What's for Dinner? #139 [Old]

[ChristinaMason]

Aaaahhhh....a clean slate.

So, what home-cooked goodies are on your plate tonight?

[LindaWhit]

We're over 300, so I've started a new thread here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/845376

[linguafood]

Yay! :-)

[LindaWhit]

Now get over there and post what goodies you're cooking up, lingua! :-)

[linguafood]

Your wish is my command, tho expect to be let down. Nursing a serious hangover & likely will get take-out.....

[LindaWhit]

LOL! OK, as long as last night was a good one, you're allowed to slack off tonight. :-)

[linguafood]

Folks - we're over 300 posts again. Anyone care to start a new thread?

[megjp]

Last night I went to help the ex hang pictures and make Brunswick stew after returning our keys and signing the official moving-out form at our old place.

After buying the ingredients, however, the stew idea got hijacked by take-out pizza from our old local that I dreadfully miss, having moved across town. Sure, we hung a few things on the walls, but in spurts between sixths of our respective six-packs, and during breaks from hockey. I'm definitely fuzzy this morning.. maybe that kitchen re-org is more likely than socializing today. :)

[Cherylptw]

Dinner last night was acorn squash risotto topped with blackened pan seared scallops. Spinach salad on the side.

No real cooking going on here today, if you dont count the grilled pimento cheese, smoked gouda and bacon sandwiches with jalapeno mustard I'm planning.

[nomadchowwoman]

I love that combo: squash risotto and scallops. Lovely dinner you had, Cherylptw.

[Berheenia]

Our neighborhood is jumping with the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park so last night we went to the local for drinks and came home to a quick meal of grilled cheese and tomato. A friend brought us some raw milk cheddar from a cheese factory in Vermont and it made excellent grilled cheese. Even though the Sox lost (not their fault- just too much excitement) it was a fun evening. May repeat the trip to the pub again today when they play at 4 but I have a 90 minute dental appt.this morning and am not sure if I will be doing much eating. We're off to breakfast at our local greasy spoon- home made corn beef hash and eggs. The toast leaves a lot to be desired but they do a nice job with eggs.

[LindaWhit]

Ahhh...you're right down there in the thick of it, Berheenia? I can only imagine the excitement yesterday! A coworker scored a few SRO tix for yesterday's game so she was part of the world's largest toast with grape juice....although she told me she used her beer instead. :-)

[Berheenia]

Both home and office are near the park- office had a long lunch yesterday catered by a Sox Clad group- and we streamed the ceremony into the dining and conference areas. We had a popcorn machine, a pretzel vendor, bags of peanuts and of course franks and sausages, And sports bars for dessert. Washed down with an assortment of non-alchoholic beverages - it was a working lunch! Cole slaw and veggie wraps for the non-meat eaters. Wicked awesome day.

[LindaWhit]

I want a "LIKE" button for that post, Berheenia. :-)

[gingershelley]

Sounds like LOTS of fun and delish!

[Harters]

"Cooking the Books" at Harters Hall reaches "Happy Days with the Naked Chef", Jamie Oliver, 2001. The third of his "Naked" books and, to my mind, the end of his superb recipes - we've been less thrilled with all his later books.

Recipe is "Medaillions of beef with morels and Marsala and creme fraiche sauce" - possibly a description that'll take as long to read as to eat the dish.

Anyway, the dried morels get soaked. The beef gets a rub in olive oil and thyme leaves (I've repalced all my thymes in the garden this year and they look fab. The beef is fillet - that's fillet with two Ls and the "T" pronounced - and they are sliced into approx 1cm thickness.

They get about 90 seconds each side in the pan and then come out to rest. Garlic, shallotsd and more thyme go in and, after a minute, the morels. Marsala in. Creme fraiche in. Bubble. Done.

There'll be mashed celeriac. And, joy of joys, the supermarket had their first offering of British asparagus ......and Jersey Royal spuds. Dinner tonght is a feast!

[LindaWhit]

A definite feast! And the Jamie recipe sounds VERY good - it's got morels and marsala! :-)

[Harters]

I'm reminded it also has Comte cheese for afters.

[roxlet]

You're lucky that local asparagus appears in your supermarket. We have to go to a farmstand at some distance to find local asparagus.

[nomadchowwoman]

That all sounds wonderful.

[ChristinaMason]

that sounds absolutely killer! tenderloin, morels, marsala, cream...be still my heart.

