What's for dinner #114 [old]

[roxlet]

Happy Halloween. Here's hoping you have some tricks up your sleeve for a delicious dinner treat tonight.

Cold weather persists here in the northeast, and I am in the process of turning some lamb bones into Scotch Broth. Leftover lamb will become Shepherd's Pie. What delicious things do you have planned?

[nomadchowwoman]

We had a couple over to celebrate a b-day and had a nice meal, a mix of bought and made, tried and true, and new.

App was duck rillettes (bought from Cochon Butcher, our local artisanal "butcher") on toasted baguette slices w/a dab of onion confit (also purchased). I could have eaten that all night, but I have a modicum of respect for my thighs.

We then had grilled lamb chops (prepared according to a recipe in Nov.'s COTM, "The Gourmet Cookbook) w/tahini sauce (also from COTM). I bought the lamb at the FM and am happy to report it was excellent since I have not been terribly happy w/this farmer's beef, much as I want to love it. Sides were a couple of stand-bys (Madhur Jaffrey's eggplant "in the picking style," which we adore, and a simple arugula-radicchio salad w/lemony vinaigrette) and a first-run:
quinoa (love it; thanks mariacarmen, for tips), a salad inspired by a "polow" Harters reported on here several threads ago, featuring dried cherries, pistachios, sliced scallion, grated ginger, chopped parsely and a pomegranate molasses/orange vinaigrette. (My guests were so intrigued by the quinoa that one of them called me this morning, wanting to know all about it, where to buy it, etc.) I know I'm very late to the quinoa party--but I'm staying for a while.

Dessert was one I repeat often, pear tart tatin.
I'm pretty sure a good time was had by all.

I'm home all day, waiting for someone to come and make an estimate, so I need to come up with something for tonight. Still thinking on it, but a hefty biography I just started also beckons . . .

[LindaWhit]

I'm pretty sure a good time was had by all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just reading your post, I'm POSITIVE that a good time was had by all! Yowza - sounds wonderful!

[ChristinaMason]

agreed, that's quite the meal!

[mariacarmen]

"... but i have a modicum of respect for my thighs." - LOVE THAT! i would have been happy with rillettes as my whole meal too.

glad you're liking the quinoa - sounds like you've already mastered it! i love the idea of that pomegranate dressing. your whole meal sounds amazing.

[twodales]

A few years ago we were staying with friends outside of Paris and we were about to start another long, relaxed lunch with them. Annie brings out the duck rillettes and I was in heaven. For a long time we could not get them here but I now have a local source too. I buy it as a treat once in awhile. I love it on melba toast and it really is a favorite of mine.

[mariacarmen]

i remember even loving the mass produced ones in the big supermarkets in Marseille. ahhh heaven....

[nomadchowwoman]

Where food is concerned, the French do everything well. No stupidmarkets there.

We have a French friend who brings several cans of foie gras, purchased in a huge supermarket (for which he professes great disdain), back after every visit home, and it is divine.

[linguafood]

New thread here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/816322

[gembellina]

I am in such desperate need of fresh vegetables, fresh flavours and a huge hit of chilli. I ate toast with PB for 8 meals last week (stuck working on a building site with a horrifically bad canteen), along with pork belly twice in two days, and more cheese than I've eaten in the past month! And I'm so incredibly sick of root veg already! It's going to be a long winter...

Serious cravings for the mango and dried beef salad I had at the Vietnamese place the other day, but maybe fish tacos or tom yum soup might fit the bill instead - spicy, fresh, low in animal grease, low in stodge.

Does anyone have any suggestions for reheating fish tacos for next day's lunch? Maybe fish tonight, and a portion of spicy shrimp for tomorrow which would better survive the mwave?

[nomadchowwoman]

It's always tricky re-heating fish, but I do it precisely to make fish tacos. Usually the fish is fried and I reheat it in the oven (or toaster oven), usually about 350 to warm it and slightly re-crisp the outside. (I do the same if it's not.) I've never mastered the MW enough to not turn fish to rubber.

[gembellina]

yup rubbery fish and soggy coating was what I was worried about. I think shrimp would reheat much better. The micro here at work says it has a grill function but doesn't appear to have heating element so not sure how that would work...

[onceadaylily]

Steve h. woke up the lasagna craving in me as well, and, after a fun night out with the house guest last night, I'm operating on only five hours sleep, which means I'm giving in to the pasta. I went ahead and made the ricotta yesterday, but my yield fell short (and the resulting whey was definitely too creamy--I didn't even notice that I bought low-fat buttermilk, and think that was the culprit). I'll make another batch today, and toss a bit of lemon in at the end, to see if I can't break it a little better. The lasagna will be wilted spinach and kale, mushrooms, cheese, ricotta, sour cream, and maybe a few thinly sliced tomatoes and a drizzle of bechamel on top.

[nomadchowwoman]

I never see anything but low-fat buttermilk on the store shelves, oadl.

[onceadaylily]

Really? I used a different brand than usual, and the 'low-fat' just popped out at me. Huh. It's definitely possible that the other brand was low-fat as well, and I just blocked it out. I'm using the rest of the quart today, so I'll get to see if I get the same result.

[ChristinaMason]

Whole Foods has the real deal, if you have one local.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yes,we do, and I've actually bought buttermilk there on occasion--just didn't know it wasn't low-fat, like all the other brands on the ("stupidmarket") shelves. Now I'll make it a point to always buy it there. (Because, heaven knows, I don't want to cut any fat out of my diet.)

[ChristinaMason]

Dairy products are a terrible place to cut fat out, IMNSHO :)

[Berheenia]

He woke it up in me too especially as his teams won and mine lost. So much for my killer beef Beef Bourguignon as a secret weapon for the Pats so tonight we'll lick our wounds and eat veggie lasagna from the freezer - also killer. Red wine too. And homemade bread.

[onceadaylily]

Just have the lasagna next time. Lasagna is, as it turns out, lucky. I got the job (and thanks to everyone who offered a few words of support)! Support your team, with lasagna.

What kind of veggies do you use in yours? I always go the greens and mushrooms route, and could probably stand to try something new.

[L.Nightshade]

Congratulations! I will raise a glass to you (well, a little later in the day, anyway). Hope it works out well.

[rabaja]

Congrats, OadL!!!
Will add you to our toast tonight. Is it food related?

[onceadaylily]

Thanks guys! And, no, rabaja. When I stopped enjoying my own kitchen, I knew it was time for me to stop getting paid to be in anyone else's. And I really think I made the right choice. And I'll get to play with display windows again! I love plating! I mean, merchandising! ;)

[GretchenS]

Congratulations oadl, and what a time of year to start playing with display windows!!!!

[rabaja]

Great that you made that call for yourself. Being burnt out in any field is no fun.
I smell a discount! Enjoy!!!

[mariacarmen]

that is so great!! sounds like it's right up your designing alley.

[nomadchowwoman]

Congratulations, oadl! I hope you love it; I know they'll love you.

Lucky lasagne: that has a nice ring to it. Since it's on the menu some time this week, I shall hope for good things.

[LindaWhit]

Congrats on the new job, oadl!

[mariacarmen]

the marinated chuk came out with good flavor, but even tho it supposedly tenderized about 18 hrs., it was still a bit tough. i think i should have also cut it into thinner slices. those were served over a bed of romaine leaves and cucumber slices, lightly dressed with red wine vinegar, s&p, and the meat juices. charred tortillas went with that, and for the side i took black beans, some refried, some whole, mixed them with cumin, granulated garlic, minced shallot, and a few good dollops of habanero red sauce, mixed the whole thing with an egg and a good bit of cornmeal, then spooned them into little patties and pan fried them until crispy. served with a bit of crema. they were not as good as i thought they'd be.... but the guac was A-OK.

[onceadaylily]

I can never get black beans cakes quite right either. I make really good black beans, but when I make those same beans into patties, they become boring. But they always sound so good that I can't help but try it again once a year or so.

Guac is always A-OK.

[limonay]

Homemade (all the way down to the broth!) roasted tomato and basil soup!

[roxlet]

Looks wonderful!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Salad for dinner again. This time it's red leaf lettuce, prosciutto, soft goat cheese, sliced asian pears, toasted almonds and a honey-mustard dressing.

[ChristinaMason]

That sounds really good.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

It really was. And very easy to ignore that the large quantities of prosciutto and goat cheese were maybe making the whole thing not quite as healthy as we pretended it was! :)

[ChristinaMason]

Salmon moqueca (http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moqu... with sauteed garlic and a bit of cumin) served over brown rice. It was good, but I wish I'd sprung for the $2.69 red pepper instead of the cheaper green, which dominated unnecessarily.

Anyone else noticing grocery prices suddenly shooting through the roof? I saw cauliflower $3.99 tonight! This can only get worse...scary.

[L.Nightshade]

That moqueca sounds wonderful, thanks for including the link. I'd really like to try it. Fish is one thing we always have in abundance, and this will be something different to do with it. I'm with you on the peppers, for some reason greens can really dominate a dish.

[ChristinaMason]

Definitely try it! I mix it up a little (look for "Culinspiration" in the comments) to see my changes. It's really good. My favorite is the same recipe with cod or turbot and shrimp.

