stock) in it. the recipe i found on food.com called for 3 pounds of chicken though! it's somewhat of a shortcut recipe as you use canned white beans. i just boiled up some boneless skinless chicken breast. once they were done i let them cool a bit then shredded with a couple of forks. I diced up an onion and got it going in my dutch oven with a bit of olive oil. then i threw in what amounted to a couple of cloves of minced garlic and a wee bit of a jalapeno. i let that cook a few minutes until the onions were done enough for me, then added a mix of flour, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and italian seasoning (the recipe called for oregano, but i didnt have any). i let the flour taste cook out and in went the stock (8cups), 3 cans of white beans and the chicken. simmered if for a while and served with avacado.

[River19]

This week looks like this…….

Seared woodcock served with mushrooms and red wine sauce sliced thin on crustinis with a dollop of goat cheese on them, side salad of mixed greens and lemon vinegrette.

Pasta with chicken sausage, broccoli, garlic and olive oil, plenty of parmesan cheese

Grilled pork loin marinated in olive oil, fresh rosemary, garlic, S&P, mashed taters and grilled asparagus

Panko pecan grouse breast with a sauce of shallots, chicken stock, shrooms and parsley served over wild rice with dried cranberries and a side of swiss chard

Yup that will work alright….

[twodales]

Gosh. Let it be noted: I am drooling at 9:48 am central time.

[LindaWhit]

Sounds like someone does a lot of hunting in your family, River. Those pastas are especially tough to take down, aren't they? ;-)

[River19]

Yes, hunting, me. About as organic as one can get. Obviously, I'm fine hunting as long as everyone eats what they kill. My wife enjoys what I feed her. She especially enjoyed the sharptails I brought home from the grasslands this year. I enjoy cooking the "backwards" game birds, dark breast meat white leg meat........woodcock, sharptails etc. fall into that category. The ruffed grouse is outstanding table fare.........fitting as the king of game birds.

And yes, pass shooting those pasta dishes can be a tough shot.......

[roxlet]

I remember one Thanksgiving in London when we went to a classic British restaurant for dinner (I think it was at one of the big hotels) and the DH ordered woodcock, and they served it with its beak sticking up on the plate. I guess that was to show it was actually woodcock he was being served. This is what we refer to as "the good old days."

[Harters]

An old Harters standby - macaroni cheese with courgettes, onion & bacon.

(Please note that the used of the word "old" is intended to convey the age of the standby, not the Harters)

[twodales]

Harters: You made me laugh!

I've been thinking mac n cheese lately and yours sounds really good. I usually am a bit of a purist with m & c but onion and bacon and healthy courgettes? Oh yeah...

I am able to get a really nice English cheddar (at Trader Joe's, English Coastal Cheddar) here that is perfect for this dish.

[Harters]

Yep, a really mature sharp cheddar is what you need for this. Everything gets mixed together and then we add a breadcrumb/parmesan/cayenne topping and stick it under the grill (broiler) for a minute or so.

I can get very greedy with this dinner.

[Matahari22]

Harters, I have been on a bacon kick the last two weeks. Last week, I was caramelizing some onions, and dreaming about Mac and Cheese with bacon and caramelized onions. You just reminded me of it again. I'm pretty sure, that will be my lunch tomorrow, but I don't have zucchini, but I did get a head of cauliflower yesterday and I'm thinking that would be yummy.

[LindaWhit]

Took out some chicken thighs to defrost a couple of days ago; last night made a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, Herbs de Provence, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Those suckers marinated last night; will marinate today, and I'll roast them tonight with some Yukon Gold potatoes. Broccoli or green beans alongside.

[beccydinosaur]

Bought some beautiful lamb and produce from my local organics store today so I made Turkish kofte with baharat and pomegranate molasses and stewed them in a tomato, kale and roasted red pepper sauce. I'm serving it over moghrabieh.

[inaplasticcup]

<googling lots of things...>

[beccydinosaur]

I have discovered so many awesome ingredients (especially spices! I am a spice fiend... have 130ish at last count) by googling!

[JungMann]

What do you put in your Turkish baharat?

[beccydinosaur]

I cheated a little bit and doctored up some of my Malouf's stuff with extra sumac, black pepper, chilli flakes and smoked paprika. I think I threw in a pinch of another Arabic seven-spice blend at some point as well.

It was really good! I fed both my flatmates, my partner and myself, and we all had seconds. I also made blueberry-brown sugar muffins for afters and they were tasty too. So glad to be off my crutches and back into the kitchen!

[frannieface77]

I wanted something healthy and fast today. I made a thick soup cobbled together from about 1/2 cup leftover roasted/mashed butternut squash with cinnamon, paprika, a little curry, salt and pepper pureed with a bit of water, veg broth, and canned pumpkin, plus more cinnamon, paprika, curry, and garlic powder, heated on the stove with pinches of additional herbs (next time i'll add more rosemary- yum!).

I wanted some greens, so I microwaved some roughly torn kale and leftover roasted onions. I mixed this with some of the (very thick) soup plus a little extra water/broth, chopped celery, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. I actually made this twice! Early dinner and a late dinner just now, haha. For the late version I also added some arugula and a little vegan "chicken". SO. GOOD. The sweetness of the butternut squash and cinnamon come through despite there being no sugar! So this was a super-casual bowl of random healthy things that tasted amazing.

[onceadaylily]

I love mixing little bits of soup into new recipes, and yours sounds delicious, Frannie.

[fara]

wow, frannie, you sound just like my grandma. right down to the soup and greens for a snack. :) may you live a very long life as well (she's 90 and going strong).