[mariacarmen]

My aleppo/sumac/thyme chicken was pretty good, tho i think i undersalted a bit, but the garlic cloves were divinely soft and sweet, especially when mixed into the plain (leftover) jasmine rice I served with it. The rest of my lovely spring greens got napped in a walnut oil/raspberry dressing, and i did baguette rounds topped with my stinky goat cheese under the broiler. I sauteed the beet greens i picked up yesterday in a little olive oil, with salt and a bit of granulated garlic. i wanted a spritz of something acidic but only had a slightly older grapefruit on hand, so i used that. not entirely successful, but not bad.

[GretchenS]

The chicken sounds delicious mc! My favorite thing to do with spring baby beet greens is this: http://www.culinate.com/books/collect.... Sometimes I gild the lily by topping with toasted pine nuts, although I bet toasted sliced or slivered almonds would also be great if one is feeling paranoid about pine nuts.

[iL Divo]

I enjoyed reading the part about baby beet greens.
when I've bought beets, my market sells them individually, so I buy one or two but they don't have the leaves, they've already been discarded. now I know to buy them with leaves on.
probably a good rinse under a lot of water to remove grit is smart first.

[nomadchowwoman]

And to think I used to throw them away! Took reading about how delicious they were on CH for me to see the light. I love them.

[Frizzle]

It all sounds wonderful, so many delicious flavours in one meal.

I've got to admit, I had never heard of aleppo pepper until joining chowhound and after some research today I've found we don't seem to be able to get it in Australia. I'm going to make some calls next week, but I'm guessing it's banned for some reason. You all seem so enthusiastic about it - it's intriguing to try and guess the flavour effect it has on food.

[GretchenS]

Urfa and Maras peppers are two other dried pepper flakes somewhat similar to Aleppo. That is to say, they are each distinct and different but share the traits of fruitiness and a hint of smokiness as well as subtle heat. If there is a Turkish market in Sydney they should have at least one of the three unless they are banned, which I hope is not the case.

[Frizzle]

Thanks Gretchen! I'll add those to my list to enquire about.

[mariacarmen]

i'm curious - why would they be banned?

[Harters]

Australia has very tight import restrictions on plant material.

FWIW, it's not commonly available in the UK (but Google suggests it can be got from specialist online suppliers). Like Frizzle, I;d never heard of it either until I saw mention on Chowhound.

[LindaWhit]

Just LOOK at that lovely garlic! Nom, nom, nom.

[nomadchowwoman]

Gorgeous, mc!

[mariacarmen]

thanks, ncw!

[roxlet]

The husband made a really fantastic meal tonight. To start, we had an arugula salad dressed with a lemon/olive oil vinaigrette with rounds of goat cheese and toasted walnuts. For the main course, he made a seared duck breast sliced and served over a hoe cake and napped with a wild mushroom duck demiglace. And to top things off, he said he had made a bit of a mess in the kitchen, and that he would do the washing up. How did I get so lucky?

[GretchenS]

Seems to me you are not lucky, but deserving! You sure put a lot of great meals on the table yourself! That sounds fantastic, gorgeous combination of flavors....

[roxlet]

That's very sweet, GretchenS. Yes, I DO deserve it, but I still feel lucky that I have such a wonderful husband!

[LindaWhit]

Is he cloneable?

[roxlet]

No, but he's available for parties :)

[Frizzle]

Last night (Friday for us) was Japanese inspired. I always feel like Japanese food on a Friday, I have no idea why.

We had miso soup, made with red miso paste and the addition of ginger and lime juice. The additions came from a thread here and I must hunt it down and thank the poster as the ginger and lime took the miso soup to a whole new, very delicious place.

Alongside that was the nasu dengaku - white miso glazed aubergine beautifully sweet and salty all at once. Recipe here:http://momofukufor2.com/2010/06/nasu-... These we've had numerous times and they are delicious but you do need to give them plenty of cooking time to get them nice and silky. I first had this dish in a little Japanese place in we used to go to as students and this was always one of our must have items on the menu. There was a bit of a trend at the time in the Japanese restaurants to add cheese to things so they served it topped with grilled cheese. I generally do one with and one without cheese so I get the best of both worlds.

I also attempted a wakame salad for myself with dried wakame (re-hydrated). I just made it up and it was a bit of a disaster and ended up in the bin. I'll need to do a bit of research before I attempt that again. I made a dressing using gomu shabu sauce and rice vinegar and the dressing tasted delicious on its own, and even dipping a piece of seaweed in it it tasted nice. When I combined it with the whole bowl it turned out sharp and nasty.

[Frizzle]

I forgot to add - post dinner we gave the quince paste I made last weekend a whirl with a couple of cheeses I picked up at reduced to clear, eat this weekend prices (no problem for me!). One was a pecorino - (snap breadcrumbs) which went beautifully with the paste. The other was sirbone crotonese which I had never heard of. It was better without the paste and had a wonderful hint of caramel to it. A few red grapes to accompany. Great start to the weekend!