[megjp]

Surprisingly light Sunday dinner because of some earlier domestic turbulence:

- Carrot soup (lent body by a sweet potato and creaminess by chickpeas, all pureed to a perfect texture) -- oh yeah, and pan-fried leftover polenta 'croutons' for crunch
- Wild & brown rice salad (chopped supremed orange and fresh dill, parsley; EVOO, wine vinegar, OJ; roasted chopped shallots, garlic, and red pepper; toasted almond slivers)

It was pretty nice for an unusually warm fall day..and will feature in this week's lunches!

[ChristinaMason]

polenta croutons...swoon.

[powella]

Sweet potato latkes with apple sauce, asian-style cabbage slaw, and meatballs. Some may find it a strange culture combo, but it was delicious and successful!

[buttertart]

Have some nice veal cutlets that will be schnitzeled, some mw'd potatoes await being made into salad, and the mâche (aka Feldsalat) from Fresh Direct will be dressed appropriately for Austrian Nite at Butterhaus! In the mood for something Mitteleuropaisch. Aided and abetted by "Tante Hertha's Viennese Kitchen" by Monica Meehan and Maria von Baich, a book I'd be happy to eat my way through (except for the herring salad, I just don't like herring).

[ChristinaMason]

fun! I'm with you on the herring.

[roxlet]

Ditto on the herring. It's what sort of turns me off to Scandinavian cooking too. All those herring recipes, and meatballs with loganberry. Just doesn't appeal to me.

[linguafood]

You gals have no idea whatcha talking about!! A good herring salad is a wonderful thing. With red beets, apples, onions & a light mayo/sour cream dressing.... nah, I get it. It's not everybody's cup o'tea.

What kinda dressing did ya make for the mâche (we also call it Rapunzel in Germany. god knows why)?

[nomadchowwoman]

That salad, minus the herring--sehr gut.

[JungMann]

I'll have to try your beet recipe. I like to dress mine with yogurt/mayo, sieved egg yolks, garlic and sambal. A bit of hard bread on the side and you have one of my favorite summertime lunches.

[linguafood]

Leave it to you to put an interesting twist on a German household staple!

[JungMann]

Actually this was a hack of Ikea's garlic herring salad. The sieved egg yolk in the dressing along with garlic powder is key. My only addition is the touch of sambal since a meal just isn't a meal without some chili.

[mebby]

The fairy tale character is named after the greens, not the other way round (In the story, her mother has a pregnancy craving and steals some greens from the witch's garden, bringing on the curse). In the french and italian versions she's named after parsley. Just in case we all needed a little random fairy tale food fact for the day.

[buttertart]

That's very interesting. My Swabian colleague just calls it Feldsalat.
Was a good one - M (unsolicited, FOR ONCE) said "this is a delicious dinner!".

[twodales]

How interesting regarding the Rapunzel. Learn something new every day!

[mariacarmen]

i think i like herring.... but i'm not sure. will have to try some. i like the JM's take on it, too.

[LindaWhit]

Dinner for the beau and I will be spaghetti & meat sauce, salad, and garlic bread. Pretty simple after an early afternoon of both of us running errands for stuff we both needed. But works to fill the tummies.

[buttertart]

A full tummy is a happy tummy for beau and belle.

[sunflwrsdh]

Simple roast chicken...brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with minced garlic. Sprig of fresh rosemary inside. Roasted at 375 for about 2 hours. Stuffing, cooked separately, just a simple bread stuffing with some craisins tossed in. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Mashed butternut squash. Good leftovers to work with tomorrow; I'm thinking about chicken and dumplings:)

[steve h.]

Supper will be lasagna. The inspiration comes from Hazan (Bolognese-style beef, béchamel sauce) with some modifications: lasagna noodles were courtesy of Barilla, not home-made; ricotta was added to the meat mix; layers benefited from sliced mozzarella and grated parmigiano reggiano. Dolcetto d'Alba to wash it down. Football on the box.

Deb did the lifting, I'm on KP.

[Chocolatechipkt]

That sounds fabulous.

[L.Nightshade]

Ooh, sounds great! I think I'll jump on the lasagne bandwagon tonight also, different version, using up some of my excess ravioli filling.

[steve h.]

Lasagna is a Fall dish. So many recipes and they all work.
Jets beat the Bills, Giants beat the Patriots. It's all good.
The lasagna was mighty tasty.

edited to add: Wizard of Oz is on the panel.

[roxlet]

Tonight we will be serving osso buco as requested by the birthday girl. With that will be risotto Milanese. We will start with a green salad of some variety, but we're not yet sure what it will be. For dessert is coconut birthday cake.

[ChristinaMason]

wow, luxe!

[nomadchowwoman]

Birthday week at your house, roxlet--what lucky folks!

[mariacarmen]

chuck steak has been marinating in sour orange juice, lime and lemon juice, red onion, minced garlic, cilantro, sliced jalapeno, granulated garlic, olive oil and s&p since midnight. some kind of taco-like thing. not sure of sides yet, but there will be guac. oh yes, there will be guac.

[beccydinosaur]

Just made fresh pasta with tomato & spinach sauce. Made a lime & poppyseed cake for afters.

[weezieduzzit]

A turkey!

Holidays are always somewhere else so we never get left overs to do all of the (in my opinion...) better than Thanksgiving itself things that you do with thanksgiving leftovers. Since stores are always running deals on them in November and December, I cook a few of them over that time.

A 13 pound turkey was only $7 so that's a heck of a deal on meat for the week (for the frige/freezer to add to things and of course lots of stock for upcoming soups/stews/etc.)

I slide a couple of slices of deep smoked applewood bacon under the skin and let it baste itself while cooking. Its always moist and juicy. (I also cook all poultry upside down like my Grandmother always did, never ever have dry white meat.)

I swung by the 99 cents only store yesterday because that's when they stock their produce and along with lots of other stuff I picked up 4 containers of Earthbound Farms organic baby kale mix so that will all be cooked down for easy reheating this week.

I'm expecting a busy week so I'll be thankful for a couple of things that are pre-done and can be assembled into yummy dinners.

[vafarmwife]

Roasted pork tenderloin roasted with apples, onions, and apple cider- will reduce the roasting liquid for gravy. Herbs de provence roasted red potatoes- not sure of the green veggie yet probably just green beans.

[Chocolatechipkt]

What time should I come over? :b

[vafarmwife]

Noon EST..

[LindaWhit]

Wow - NICE dinner, vafarmwife!

[nomadchowwoman]

Lovely dinner, and so funny: my SIL called me yesterday, reporting that she and BIL had been to an apple farm and bought cider the day before and as we talked her dinner was roasting--almost exactly like yours, except not tenderloin. I was envious.
Apples don't grow here much, so no apple farms, no cider : (
My mom still regales us with stories of fall and picking apples, drinking cider. Plenty of roasting pork.

[roxlet]

One of my best friends, former colleague, and son's godfather was in town for a few days, and since it's his birthday next Wednesday, we invited him for a dinner that included birthday cake. We decided on a bistro meal, and the DH out did himself. We started with a delicious salad of frisse, Roquefort, and lardons in a fabulous vinaigrette. For the main it was a hanger steak with a red wine/shallot sauce, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Dessert was devil's food cake with vanilla frosting. And left over Halloween candy to go!

[buttertart]

Oh boy, sounds perfect.

[mariacarmen]

After making Meatloaf Sans Flaveur for the oldster, i came home to a wonderful dinner of the boy's version of shaking beef, pork dumplings with cabbage, kimchi (leftover), a cucumber salad, and thai iced tea (purchased). His rendering of my request for an "asiatic" meal. pic doesn't do it justice of course...

[buttertart]

Very nice indeed!

[nomadchowwoman]

Sounds/looks like yours and the BF's was a meal "avec flaveur."

I would like to have a meal like that. Tonight.

[suburban_mom]

I hosted my monthly Dinner Club ladies. We had this menu: http://www.foodandwine.com/menus/fall... . I made the main dish and other members made the rest of the menu. Because our number of attendees outnumbered the items on the menu, my friend who is a book editor brought a salad from a vegetarian cookbook she is currently editing. It was a WONDERFUL meal.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

It's the first really chilly day here and I'm celebrating with an "It's Finally Fall!" meal. Acorn squash, baked with nutmeg, Hungarian paprika and honey. A wild rice mix toasted in butter and bacon grease and then cooked in chicken stock and topped with toasted squash seeds and home-cured green olives. And petite sirloin steaks.

I wish I had a good dark beer to go with it, but I drank that all last night.

[mariacarmen]

that squash dish sounds so different and wonderful.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks -- it turned out really well.

[inaplasticcup]

Not in the mood for big cooking the past couple of days.

Tonight, it's a kid friendly hybrid of kimchi jjigae and kimchi bokkeum made with dark meat chicken (with some of the skin thrown in for extra flavor), kimchi, brown sugar, and gochoojahng.

This and some steamed rice is what's for dinner.

[mariacarmen]

yum. your "not-in-the-mood-to-cook" dinners put my "in-the-mood-to-cook" dinners to shame!

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, mc. You are always so supportive-like. :)

[beccydinosaur]

Last night: made a giant batch of gnocchi (as in, it fed myself + partner + flatmates then me + 2 work colleagues later on) to use up the rest of the pesto. I also made a Bill Granger brownie recipe for afters.