[mariacarmen]

so tell me if this was a foolhardy move. i took the leftover marinade for the chicken of 2 nights ago (the coconut/cilantro/garlic/fish sauce thing), and I boiled it down a bit. then tonight, i bought a couple pounds of pork shoulder cut into chunks, and I'm now marinating the pork in the old chicken marinade. remember, i DID let the marinade come to a boil, so no risk of contamination, right? right? RIGHT? the marinade was never not refrigerated (except when it was being boiled). oh and i added a tbls of brown sugar. just because.

i'm letting that marinade overnight tonight in the fridge, then will stick it in the crock pot in the morning for tomorrow night's dinner, along with the leftover coconut rice.

am i going to kill us, or is it just yucky?

[LindaWhit]

mc, I think you'll be fine after boiling the marinade, especially since it was never *not* refrigerated.

[mariacarmen]

thx, just what i wanted to hear before i left the house, thanks!!

[rabaja]

I've never thought to do that, but that marinade sounds great and the brown sugar addition with the pork is making my mouth water as I drink my second cup of coffee. Fish sauce and pork? You may need to make a Vietnamese sandwich with the leftovers!

[mariacarmen]

oh yeah!

[inaplasticcup]

Sometimes I'll keep the braising liquid from various braises in one container and then braise something new in it. Efficient for sure, and it hurts to throw away that meaty goodness... :)

[ChristinaMason]

Slow cooker beef porkolt (aka "goulash"), boiled halved redskin potatoes crisped up in a frying pan, and roasted okra with herbs. All out of sour cream, so we dolloped a little cottage cheese in our bowls to offset the paprika gravy.

Leftovers tomorrow for lunch over steamed bulgur.

[JungMann]

How did you cook the okra? Roasted okra with herbs is totally new to me.

[ChristinaMason]

DH actually made that dish. He trimmed the tops, sliced the okra lengthwise, and sauteed them in a hot cast iron with a little olive oil and seasoned with rosemary, thyme, hot pepper, garlic, etc. Then he finished them under the broiler.

[JungMann]

That sounds very interesting. I'm not used to okra without any acid, let alone cooked under the broiler. How'd it turn out?

[ChristinaMason]

It was very good. Try it! I think the same could be accomplished even skipping the stovetop step, and just roasting at say, 425F.

[wyogal]

Last night of class tonight: Balinese music/food, had yellow rice with coconut milk, tumeric, lemongrass; and fruit salad (canned selection of Dole "tropical fruit" and pineapple) with a tamarind/chili sauce. The challenge was that I wasn't able to use the teaching kitchen so did this in a classroom, hence the "pantry" salad. They loved it, the sour/hot sauce with the fruit was fab. I had extra cookbooks plus my laptop/projection, so showed them how the yellow rice is usually served, with lots of various accompaniments. But the simplicity of the fruit/rice/tamarind sauce was a good supper. I used the fruit juice left from the salad, added ginger ale, quick drink.

[onceadaylily]

Tonight was just salad lyonnaise type thing for myself, while the boy opted for a take-out sub.

Tomorrow I will be perverse with pizza again. Because I have leftover pumpkin puree. And I googled it and saw that it had already been done, which made me think of how little is truly novel, but I'm going to do it anyway. My pizza will be pumpkin (warmed with sauteed garlic, shallots, a little nutmeg, and, yeah, Aleppo), fontina cheese, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and sage. I'm even thinking about making some more ricotta to throw in there for the full deja vu thing. The boy's pizza will again be the taco on bread: salsa, a mild cheese, soyrizo, jalapenos, and cilantro, unless he declares otherwise at the last minute. It's what he wants, and it's easy, so I am not complaining. Even though I know that he'll make a face at my pizza, then ask for a bite, and say, "Wow, that's good" and let a pregnant pause elapse as he stares at my plate. That's how our pizza nights usually go down.

He's cute though.

[mariacarmen]

"He's cute though." that's what counts, OADL, that is what counts.

that Aleppo is sure addictive, isn't it.

[LindaWhit]

Your pizza sounds wonderful - great flavors!

And just keep your eyes on your pizza to avoid the puppy-dog eyes he makes at you. :-)

[inaplasticcup]

lily, when you say make ricotta, do you mean actually make ricotta? Or do you mean mix it up with other stuff?

Wait. This is lily I'm talking to, right???

[mariacarmen]

haha-yes it is. the name you're addressing you reply to doesn't always show up until later.

[onceadaylily]

This is Lily speaking. And, yes, ricotta made by my own slacker hands. So easy. I was given a recipe by Breadcrumbs (Ethan Stowell's), strayed from it, and found that I really do prefer it. Four cups whole milk, one cup buttermilk, loooow heat, bring it to 165 degrees (I stir every now and then to prevent scorch), remove from heat, and drain in a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and allow to drain for forty-five minutes to one hour.

There are other recipes out there, and I sometimes use the more cost-effective lemon instead of buttermilk (which you add at the end of the heating), or sometimes sub a cup of cream for a cup of the milk, but I've found that this recipe gives me the kind of curd I like, on the dryish side, with a subtle tang. When used in recipes (like the gnocchi), I just add a splash of cream to compensate for the moisture that most recipes assume. Aaaand I just invested in flour sack cloth, so I never have to buy cheesecloth again. Yay.

This is arguably more of a paneer than a ricotta, but I don't care. It's delicious.

[inaplasticcup]

That almost sounds too easy. This might be another family project...

[suburban_mom]

Tonight it was easy black bean soup - 2 onions, 3 (mild) jalapenos, 4 bell peppers (multiple colors), garlic, canadian bacon, cumin, ancho chili powder, chicken broth and 4 cans of black beans (2 drained and rinsed). We had take and bake bread sticks on the side.

We were out of town for 4 days and my parents arrived for a visit today. I needed something easy but tasty.