[mariacarmen]

i'm sure you've tried your quince paste with manchego? a classic pairing, and delicious.

as to your eggplant, that looks/sounds really great - the cheese kind of threw me at first, but when i opened your pic it looks fantastic! i only have red miso at home, do you think that would work?

[Frizzle]

I know, the whole cheese thing sounds kind of gross doesn't it?! I feel guilty every time I do it.

It would be worth trying with red miso. I would reduce the amount of miso in the recipe though and increase the sugar and mirin as white miso is a lot stronger and sweeter than red. You inspired me to read up - apparently white miso is more rice based and red more soy based, so they are slightly different in key ingredient.

[mariacarmen]

thanks Frizzle!

[nomadchowwoman]

That eggplant looks divine! I have two different colors of miso, but never know what to do with them. Now you're giving me some ideas. Thanks!

[ChristinaMason]

hallelujah, another use for the giant tub of white miso in my fridge. that eggplant recipe sounds great.

[weezieduzzit]

I thought I had it all planned out.... I picked up freshly made (still warm!) corn tortillas at the mexican market this morning along with all the "fixin's" but prefer the carne asada from a different carniceria so I figured I'd pick that up just before dinner.... WRONG! They're closed and I don't mean just for the day. :(

We're going to have to find a new place to try out. I hate trying new places when the old place was so damn good.

In the mean time, cucumbers were 10 for a $1 (and onions were 10 pounds for $1 and limes were 10 for $1... and tomatoes were stupid cheap so I'm going to whip up a cuke/tomato salsa/ salad (and probably another pitcher of mojitos when we get back from finding a new place.)

We could just have ground turkey tacos and use all of this fresh produce but it was 97 degrees today and I'd like to keep the kitchen cool.

[Frizzle]

Salsa and mojitos sound wonderful. Sorry to hear about your place shutting down, it is annoying when that happens.

[weezieduzzit]

Thanks. It's sad too. We try really hard to support small businesses and independently owned restaurants and markets.

[tiffeecanoe]

schnitzel, red cabbage and spaetzle!

[ChristinaMason]

classic combo. yum.

[Breadcrumbs]

Spaghetti Friday here at casa bc. This week it's spaghetti & meatballs with a dusting of a phenomenal peppercorn pecorino from a cheese maker. Freshly baked (but not by me) crusty French bread alongside and of course some vino...Amarone this evening, at least a glass or two. Happy Friday evening everyone. It's the best part of the weekend. You know why? Because we haven't used any up yet! Enjoy!

[mariacarmen]

good way to put it, BC - we've got the whole thing ahead of us!

[gingershelley]

Spaghetti Friday at chez Shangrila here as well. My go-to bolognese with lots of sauteed mushrooms, some roasted red pepper strips, and a few good briny olives thrown in at the end for a bit of variation. A good side of crusty Bin5 - fresh made - and a couple glasses of French bordeaux made for a fine meal. Should have made a salad, but home late and was lazy.

Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nomadchowwoman]

My mouth is watering as usual from reading about everyone's meals, and the roast chicken planned for tonight is beginning to sound boring. But I'll be trying out another COTM recipe: the whole bird is roasted atop a bed of stale ciabatta, with thyme, garlic, lemon. With that, we'll have brussels sprouts that need using up, probably roasted and glazed w/balsamic, and a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and parsley. It will be a late one as DH just informed me he had a "large" burger abd fries at 3:30.

[steve h.]

Chicken, in the hands of a skilled chow hounder, is never boring.

[Frizzle]

I've read a couple of posts about that recipe - I'm curious to hear how yours turns out. It sounds delicious.

[nomadchowwoman]

Make this recipe! It was amazing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/dining/111arex.html?_r=1

I posted about it on the COTM thread. I'll try to link it here, if anyone is interested.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8418...

[Rella]

I feel as dumb as a .. oh, well, I will not go on about it; however,

I'm not quite sure what the bread's role is in this nytimes recipe.

Eating? Sopping up grease so oven will not catch on fire? Helping the clean-up time?
Please check "none of the above" or "all of the above" or "one of the above.

[nomadchowwoman]

Rella--those croutons sop up the juices and are also crunchy and toasty, not to mention one of the more delicious things I've tasted in a very long time.

[LindaWhit]

Girl? That is NOT boring! A perfectly roasted chicken is one of the heaven's great gifts to mankind's tummies.