Most recently, I made salt & pepper tofu, stirfried veggies in homemade hoisin and sesame green tea noodles. I took it to work to feed myself and a friend.

[nomadchowwoman]

Everyone's meals sound wonderful--as always. It's obvious the weather is changing; more and more comfort food is showing up on tables.

We're going to a party tonight so I'm not cooking, but we've had a few good meals this week.

We started the week with "Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna," from the Oct. COTM (fresh spinach pasta layered w/a "country ragu" and parmesan bechamel), served with grilled radicchio and arugula salad. The lasagne prep was spread over a few days, but it was very good, first time around and as leftovers.

Had been promising my husband a wienerschnitzel, so on Tuesday, I pounded, breaded, and sauteed veal cutlets and served them with egg noodles and mixed mushrooms, brussels sprouts in a lemon-cream sauce, and tossed green salad.

Last night we had angel hair pasta w/sauteed chanterelles, pancetta, a touch of cream, and grated parmesan along with yet another arugula salad. (The arugula at the FM has been just fabulous.)

[letsindulge]

Looks delish!

[mariacarmen]

every one of those meals sounds really good. and i'm really full right now!

[Berheenia]

After a trip to our local it's home to boneless chicken cooked with some enchilda sauce and jack cheese over yellow rice from a packet and brocolli with what else- Ranch Dressing! We have a log- the 3 hour kind and tonight we gain an hour of sleep at last.

[LindaWhit]

Breakfast was at Vic's Waffle House near me, and then the beau and I spent the afternoon wandering around the monthly open house at a former mill factory in Lowell, MA that's been converted to artists' studios on 5 floors. He's now napping (although I'm hearing some floor creaking upstairs, so he might have woken up). He bought something for his daughter; I didn't find anything I immediately needed but collected many biz cards of items I was interested in.

I took some b/s Frankenchicken breasts out of the freezer before we left, so I'll make a Chicken Paprikash. (I'm on the laptop, so I don't have the recipe handy, but it's one where I cut up the chicken instead of using the chicken thighs as I've made before). I will add some Aleppo pepper to give it a bit more oomph. I serve it on egg noodles with peas on top. The beau said it sounds good, and has also said he'll try (almost) anything I make, except asparagus. OK, I'll allow that dislike. :-)

[mariacarmen]

o,k the beau knows the right thing to say! he's in good hands.

hmmmm.... is it almost time to bring the Week of Paprikash back?

[LindaWhit]

It's ALWAYS the Week of Paprikash! :-)

[rabaja]

I am onboard for a week of Paprikash!
Can't wait to rejoin you all here with homey cold weather dishes.
Currently in Boulder eating lots of meals out and all I want to do is get home to make stock and scubadoo's Tortilla Soup!
Tonight's dinner may turn into a mixture of take away from a Brasserie we fell in love with and little morsels I find in my travels today. Looking forward to checking out the Denver WholeFoods, sometimes the regional changes can be fun.
Hotel room picnic, must get some bubbly too.

[nomadchowwoman]

That sounds so romantic. (And like lots of fun; I love checking out groceries in other places. Drives my husband batty.)

[rabaja]

I informed my new favorite person yesterday that I like to check out the grocery stores when traveling to new cities and places. I was met with a very curious but generally well received, "oh, really?"...I think I might be able to get him hooked too.
We did peruse a great kitchen shop together yesterday, and it was absolutely painless as he was as into it as I was!
I'm hoping to find the pint containers of red and green chile I got in New Mexico at WF, as they are pretty into their green chile here.

[buttertart]

Last night seared scallops with pink Cava, lemon, and almonds, with semolina bread and arugula salad, with a French Chardonnay, followed by more of the pink Cava with blackcurrant juice and the last of the prune and walnut cake from 150 Best American Recipes (a great recipe).
Tonight, a dear friend is cooking for us.

[L.Nightshade]

What a lovely sounding meal! It seems celebratory, or was it just an ordinary Friday night?

[buttertart]

It's a fairly normal Friday night, a bit more elaborate than some. Was nice. Liam (in avatar) is a scallop man too.

[LindaWhit]

Liam has might fine taste, just like Mom. :-)

[buttertart]

Aw shucks, LW. Fuchsia wasn't impressed - probably best for her in the long run not to be!

[L.Nightshade]

That Liam is one lucky feline!

[mariacarmen]

BT, that dinner sounds lovely - so light and festive. love the idea of the scallops and the bubbly, especially the pink.

[onceadaylily]

We're getting ready for a house guest, and I had to do a second interview for that job today, and now have that funky post-adrenaline spike crash thing going on, and a boring to-do list in front of me. Dinner's going to have to be pizza, I think. One will be a loaded sweet and spicy thing: marinara, muenster cheese, some chopped and roasted green pepper, ancient sweet reds, onions, and Aleppo pepper, and some crumbled Morningstar Farms 'sausage', and the other pizza will be a simple pesto, roasted tomato, mushrooms, and mozzarella. We'll also have salads, and there's an open bottle of wine around here somewhere that needs to get gone. And *will* get gone. Maybe even before dinner. Maybe even now. Maybe a glass of wine will make scrubbing the grout less irksome.

I fed the man his first MSF fake sausage last night: he was very impressed, and wanted to know why I hadn't brought them home before. "Nearly five bucks a box, baby," I said, and he winced. They're worth it though.

[L.Nightshade]

Your pizzas sound great. I understand that spike crash thing, yuk. Hope you can work it out kneading your pizza dough. Enjoy your wine, and I wish you the best on the interview outcome!

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, Nightshade. A second interview is a good sign . . . and the wine is even better.

[mariacarmen]

second interview is definitely a good sign! keep us posted!
and i love the sound of muenster on pizza.

[inaplasticcup]

Now I know what's on them pizzas. :)

What is MSF, lily?

[nvcook]

ina - morning star farms is the MSF mentioned above

[onceadaylily]

Morningstar Farms. They put out a veggie patty that tastes amazingly like sausage. I had to swear to the boyfriend that it was a veggie patty, and then show him the box. He thought I was smuggling in sausage and lying about it.

[inaplasticcup]

Ahh. Thanks, nvc & lily. I knew that, but just didn't put the two together. :)

[gembellina]

Good luck with the job! God pizza is so tempting, especially your sophisticated toppings!

[L.Nightshade]

Last night we made chicken and cornmeal dumplings from the COTM. I don't think I've ever made dumplings before. It seemed so old fashioned, I just had to use my grandmother's china. Alongside, green beans and butternut squash in sherry vinegar-soy sauce butter. Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc in our glasses (after a dash went in the chicken).
Two dishwasher loads and some handwashing later, the kitchen was almost clean. Seemed like lot of work for a simple, old fashioned meal! But worth it, very tasty and comforting.

[Chocolatechipkt]

A sandwich with honey crisp apples, d'Affinois, bacon, and avocado on toasted challah. Mmm!

[scubadoo97]

That looks and sounds great!

[L.Nightshade]

I think I want to steal your sandwich! Maybe add a little bit of brie...

[Chocolatechipkt]

The d'Affinois is about as creamy a brie-type cheese as you can get, at least this one was. Super ripe and tasty.

[L.Nightshade]

Oh I know, it sounds perfect. Just not readily available at my market!

[Chocolatechipkt]

Ohh, sad. Have you had blue d'Affinois? I can only find it once in a while, but man ...

[L.Nightshade]

No, haven't had that, it sounds great. I love a creamy blue. You are on the wrong side of the country, but if you are ever in British Columbia, look for Blue Juliette from Salt Spring Island Cheese company. A heavenly, creamy blue goat cheese from a very small cheese-making company in the Gulf Islands.

[mariacarmen]

d'Affinois bacon & avocado - what a decadent combo!

[inaplasticcup]

Honeycrisp in sandwich - must try.

[Chocolatechipkt]

It was really really good. :)

[letsindulge]

TGIF all! Linguine Alfredo w/ Bacon & Green Peas. McMurray Ranch Pinot Gris. Salud!

[ChristinaMason]

Yes, please. That sounds great.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Cobb salad, the way my boyfriend remembers it from his childhood. Lettuce, quartered tomatoes, julienned pieces of sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, sliced hardboiled eggs and homemade thousand island dressing.

[suburban_mom]

White bean and ham soup - great northern beans, super meaty Honeybaked Ham bone, onions, carrots, celery and fresh Scarborough Fair herbs. Once the beans were cooked I added salt, fresh ground pepper, tabasco, and sherry vinegar. Served it with the garlic cheese bread that we picked up from my daughter's school fundraiser.

[ChristinaMason]

Nice and homey! That sounds great.

[weezieduzzit]

Gorgonzola risotto again because we liked it so much the last time. This time I will try to NOT dump half of the box of rice on the floor and will be adding shrimp. Asparagus on the side- haven't decided on it's method of cooking yet.

The kittehs will be having some of the chicken from making the stock. (Spoiled? yes, very much so!)

Edit.... I just went out to the garden and there were 2 small butternut squash ready to be picked (they're all either perfect for one person or HUGE!) so I think I'lll cook those, scoop it and serve the risotto in it with the flesh either on top or on the side.