[nomadchowwoman]

Well, Linda--as it tuned out, it was better-than-perfect, IIDSSM. I rarely roast a whole chicken, but this one was a winner. Great recipe.

[onceadaylily]

Have you ever done the Zuni chicken? I'm curious how it compares--they sound similar, from the brief descriptions I've read.

[nomadchowwoman]

You know, oadl, I've never actually done the Zuni chicken WITH the bread salad (on my very long to-do list!), which from all reports is what makes the dish. I have roasted the chicken the Zuni way, and it was very good. (As I recall, that is cooked at a super high heat ; this one is cooked at 425.)

But I will say, the stars of this show (the Melissa Clark recipe), as far as I was concerned, were the croutons. Though the chicken was delicious, and the resulting sandwiches excellent!

[scubadoo97]

Oh do make it, bread salad and all. I love the salad as well.

[ChristinaMason]

mmm, must try. thank you for the link.

[steve h.]

Rustic spring food tonight.

Deb is assembling the vignarola as I type (artichokes, fresh peas, fava beans, green onions, pancetta, lemon juice all lightly sautéed and then gently cooked in a covered pan with oil, salt and a little added water for an hour or two). The dish will be served at room temperature.

Lamb chops sourced from Whole Foods will be the featured protein, the wine will be a California pinot noir.

Levon Helm passed away yesterday. I saw him and The Band for the first time in August of 1969 at a little place in upstate New York now popularly called Woodstock. Martin Scorsese's, The Last Waltz will be on the plasma.

[mariacarmen]

the BF was just telling me about that movie last night! Did you know that Levon's father's and mother's names were Neil and Diamond??

[steve h.]

That's a fun fact to know and tell.
I had no idea. Levon was one hell of a musician.
modest aside: I had a special tour of the Brill Building awhile back (Tin Pan Alley, home to Neil Diamond, Carole King, others in the day).

[mariacarmen]

cool!

and to connect further upthread.... Carole King co-wrote the Monkees' Pleasant Valley Sunday song!

it's a smalll small smalll small world!!!

[steve h.]

got that right.

BTW, the Highlanders crushed the Red Sox this afternoon. It was the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. Lots of pomp and circumstance. The Highlanders/Yankees pounded out five home runs on the way to victory. The throwback uniforms were a hoot. Linda cannot be happy.

[mariacarmen]

'fraid you lost me, stevie-boy. i am not a sporto. LINDAAAAAAAAA......

[steve h.]

She's crying in her Boston Lager.

[mariacarmen]

evil man... she's gonna kick your ass when she gets back.

[LindaWhit]

LOL! I have ALL season to kick steve's ass.

And I was crying in a bottle of chardonnay shared with a good friend, while another friend had 2 mango martinis. We ate OUT last night - I was craving seafood and didn't want to cook it myself, so up to the Newburyport area for dinner on the Merrimac River (although we did eat inside as it cooled down quickly after the sun went down). I gotz my seafood (with a small filet alongside!), I gotz my french fries, I gotz my wine, I gotz my good friends alongside.

It was a good Friday night. :-)

[LindaWhit]

Early in the season. I would have LOVED to have the Sox win on their 100th anniversary, but it was not to be. I'm thinking Valentine isn't all he's cracked up to be, but a bit more time will tell.

And besides, the Red Sox won their first game in Fenway 100 years ago yesterday - against the team that would become the Yankees. :-P (Of course, that didn't help much for the 2012 season!)

[Harters]

This all palls into insignifcance compared with tomorrow's football.

Manchester City will play Manchester United. If United win it will seal winning the Premier League. If City win, it will bring them to only two points behind and just keep our hopes alive. I don't think I can recall a bigger match. Ever.

[EM23]

I thought the City/ United game is next week, no? I'm currently watching (and praying) that QPR can keep the Spurs from scoring in the 2nd half.

[Harters]

Whoops. Of course, you're right. Not thinking straight - been a rough 24 hours at Casa Harters that's been nothing but medical issues .

[EM23]

Oh, sorry - here is hoping that all is well for you soon again, and you will be able to enjoy the match on the 30th:-)
Planning a special meal for the Manchester derby?

[LindaWhit]

Oh no - I hope you and/or the Missus are feeling better soon!

[Harters]

Good result for QPR, EM23.

Herself should be fine. A totally unexpected flare up of her sarcoidosis - affecting her eyes this time - nasty thing sarco (it can kill you if it puts its mind to it) - saw us at the hospital for three hours yesterday. Followed by hours of trying to track down all the drugs which had been prescribed. And her steroid dosage had been massively increased again. Thought at one point we'd be cancelling our trip to the States - still a possibility but now only a remote one. Her sarco doctor reckoned no problem in travelling but we need to clear it with the eye specialist. The last 24 has been a total pisser.