[DonShirer]

Portuguese Kale (and sausage) Soup

[weezieduzzit]

I can hardly wait until this seasons kale is ready to pick. That soup sounds so good, I'm looking forward to making some.

[ChristinaMason]

this is permanently on my to-make list these days. gotta get to it! do you have a favorite recipe?

[roxlet]

Having had to postpone my husband's birthday dinner from Wednesday because of a business trip, we will be making up for it tonight. I am making veal Marsala with noodles, band for dessert, I think I will make a souffle. We are having two other birthday dinners for friends this weekend, and a girl can only make so many cakes! Coconut cake is my husband's favorite, and it is also the favorite of our guest on Sunday, so I will make it then and maybe do a ganache and coconut filling.

[ChristinaMason]

Last night was pepperoni pizza and a green salad with toasted walnuts. I find I'm a much more enthusiastic salad eater if I serve it before the main ;)

Tonight---possibly fried ham slice with honey mustard pan sauce and mac 'n cheese. A veg. from the freezer.

We really need to go to the store! But an art show beckons tonight....

[ChristinaMason]

Last night's dinner never happened. Maybe Sunday ;)

[Berheenia]

Last night I cooked for a group (they will have this as part of lunch today)and made Ryan's Favorite Beans, an old allrecipes find. It has bacon, hamburger, and chopped onion cooked and you add brown sugar, a little vinegar, a lot of barbeque barbeque sauce and 3 kinds if canned beans and bake. I know there are more sophisticated barbeque bean recipes out there but I keep coming back to this one. We two had a meatloaf inspired by the COTM Gourmet and our first ever loaf of no knead refrigerator bread - recipe courtesy of a fellow chowhounder. The veg was TJ's medley of fresh cauliflower and broccoli nuked in a bag. I slathered Cindy's Power Dressing (Ranch with jalapeno's) on mine and hubby used Hidden Valley, his obsession. He will eat any veg under Hidden Valley Light Ranch. I see leftovers in our future.

[L.Nightshade]

Well, we never got to the pumpkin ravioli last night, but tonight we did…
Ravioli stuffed with butternut squash, ricotta cheese, and Italian chicken sausage. Tossed in just a bit of butter and fresh sage, and topped with shredded pecorino. Salad of mixed greens, apple, and blue cheese. Not quite Italy, but we do what we can.

[BabsW]

That looks great! It's been on my list to make for some time now. Maybe today. :)

[iL Divo]

well that gave me an idea of what to do with the butternut squash and garnet yam I've still not used. I made pasta the other day and it's resting covered with cling in frig. if I roll it out nice and flat and then cut into large enough squares for ravioli, I can steam/saute/mash the two items above, make the filling for rav, and do a brown butter sage sauce over all. think I'll give it a try.
the little guy's napping, so it's a good time.

[L.Nightshade]

Oh, I hope you are doing it! Squash and yams together sounds lovely, and ravioli are so rewarding. Let us know how it comes out.

[sunflwrsdh]

Looks wonderful!!

[twodales]

So busy lately I need quick meals. Fridge clean-out tonight: Pre-made cheese agnolotti, leftover butternut squash, the last of the asparagus, garlic toasts made with ciabatta rolls from the freezer, and butter lettuce with leftover cannellini beans, a bit of vinaigrette, a sprinkling of four cheeses over the top. A few twists of pepper. Voila!

Insert James Brown singing "I Feel Good"!!!
Me: Happy to use what we have here at home.

[inaplasticcup]

Nice when the cleanout is so cohesive, isn't it, td?

[inaplasticcup]

It's National Stout Day, so I had to scrape the bottom of the fridge for specially beersuited food.

- Pan fried pork chops topped with soy-balsamic caramelized onions
- potato/carrot pancakes using the last russet and half a carrot to add more body
- and an apple sauce using the last 2.5 Honeycrisp apples, which I've discovered are really perfect for applesauce.

Two kinds of stout to wash it down in observance of National Stout Day.

Cheers! :)

[L.Nightshade]

Beautiful! Love the carrot and potato combination. I'm a new fan of honeycrisp, haven't made applesauce yet, but it sounds like a great idea. Something about pork and apples is always just perfect.

[inaplasticcup]

I love the pork and apple combo too, Nightshade. And the Honeycrisp really has the best of both worlds as apples go - good to eat plain and good in cooked applications because of that tartness and firmness...

[mariacarmen]

those potato/carrot cakes look fantastic Ina. what is that topping in the last pic? pork chop, applesauce, and is that some onion? i would love those cakes with an egg on top, for bfast. yum.

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, mc! They're soy-balsamic caramelized onions.

I wish I had more for breakfast today. Actually, I wish I had anything to eat for breakfast except ramen this morning. :/

[sandiasingh]

National Stout Day??? How did I miss that??

[inaplasticcup]

It's never too late, sandiasingh. :)

[Berheenia]

check this out for October and see what we missed ...
http://foodaday.tumblr.com/

[mariacarmen]

dammit! i missed National Potato Day!!!! taters are my favorite thing ever...

[inaplasticcup]

Very cool, Berheenia. The pics are fantastic.

[sunflwrsdh]

Homemade Beef pot pie with cheddar crust...repurposed Sunday's leftover roast sirloin and gravy and vegetables, and had made extra cheddar crust while doing Sunday's apple pie. Husband's homemade bread, and pumpkin bourbon spice bundt cake for dessert. (thank you, VA farmwife, for introducing me to The Southern Lady Cooks blog, where I got the cake recipe, which I have made twice and everyone loves:)

[roxlet]

Tonight I made this shrimp biryani recipe, which was excerpted by Serious Eats from Melissa Clark's new cookbook based on the Food52 website.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...
I thought that this was super delicious, and very easy. However, my son didn't adore it. He thought the flavors were "too complicated," lol. The only change I made to the recipe was using brown jasmati rice in place of the basmati rice called for. I'm not sure I would do that again since the rice came out a little creamier than I would have liked. I think of the rice in biryanis as being dryer and more separated. However, the taste was there. I'd love to make it again, but it may have to be when my son is out!

[buttertart]

Maybe soak it and use the lesser amount of water.

[roxlet]

Actually, I did soak the rice, and it might have been a tad overcooked, but sometimes it's hard to tell with brown rice!

[megjp]

Last was Thomas Keller's chicken breasts with tarragon (which I wholeheartedly endorse, and which is perfectly cromulent made with dried tarragon - there, I said it). The NYT reprinted the recipe from Ad Hoc At Home: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/dining/281krex.html

Squash cubes fried in brown butter, and surprisingly quick-cooked collards: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... .

[BabsW]

A small mushroom lasagna for me and the kids, with pumpkin bread for dessert.

[LindaWhit]

I have half of a small loaf of wheat soft French bread, so I'm going to make a cheesesteak tonight (with SteakUmms since I have that in my freezer) using provolone and caramelized onions. Sweet potato chips alongside. Easy-peasy.

[sandiasingh]

Please excuse this most likely redundant question, but is there a thread somewhere on Chow about "cooking from the pantry?" I have not been able to find one easily. Egullet some time ago had a challenge that was fun. How long can you go cooking from your pantry, other than picking up perishable items like milk, greens, etc.

Thanks for any guidance.

[beccydinosaur]

Had homemade pesto so I pounded out some organic boneless chicken thigh, then put a couple of spoonfuls of pesto in each one, rolled them up and crusted them with polenta then baked them. Sides were rainbow chard and zucchini sautéed with garlic and a bit of lard. Yum!

[ChristinaMason]

Your chicken sounds interesting--did you use an eggwash to get the polenta (coarse cornmeal, right?) to adhere?

[beccydinosaur]

I did! Actually I double coated because I liked having a lot of crust on mine (and yes, I used coarse polenta/cornmeal for this).

[BananaBirkLarsen]

One of those waiting-for-the-paycheck-use-what-I-can-find sort of dinners. Lone chicken breast, cut up and browned. Broccoli, garlic and a makeshift creme fraiche-lemon sauce added. Served over pasta, topped with a touch of grated Swiss cheese and a drizzle or sriracha.

[GretchenS]

Nice! You come up with great waiting-for-paycheck meals evey time!

[letsindulge]

Tuesday night's grilled Kalbi-style London Broil, and tonight's Agedashi Tofu. Satisfied my craving for rice with both dishes.

[GretchenS]

Beautiful.

[inaplasticcup]

So pretty, LI. What was the topping on the agedashi tofu?

[letsindulge]

That would be dashi sauce, julienne pickled ginger, scallions, and nori furikake. It's funny how I always feel so healthy when I eat it (even though it's fried). Lol.

[inaplasticcup]

That really is a delicious sounding combo. I haven't had furikake in a while. Need to pick some up.

[GretchenS]

Cooking for the oldster tonight: swordfish and baked potatoes plus roasted broccoli for anyone who will eat it (me). His meal will be as he prefers it: monotone. ;)

[mariacarmen]

monotone - love it. we took my dad out tonight and he didn't like his Moroccan lamb entree - "there's a funny taste" - aka cumin. his flavor of choice is also monotone.

[GretchenS]

I keep reminding myself, this will be us one day..... Or maybe we'll be cranky old ladies demanding to know why there isn't enough garlic and cumin in our tacos -- "what's the matter with you youngsters, don't you know how to use spices anymore?!?!"

[mariacarmen]

TOTALLY! jeez. i'm hoping not to live that long.

[twodales]

I remember going to visit someone at a nursing home. It happened to be dinner time and I noticed the diners had all pushed their veggies aside and were eating their desserts first. ALL of them. How does that saying about eating one's dessert first?

[GretchenS]

You and me both, sister! My sister and I keep saying, "remind me why we cut back on cholesterol?"

And twodales, that is so funny, when my aunt moved to assisted living she was shocked that everyone ordered two desserts all the time. (And got them.)

[mariacarmen]

right?? 65 - OVER! leave a decent corpse, don't suffer too much, enough already!
( :

[twodales]

Sounds like my brother-in-law. Spices? What are those? His idea of stuffing is wonderbread smooshed inside a turkey accompanied by canned gravy. I kid you not.

He calls mine 'fruit salad' because it has apples, walnuts, carrot, onion, sausage, SPICES, HERBS and other nasty things in the stuffing.

You are earning your angel wings MC!

[iL Divo]

crocked boneless skinless chicken thighs with nothing more than the salsa I made.
they're done and resting.
rice in same broth now with addition of frozen peas and kernel corn. done too and resting.
salad with oil, vinegar, parm cheese, gray poupon salt and pepper.
more cheddarella buns from last night.

[steve h.]

NY strip, baked potato, spinach. A cabernet sauvignon will be paroled from the wine jail.

[twodales]

What? No rings steve? Here I thought I'd inspired you chaps and chapettes to give it a try. LOL. Enjoy anyway...

[suburban_mom]

Well, I now have a sweet and sour brisket braising away in a low oven. I will serve it with egg noodles and roasted parsnips, carrots and brussel sprouts. I also picked up a baguette at the French bakery so we will have that along side.

[roxlet]

I don't think we see the word "parsnips" on this board enough! That's a perfect dish with which to have them.

[suburban_mom]

I figure roasting parsnips will make up for the travesty of me serving premade refridgerated mashed potatoes at last night's dinner.

[ChristinaMason]

Sounds like wonderful comfort food!

[jeniyo]

Last night, we had traditional Chinese food. Sauteed leeks with twice cooked pork shoulder (lean, ugh, I know) with black bean paste and chilis, sauteed green sprouts with green onions and we had it with barley and brown rice mix and a bowl of simple seaweed egg drop soup.

I braised the rest of the pork shoulder with the skin and fat, tied, in anise, cinnamon, coriander, pepper, cloves, orange, wine and soy. I will slice up the meat thin and have it with some noodles and a side of quickly sauteed choy...

as you can tell, i got some pork on my hands...

[ChristinaMason]

*drool*

[inaplasticcup]

That braise sounds superyums, jeniyo...

[onceadaylily]

Today feels like soup and grilled cheese. I think I'll make a batch of creamy sweet potato soup, with lots of onions and garlic, a bit of Aleppo pepper and sage, and tomatoes (chopped and roasted) added in at the end. I might use a bit of red wine vinegar to deglaze the pot after cooking the onions down. And I'm not in a bread-making mood, so I thought I would bake some garlic naan and then use those babies for grilled cheese. Spinach salads on the side.

I have been craving chocolate cake all morning. I rarely ever crave sweets, but lately I cannot stop thinking about desserts, especially ones that are best smothered in mounds of airy and rich whipped cream, or a perfect vanilla ice cream. Or ice cream with whipped cream. On a piece of cake. I am four pounds away from my goal weight, so there will *not* be chocolate cake today.

I do think, maybe, tomorrow, though, I might have cake.

[LindaWhit]

Oh my. That soup sounds WONDERFUL, oadl!

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, Linda! Lately, I just love the combination of tomato, sweet potato, and heat. Another favorite around here is a spicy hash of diced sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers, with over-easy eggs on top, and lots of toast. I eat that way too often, but never tire of it.

[mariacarmen]

that soup does sound really good, lily.... and congrats on being so close to goal weight! brava!

[chef chicklet]

Dear OADL, I have got to know the secret to your dieting success! What type of diet are you doing that you eat such wonderful dinners, lunches - okay, meals in general. That's right, I see the glorious meals you post and what? You're 4lbs from your goal! Shut the front door! I was in TJ's the other day, picked up a package of garlic naan, and gained 2lbs just during the time it took me to locate the caloric and fat count! For me, one piece of ridiculously delicious naan is so over caloric in fat grams, I just gotta know which brand? All teasing aside, I wish you continued success and know you'll reach your goal weight very soon. wow..... good for YOU!

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, guys. I'm very pleased. I just turned thirty-eight yesterday, and it felt really good to put that skirt on, the one I wouldn't have touched four months ago. I rocked that skirt.

I just do a heck of a lot of cardio, and allowed for a fair amount of eating large salads when I've fed the man some kind of cheese/cream/butter/pasta/potato thing. They're good salads, though, and if I want a few bites of the fatty thing, I eat them. I don't do myself wrong. ;)

[mariacarmen]

great way to live, lily!

[sunflwrsdh]

+1. Great way to live:)

[linguafood]

Off to Creverand for a conference, so NO cooking for me in the next few days.... "just" eating.

Other people's food. Nice.

[suburban_mom]

Last night I made the family breaded pork chops that were baked in the oven, sauteed green beans and store bought refridgerated mashed potatoes. I went out with a friend and had wine and truffled fries with lemon aioli.

I did not meal plan this week which has thrown me for a loop in making my dinners.

[gembellina]

Oooh I made (and ate) cornbread for the first time last night - so good! Chilli with jalapeno-cheddar cornbread. And I have it for lunch again today :) And the boy didn't even complain about it being carbs which was refreshing... I've discovered Caribbean cornmeal in Tesco for 60p/lb so I shall definitely be experimenting more.

[twodales]

Cool Gembellina! There are some versions that have corn in them also which are nice. Or you can also make corn pudding. (Not a dessert! ; ) Glad you are discovering new stuff.

[gembellina]

Hmm yes I nearly put sweetcorn in but was in danger of ending up with more "stuff" than dough! I'll look into corn pudding :) I think I can use the same stuff to make polenta so I'll be going Italian soon as well. Yum!

[L.Nightshade]

My (fake) auntie used to make corn pudding when I was little (under 5 years) and I loved it. I've tried a couple recipes over the years, but it just wasn't the same. I don't know if I have a false memory, or if I haven't found the right recipe. Do you have one you like?

[mariacarmen]

hey LN, not sure if this is the same one twodales is talking about, but this is the one i've used:

Corn Pudding

2 cans corn (drain juice from one) - 15 oz.
2 cans creamed corn - 15 oz.
2 sticks melted butter
2 cups sour cream
2 boxes jiffy corn muffin mix

mix all and pour into greased pan. bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, 40 minutes.

totally cheapo, unhealthy, junk-type food, absolutely delicious! you can futz with the amount of corn muffin mix or sour cream - making it more pudding-like or more corn-bready-like. it's awesome either way.

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks, mc. That looks good, but I'm holding out for a real old fashioned one, a true pudding, with eggs and fresh corn, no mixes, no cans. Nothing corn-bready about it. I won't be holding my breath on it though!

[mariacarmen]

very good! if you get a good recipe like that, let me know, i'd love to try that too.

[ChristinaMason]

Ina Garten's would fit the bill: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/in...

[L.Nightshade]

That looks just about right! Thanks, Christina, I'll have to give it a try.

[iL Divo]

Swiss steak, mashed pots, gravy, green bean casserole, baked cheddarella garlic toast

[LindaWhit]

Dinner was bowtie pasta with sauteed chicken, red bell pepper strips, asparagus, mushrooms, and sliced carrots, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried marjoram, dried thyme, and dried parsley, and then tossed with the pasta and a sauce made of heavy cream, milk, and grated Parm-Reg cheese.

[EWSflash]

I don't get to do this very often, but we went to a u-pick farm last Friday and picked a bunch of green chiles and tomatoes. I just grated a bunch of the riper ones into a pan (good way to get everything but the skins in there) and am cooking it a little bit with some herbs. I was going to cook it down a lot more, but I tasted it and it's wonderful and fresh-tasting so I'm going to add some anchovy and basil to a part of it and serve it over linguine tonight. It's already got fennel and oregano in it.

[buttertart]

Grilled cheese on homemade bread (6-yr-old Canadian cheddar, yum) and concord grapes. Solitary dinner, Himself will have something in mind when he gets home in a bit and shift for himself.

[sunflwrsdh]

Sounds wonderful. I actually considered grilled cheese when I got home from work too, but...there was that pie:)

[buttertart]

There's cherry pie if I get in the mood later!

[sunflwrsdh]

Cherry....one of my other favorite pies:) Along with chocolate cream, and pumpkin.

[BabsW]

Yum, particularly the aged cheddar!

I had grilled cheese on my homemade bread twice last week. lol

[chef chicklet]

did you slip some of those grapes inside the hot grilled cheese? When I had some really good red seedless grapes, I've cut them in half and put them in a grilled cheese sandwich using fontina. It was so melty and the bread how can I describe, nice and buttery with crunch. Those little jewels of sweetness with their own pop, Just heaven

[sunflwrsdh]

Last night was burgers and sweet potato fries at a dinner and a movie place, where "The Help" was still playing...just finally read the book and wanted to see the movie. Tonight was 1/2 cup of vegetarian chili at work, and the rest of the apple pie with a slice of cheddar when I got home, along with a glass of Reisling. Not much cooking during the week this week, due to long work days.

[onceadaylily]

After a late job interview that lasted well over an hour, I'm spent. I sent the man out to meet friends without me, but now am at loose ends for dinner. I was thinking of miso and ramen, and, wouldn't you know it, there's already a crowd at the noodle-loving table. I love WFD.

Cheap ramen with a bit of miso, garlic-chile paste, shredded carrot, cilantro, and tofu in a faux chicken base, with maybe an egg tempered in, or a bit of peanut butter (as suggested above, which, frankly, sounds really good to me right now). I make this soup fairly often . . . why do I feel like I'm forgetting something? Garlic naan and a spoonful of self-criticism will go with.

[mariacarmen]

good luck on the interview! i've been thinking of making ramen with a poached egg. i went to the Ranch 99 by my dad's and they were sampling a spicy instant ramen on sale which i liked and bought. don't know when that will make it into the rotation, but yours sounds good..... i will leave out the self-criticism as i've had my fill!

[inaplasticcup]

I'm a big fan of well doctored ramen, lily, and that sounds very well doctored. :D

[megjp]

I won't bore you all with the rest, but why am I just discovering roasted green beans at this late date? Seriously, I'd never once tried just tossing them with EVOO and lots of chopped fresh garlic, cumin, S&P.

All I know is that the next 30ish years had better include a lot more of these than the last 30ish.

[ChristinaMason]

if you get them crispy enough, they taste like French fries. at least, that's what I tell the kids I babysit ;)

[megjp]

Nice. Do they listen? My man has nephews and different hilariously transparent things work on them at different ages.

Since I'm probably staying home tomorrow, I can re-roast the leftovers (I saved them but hadn't the heart to zap them at the office) with reheated stew.

[scubadoo97]

Been using leftovers recently. Last night was leftover caldo verde and tonight repurposed roast chicken was used to make tortilla soup. I'm happy when the repurposed dish is
better than the original dish

[scubadoo97]

I love making tortilla soup. So easy yet so flavorful

[twodales]

Care to share a recipe? I like it but have never attempted to make it.

[scubadoo97]

I can't give you exact proportions since I don't follow a set recipe and used what I had available but I started out with

1 onion, fine diced
2 large garlic cloves, slivered
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, sliced in to thin rounds
1/2 a red pepper larger dice. You can also use green or mixture
1/2 large serrano pepper
This was all sauteed in a sauce pot with salt after which I added
3-4 diced corn tortillas
chicken stock: I don't know, maybe 3 cups
1/2 a can of chopped tomatoes. Fresh can be used too. I just had this in the fridge
left over shredded roast chicken
a hand full cilantro chopped with stems
!/2 a lime squeezed
Cover and simmer

Once the tortillas broke down and thickened the soup and just before serving I added !/2 a lime squeezed, a diced avocado, another handful of cilantro chopped. For garnish, match sticks of red radish and crispy tortilla threads

To make the tortilla threads I just fine cut a couple of corn tortillas into very thin strips, placed them on a paper plate and spritzed with Pam or equivalent then salted and into the microwave for just a little over 1 min.

The cilantro is key to the flavor or this soup as well as the lime.

Give it a try. Let me know how it came out.

[twodales]

Thanks. This is great. I'll give it a try sometime in the next few weeks.

[inaplasticcup]

Perfect repurpose, scuba! Did you fry the strips?

[scubadoo97]

No frying iapc. I spritz them with olive oil Pam, salted, then microwaved till crispy and lightly brown. A lot less messy and taste about the same. I also do this with old tortillas and pita to make chips for dipping.

My wife is away and while shopping pork butt was on sale. Yesterday I tossed a butt on the smoker early in the day. Pulled it from the smoker last night when it hit 165 and covered it and finished in the oven. Got some shut eye and then had to get up to deal with it when it hit the finishing temp of 200. Let rest awhile then pulled it and stuck it in the fridge and went back to sleep. Made a dandy pulled pork sandwich today. The wife refuses to eat pork so it's my time to indulge

[inaplasticcup]

Baking the chips is a great idea. I usually fry, but I think I'll try the bake when I need smaller quantities like for soup.

P.S. More pig for you!!!

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight it's simple miso soup and dumplings (from the freezer) to start, then tuna steak au poivre (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... , adding sesame seeds) and perhaps rice and peas alongside. Haven't really settled on the side yet.

[steve h.]

Pork chop saltimbocca with sautéed spinach. The fat chops are slit and stuffed with fontina cheese, prosciutto and sage. Deb is doing the heavy lifting, I'm back on KP. The recipe is cribbed from Gourmet:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...
NCIS on the panel, wine TBD.

[onceadaylily]

That is a beautiful meal (loving fontina and sage lately). If you and Deb are ever on the outs, I have a room she can crash in.

[steve h.]

lol!
Be careful what you wish for.
Best regards,
--steve

[BabsW]

Well, today for lunch I finally had the butternut squash risotto I'd planned for dinner last night, and that was quite filling, so no dinner for me, but the kids have to eat, right?

I am trying to rotate out the older items form the freezer and pantry before they get forgotten forever. I had 4 drumsticks in the freezer and and huge bunch of purple kale in the crisper, so I made chicken fricassee for the kids with their favorite quinoa & rice pilaf and kale chips.

I also pulled out some of the shellfish stock I made a few weeks ago in anticipation of a butternut squash and crab bisque that hasn't yet happened, but since I roasted the squash yesterday, I'm betting it WILL happen for my supper tomorrow. :)

[weezieduzzit]

I really need to lighten things up tonight food wise so it'll be miso soup with tofu and kale in it along side some stir fried veggies with a small spoon of peanut butter and a bunch of red pepper flakes.

He'll want rice so I'll throw some in the rice cooker and feed what he doesn't eat to the kitten with the cooked chicken scraps from last night. She's super spoiled while we try to get her weight up to 3 pounds. We're getting close! :)

[mariacarmen]

oh baby! so glad to hear she's doing ok.

[onceadaylily]

Aw, that's a tiny one. She's in good hands though. :) I think I'll use a bit of peanut butter in my soup tonight. Keep spoiling that kitteh.

[weezieduzzit]

She's doing great (finally!) She's wrestling with the big cat right now- who weighs 11 pounds more than her. She's too cute. We found a dew claw on one of her back feet which takes the total count up to 23 toes!

We're eating A LOT of chicken right now to keep her well fed. The big cat couldn't be happier. :) I keep reading the chicken threads for new ideas..... ha ha ha!

[buttertart]

Hurray! So happy kitty is better!

[twodales]

Didn't Hemingway have many-toed cats at his place in Key West? I think they are all over the island now,

[LindaWhit]

There are at least 50 polydactyl toed cats at the Hemingway house on Key West.

I'm glad weezie's new kitten is doing so well!

[chef chicklet]

Meat loaf tonight! I'm on my game, the meat loaf is made resting comfortably in the fridge.
There will be mashed potatoes with sour cream , cheddar and scallions (brown gravy). Sides will be white corn off the cob, and steamed carrots. Having trouble with a salad idea.....looking for ideas.
Dessert...perhaps,well the umm sweet potato pie is just about gone - 1 slice left....oops. I really want some homemade ice cream....

[inaplasticcup]

I really want some sweet potato pie...

[chef chicklet]

It's so good, and I love making it fresh from roasted potatoes. I don't have much luck with pumpkin pie, it always weeps and cracks.

[edgarallanwhoa]

Made last night and eating today:
Hubbard squash soup (Suzanne Goen Kaboche squash recipe I read about here.)
and Mushroom bread pudding. Uses a lot of crimini's but a superfluous amount of porcinis. I think I can coax that one along and present it as stuffing for Thanksgiving. Man, is it good.

[River19]

This week I’m going simple and starting to make my larger batches of items to freeze for use throughout the winter so…..

Sun – Beef Stew….came out very well using 2 Long Trail Harvest and 1 Trout River Rainbow Red beers…..

Mon – Leftover American Chop Suey, hey it’s easy and my wife loves it

Tues – leftover Stew and making homemade tomato sauce plus homemade bread...

Wed – Pasta with said sauce made the day before (letting it sit overnight really makes the flavors in the meat and herbs come through better)

Thurs – Pork shops breaded and baked in the oven with sautéed asparagus and cous cous.

Fri – something quick……heading to our cabin as usual (4 hour ride)……..probably subs.

[ChristinaMason]

I see you're a fellow meal planner. There's another thread for that, too, if you like: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/694663

[River19]

Cool thanks..........I can't live without planning it out, how else can you go shopping? :-)

[L.Nightshade]

We are back home as of last night. I haven't caught up with all of your posts, but I'm working on it!

Heavy catch-up work day for me today meant dragging out pantry ingredients and what was frozen before we left. Mr NS picked up asparagus at the market (in October? God knows how bad the carbon footprint is on that one), which I roasted with garlic and olive oil. I thawed a sirloin tip, and made a "black" risotto: frozen cubes of beef stock, red wine, and mushrooms. Added frozen peas and parm at the end. The same cab that went into the risotto, went into our glasses.

I guess we'll have a candy bar for dessert! Only a fraction of the 200 or so trick or treaters we've had the last couple of years showed up tonight.

Armed with a packet of new recipes and ideas, there will be a lot of Italian cooking in our future, just not tonight, as I'm work-laden and Mr. NS is heavily jet lagged (lucky me, I always change time zones effortlessly).

[GretchenS]

Welcome back, *very* nice meal for a heavy work-day pantry effort!!

[L.Nightshade]

Thank you Gretchen!

[roxlet]

Welcome back, and I look forward to hearing your Italian-inspired menus!

[L.Nightshade]

Thanks roxlet! I'm already missing the food. We are contemplating making pumpkin and sausage ravioli for dinner tonight if I get done with work in time.

[inaplasticcup]

Perfectly done as usual, Nightshade. I don't think I've ever done a red wine risotto - how'd you like the cab in it?

[L.Nightshade]

I've never done a red wine risotto before either. It worked very well, probably to do with the other hearty ingredients: beef stock, peppered bacon and woodsy mushrooms. Very nice with the cab to drink alongside.

You and the man might be interested to know (if you don't already) that risotto can work nicely made with beer also. We've done it with an obsidian stout (ala Seductions of Rice), and with a pumpkin ale (with butternut squash and Italian chicken sausage). Mr. NS actually favors this version.

[inaplasticcup]

Oh that pumpkin ale version sounds really, REALLY good.

BTW, it's National Stout Day. :)

Cheers!

[L.Nightshade]

I shouldn't have told Mr. NS. Now he wants to run to the store for stout!

[mariacarmen]

well, the shrooms (smitten kitchen, as described by Gretchen above) were not an unmitigated success. i had shitakes and also bought oyster mushrooms, and i think it was the oyster i didn't like in this prep. but also i think i threw the whole thing together without paying super close attention to proportions, and they were oily without having enough flavor, tho i did actually add 4 cloves of garlic. and, caveat; i did add basil at the end rather than parsley, because i thought it would go better with my asian-flavors pork. the pork itself is very fatty, so maybe it was too much OOMPH in one seating. but i would try them again, using button or criminis, and just serve them up with some crusty bread. because i can definitely see their potential.

[linguafood]

that's interesting, mc. MY shrooms turned out rather nicely (LOVE the addition of chopped capers -- really makes a diff, i think), but i used whole ones -- baby bellas & brown pearl.

i upped the garlic to 4 cloves instead of 3, too. i'ma totally gonna makes these again. great side dish, garlicky & simple.

[GretchenS]

Mine (with whole organic button mushrooms) would have been really good but spent too long in the oven because we had so many trick or treaters, who apparently came from the next town over, which had cancelled trick or treating due to trees and power lines down from the snowstorm. So lesson learned: 30 minutes means wonderful concentrated mushroom flavor but zero juices to dip your bread in. Fortuantely I had some soft goat cheese to spread on instead.

[linguafood]

Mmmmm. I can see a nice bread w/goat cheese AND some of those shrooms on top.

PS: We didn't even have crusty bread (major snafu), but I managed to soak up most of the juice with the chicken breast. Whew.

[GretchenS]

Whew indeed, sounds like a great combo, shrooms and chicken....

[mariacarmen]

oh man, yeah, goat cheese toasts with that mushroom topping? sounds like a plan for this week!

[mariacarmen]

i know - maybe i don't like oyster mushrooms? i didn't think there was a mushroom i didn't like. i will definitely try them again. again, maybe the combo or basil and capers just wasn't meant to be.

[JungMann]

Dinner was the leftover rack of pork, but with an onion gravy I made when I got home. Halfway through cooking, I remembered a F&W pork chop recipe I had been meaning to try so most of the brown gravy was seasoned with Worcestershire and spices, but a test portion was seasoned with Angostura bitters. The result was intriguing and with a bit more sweetness, could be delicious. I am definitely trying the proper recipe soon.

Dessert was inspired by another article, this time in New York Magazine, blending mezcal, creme yvette and cava (I substituted riesling and soda). The wine was far too sweet so you have complex sweet start immediately dissipating in an unblended, smokey finish. I may have to experiment with one of the dryer wines I have on hand.

[ChristinaMason]

Super-tired after a long day and not much sound sleep justified a lazy dinner tonight: linguine and gussied-up marinara (from a jar), salad with vinaigrette (Good Seasons from a packet), and breaded "Italian" chicken cutlets that were bought in a spasm of poor judgment and cheapness. Perdue, you done me wrong.

Nursing a can of Vernor's and indulging in some trash TV now...

[buttertart]

Dang! Wish I could get Vernor's here. Must look for it in the big market near the office.

[buttertart]

Monday is almost always Mexican(ish) at Casa Mantequilla and will be tonight - tacos of roast chicken gussied up with chile pasilla powder and broth, pico de gallo, guac, tortilla chips (the dinner is the excuse for eating them). A tasty tradition!

[iL Divo]

kids are going to pizza party before trick or treating. so no need to make dinner. I'll have tacos and rice and beans from last night while I answer the door.

Happy Halloween

[twodales]

Forgot to tell you kids I made some killer onion rings with NY strips over the weekend. Recipe is from William Rice's "Steak Lover's" cookbook. Nice little cookbook, by the way. He used to be the Food & Wine guy from The Chicago Tribune.

Here is the recipe FYI: Even if you aren't into steak, he has many other recipes for "before, with and after" the main dish. Everything that I've made from this book has been yummy. His Orange Beef is very good.

These are very much like the real onion rings you get in a good steakhouse where you wish they gave you more than one or two on top of your steak because they are so perfect! Anyway, here goes:

Serves 4

1 large very sweet onion

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 t salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Vegetable oil for frying

Popcorn salt, to taste

1) Peel the onion, removing the tough outer layer with the skin. Slice into rings about 1/2" thick. Separate into rings. Use the centers also.

2)Combine the flour, salt, black pepper, and the cayenne in a shallow bowl. Stir to mix. Pour the buttermilk into another bowl.

3) Dredge the rings, a few at a time, in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess flour and set them onto a baking sheet. One or two at a time, immerse the onion rings into the buttermilk. Remove and dredge again, shaking off the

excess flour mixture. Transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with all the rings.

4) Mr. Rice recommends frying in a cast-iron skillet in 1/2-1" oil. Fry a few at a time at 375F. Cook turning once, until deep golden brown a total of about 3 minutes. Drain on a brown paper bag. Wait until the oil returns to 375F

before continuing. While still hot, add popcorn salt to taste. Serve at once or place on an ovenproof platter and keep warm in a 200 F oven.

You can use a deep fryer as well. Using either method, don't crowd the pan. The use of the very fine salt really makes a difference.

[ChristinaMason]

oh my, thanks for sharing this!

[onceadaylily]

I've been craving onion rings, TD, but never order them out, and gave up on frozen a long time ago. I hate frying, but I'm inspired to give this a go.

[twodales]

Feel free to cut them tinner too. Whatever you like. They are a treat.

The only good ones seems to be on top of a nice steakhouse steak, which is a rare occurrence. Hope you like them. Oh and I was out of buttermilk the other day so I made some with milk and vinegar. It worked out well.

[steve h.]

I have to learn how to deep fry. Maybe my winter homework. Thanks for the info.

[twodales]

Steve: I usually just shallow pan fry them. I never know what to do with too much excess oil since I don't fry that oftenl.

A thermometer is a great help too.

This is a simple but reliable method.

[BabsW]

Not sure yet, although I have a butternut squash roasting and some onions slowly caramelizing. I was thinking of making this butternut squash risotto with caramelized onions: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe...

...but I may puree and freeze the squash and use the onions for mujadara instead. All depends where my mood is later on, assuming I haven't lapsed into an insulin coma from testing the Halloween candy.

[GretchenS]

That is really noble of you, testing all that candy to make sure it is safe before handing it out! :)

[BabsW]

I'm a real trouper, gotta say. ;-)

[BabsW]

Yeah, so much for fancy comfort food - I got embroiled in a conversation with a friend about our love for ramen, and I told her I had a "faux thai peanut noodle" comfort food using ramen, and that was it. I had to make the peanut sauce again before giving her the recipe just to be certain that it wasn't total crap, so then I had to EAT THE DISH for dinner.

Verdict: Yes. I love it. *sigh*

[tcamp]

I wouldn't mind the recipe for that "crap." Big ramen eaters at my house.

[BabsW]

Basically take 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 c. peanut butter,1/4 c. soy sauce, 2 T honey or agave nectar, 1 - 2 T rice vinegar --- blend that up and add hot sauce to taste and thin with water as needed. I try to keep in mind the balance between sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Cook the ramen,drain them and toss them back in the pot, adding as much of that sauce as you want - if I'm eating just the noodles, I don't use all the sauce, but if I have add-ins like tofu, chicken and veggies, I might use all of it.

Would fish sauce be nice? Yep. Limes? Sure. Thai chillies? Absolutely. Fresh ginger? omg yes. I don't always have those, but I always have pb, soy sauce, honey/agave and rice vinegar, so sometimes *sigh* ya gotta make do.

It helps that it's tasty. :)

[LindaWhit]

I'm still without power (or at least I'm pretty sure I am, according to National Grid's outage map). No real clear idea from NG on when the power will be restored to my complex and several others nearby (you'd think they'd work on "highly populated residential areas" like condos and apt. buildings, so when power comes on, they could take a LOT more people off the "no power" list. Who knows what they're doing.)

Anyway - will check on the house after work, clean out the fridge and freezer of spoiled milk, mayo, bacon, etc. and pack up anything that's still frozen (I hope the homemade chili, chicken corn chowder, and meat sauce are all still good) and bring that up to Mom's where I'll stay overnight. I'm still hoping against hope that power will be back on in my complex when I get home.

But if not - I told Mom I'd be fine with a grilled cheese sandwich and maybe some of my soup. Simple and filling.

[GretchenS]

But how was the Wolf range????

[LindaWhit]

THAT was great. :-) Posted about it yesterday on the previous thread.

[LindaWhit]

Revising my dinner - power was ON when I came home to throw out spoiled food items! So heat's on, and just a grilled cheese sandwich and probably some chips alongside will be WFD. Linda is a very happy person. :-)

[buttertart]

I made the meatballs in almond sauce from Roden's "Foods of Spain" last night. They are divine. Make them. I never thought a meatball could be sexy, but this is one sexy-ass meatball dish - even the color of it. Rice and a watercress salad made with the olive oil used to fry the bread, almonds, and garlic that went into the sauce, and Sherry vinegar.

[mariacarmen]

sounds mouthwatering.... could you maybe paraphrase a recipe when you get a moment? always looking for new meatball recipes (they're good for the oldster!) and i love spanish ones in particular.

[ChristinaMason]

Here ya go: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recip...

[mariacarmen]

thanks! my lazy google came up with nothing.

[chef chicklet]

Too full to report on last night's dinner, I've now awoke from my food coma.
I made Vinha D'Alho, au gratin potatoes, white corn, and a sweet potato pie. High points for the pie dough!

Not sure what to make for dinner tonight yet, keep posting, I need inspiration!

[JungMann]

Care to share your recipe for vinha d'alho? I am starting to discover I love Portuguese flavors.

[chef chicklet]

oh sure. let me find the original my aunt gave me. I switched it the other day and used balsamic vinegar.

[chef chicklet]

This is my Aunt Irene's recipe, or should I say her Portuguese husband's. There are many recipes for Vinha D'Ahlos, they all are with vinegar and spice. The difference I've noticed are if they fry or grill the pork. I used pork loin chops the other night not wanting to grill it instead and used some balsamic vinegar. (I've done it that way too, obviously don't use expensive balsamic.)
This is one of the most tantalizing marinades ever... when you lift the lid off that pork marinating, the aroma just makes you drool.
12 french rolls
5 lb boneless pork roast cut into 2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine or white
4 C water
1-2 large white onions sliced into thin crescents
4 cloves garlic cloves minced (I confess- I use 6 sliced not minced)
3 bay leves
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
3 T olive oil
salt (she doesn't say) I just take the cap off and add about 1/2 tsp

My aunt doesn't add red pepper flakes. I do 1 T
so that's an individual's call.
Cut the roast into cubes, trim off excess fat. Mix marinade of vinegar, wine water, garlic and bay, paprika, oregano and salt (red chili flakes).
Pour the marinade over the meat in a deep bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight up to 3 days. Drain well and dry on paper towels. Cover the bottom of a heavy fry pan with oil. When the oil is hot begin browning the meat. All of the meat won't fit and you don't want to over crowd or it won't brown. Turn the pork as it begins to brown. Cook the onions too. Once the meat is browned and the onions are cooked keep a lidded casserole in the oven.
Once all the meat is brown, cover the casserole with the rolls. The lid goes back on and into the oven for 10 mins. The rolls will soften. Load the rolls up with fried pork and onions, enjoy! Serves 6-8

[JungMann]

Muito obrigado!

[chef chicklet]

Your welcome!

oooooooh. Just noticed. The olive oil, I add it to the marinade. And then I use extra oil (enough to cover the pan) usually vegetable to fry the pork in. sorrrrry.
oh sheesh, should read; "in a warm oven - keep a lidded casserole", I usually use a low temp, around 250 or so. Just to keep the pork warm and so the heat steams the rolls..

[beccydinosaur]

My partner cooked for me tonight so I had some very delicious osso bucco. Slurping out the bone marrow at the end was sheer bliss.

[inaplasticcup]

The marrow is the best part, isn't it? YUMS. :)

[beccydinosaur]

It's so good! Always a treat when I roast bones for stock!

[inaplasticcup]

You've inspired me to go buy some this weekend. Haven't had marrowbones in the longest...

[weezieduzzit]

We live in a neighborhood where people literally bring in van loads of kids from other neighborhoods to trick or treat. To have enough candy to last even a couple of hours you would spend well over $100 so we're hiding out in the back bedroom, which we've turned into the movie watching room. Because we'll be eating at a coffee table instead of the diningroom table I think I'll make all sorts of appetizers and make it a little food night. Doro Wat will have to wait for tomorrow night, that's too difficult to eat bent over and I'm not risking it dripping on that vintage area rug.

[inaplasticcup]

I wish I lived in a busy Halloween neighborhood. Haven't in ages. What kinds of appies did you end up making, weezie?

[GretchenS]

I made smittenkitchen's garlic butter roasted mushrooms Friday night (with steak and kale and ricotta salata salad) and loved them so much I am making them again tonight, with either crusty bread or rice to soak up the amazing juices, plus I will finish that kale salad which held up really well all weekend. I'll be making that again too. The tree damage in my town from that freak snowstorm is heartbreaking but I was lucky and never lost power.

[linguafood]

Man, I saw you mention those garlic butter roasted shrooms on another thread, and the more you mention them, the more I want to make them!!!

If I end up making them, the kosher chicken breast I got yesterday for casa lingua's good ol' stand-by dish (piccata) might receive a different treatment. Maybe they'll get some sort of dry rub with hot & sweet paprika & assorted herbs. Salad on the side, of course.

[onceadaylily]

Mmm. I love those mushrooms (the diced version that she does is really nice too). I'm doing puttanesca pasta for the boyfriend tonight, and might have just been inspired do a pan of those to go alongside, as well as bread, salad, and wine. Mushrooms and red wine . . . perfect playmates.

It's always sad to lose trees, isn't it? Our street sustained a bit of damage this summer--after the trimmers had already come through. Not as peacefully leafy as it was.

[roxlet]

I have some ricotta salata in the house -- what is the salad you make with it?

[GretchenS]

This one. I shredded the ricotta salata on the big holes of the box grater and shredded the kale very thin so they were close to the same size. You need to let the kale wilt in the dressing a bit before eating. http://www.kimseverson.com/index.php/...

[roxlet]

That looks so interesting. I have to find some Tuscan kale and make this!

[GretchenS]

I loved that I made it Friday and ate it every day since. It really holds well.

[mariacarmen]

just looked up the recipe, those look incredible. i have a bunch of sliced shitakes i could do that with... but maybe not as good if they're not whole or halved? and i don't think they'll go with the asiatic pork thing i've got in the crock-pot. i have basil to use up, maybe if i add some of that....

[GretchenS]

If you make it with shitakes, I wanna know about it, it sounds fantastic!!

[linguafood]

I think I may well do a mix of shrooms myself -- I'll see what's on offer @Wegmans. Here's hoping for some baby bellas, oyster mushrooms & shiitake.

They often have hen of the woods / maitake, but I'm not sure how well they would work in this recipe.

ETA: having returned from Wegmans, I can report to have bought baby bellas and brown pearl mushrooms.

Really looking forward to dinner --

[twodales]

Garlic. Butter. Mushrooms. Yep, works for me.

[tcamp]

Something really scary for Halloween - mystery thaw! Trying to slim down the freezer so this morning I removed an orange/reddish substance in a plastic bag and put it out on the counter to thaw. I am terrible at labeling.

It is probably tomato/meat sauce to be served over pasta or some sort of soup. I'm also thawing a couple of bone-in chicken breasts. And about 9 peeled, chunked apples are busy turning themselves into applesauce in the crockpot.

Yesterday's dinner was pretty tasty - stir fry with leftover rice, ground pork from my CSA farmer, eggplant and peppers plus thawed dumplings, browned and served with dipping sauce.

[buttertart]

Mystery thaw! Love it. I have some chocolate ganache in the freezer my husband keeps thinking is something meat-related.

[ChristinaMason]

boy will be be disappointed when he serves that over rice!

[twodales]

Smoked Pork Chops, Asparagus with a bit of hollandaise, and small golden steamed potatoes. Berries to finish. British "Top Gear" on the tube followed by an episode or two of "Sleeper Cell." Post Trick or Treaters that is...

Full-Size Hershey bars & Kit Kats for all of you beggars. ;-)

[roxlet]

We do full-sized bars too, though we have smaller ones on hand for the bus loads of kids that literally get bussed to our neighborhood. Sometimes a couple of dozen at a time! It would be very expensive to keep up with that!

[twodales]

Gosh, I love Scotch Broth. You do put barley in, yes?

[roxlet]

Yes. I am using the recipe from The Essential New York Times Cookbook. I don't have a turnip, so that is my only deviation. Everything else was on hand.