Dinner was good though!

[EM23]

Glad she is on the mend - those ER visits can shave years off your life, I swear. A good meal can be a great cure, for sure.

And yes, it was a good result all around. I definitely don't want to see QPR relegated (saw my firstever game at Loftus Road), but I'm actually an Arsenal fan:-)
And, back to food - that very night, after celebrating QPR's win at the pub, we went for a curry (which I soon learned was a common post-pub ritual/ excuse to continue drinking after the pubs closed at 11). It was some place down by Shepherd's Bush Green and I had a Jalfrezi that was so hot, to me, that I thought I was going to die (I was a teen at the time and had never had spicy food before). The very kind owner of the restaurant brought out a chicken biryani and an onion kulcha for me, to soothe my burning mouth, after my relatives told him that I was an American.

[LindaWhit]

Oh my goodness! I'm so glad she's doing better, and *really* hope you don't have to cancel your trip to New England! I know a little Spanish joint that really helps put people into good moods - maybe it helps ailments such as sarcoidosis? :-)

My fingers are crossed that the specialist gives the A-OK to fly over.

And I'm glad dinner was good - that always helps!

[Harters]

I've been looking over Dali's menu!

[nomadchowwoman]

Oh, I hope Mrs. H is feeling much better and you don't have to think about cancelling your trip.

[onceadaylily]

Ah, sorry, Harters. I have uveitis (I'm guessing your wife might have the same, with that particular condition, as I've been tested for it), and dislike the occasional steroid treatments that a flare up makes necessary. . . but it's always better than the alternative. I'm sorry you and your wife have such a worry, and the frustration involved. I was looking forward to hearing about your food finds on this side, and do hope that you can still have the vacation and be the paragons of enjoying retirement that you are.

[Breadcrumbs]

Harters, so sorry to hear herself had such a horrible flare up. Fingers crossed and the very best of wishes for better days ahead. May your trip to the US be just what the doctor orders!

[GretchenS]

Hope Herself is much improved and that your trip remains on! Please give her our best wishes!

[mariacarmen]

Harters, so sorry for the missus! and good to hear she's on the mend, hopefully soon, would be such a bummer to miss your trip. sending good thoughts to Mrs. H.

[Harters]

Thanks to all for your kind thoughts. We both appreciate it.

As OADL suggests the actual flare-up manifestation is uveitis. Treatment is mainly steroid based eye drops, hourly for a couple of days and then decreasing over the month. The guy at the hospital said it's a common problem in the latter stages of recovery from sarco. Sarco is a really nasty insidious condition and this bit, whilst unpleasant, is nowhere near as bad as the "first strike" nearly 3 years back. The real pisser is that we'd thought she was just about recovered from it and now we find that what she'd thought may have been a simple eye infection turns into the sarco having another fling with her.

And, now, back to planning dinner ........more later, folks.

[steve h.]

Sounds like a great meal. For the record, Francona got the loudest ovation from the crowd. Maybe they were welcoming a two-time champion back or maybe they were sending Valentine a message.

We'll work out terms and conditions of a new wager later in the season.

[LindaWhit]

I had heard he got the loudest ovation. I think the fans were sending a message to Henry and Lucchino for treating Tito like crapola.

[steve h.]

Here's a shot of tonight's meal.

[mariacarmen]

oh man those chops look gorgeous!

[steve h.]

Thanks. It was mighty tasty.

[LindaWhit]

Nice!

[nomadchowwoman]

Beautiful!

[LindaWhit]

Wow. You were at Woodstock. I wasn't quite of an age to go, and probably wouldn't have had the balls to do so, but I can only imagine what it was like.

[steve h.]

It was a lot of fun in a muddy, rainy, what the hell is going on kind of way.

[scubadoo97]

Levon will be missed for sure. What a wonderful era to have grow up. Wouldn't trade it

[GretchenS]

I am, as mc would say, well pleased. The pork chop was fantastic -- OK, not as transcendant as that lamb chop last night, but far better than pork chops I get at home. I pan-seared it (one side got really well-browned due to a balky cork in the wine bottle but that turned out to be just fine -- the wine was too) and then threw it in a hot oven to finish. Meanwhile, I sauteed sliced mushrooms in the fat plus more butter and made a quick pan sauce by adding some of the most eye-wateringly hot Dijon mustard I have ever experienced and a bit of cream, to which I added the juices off the roasting tray when the pork came out. Served with the purple sprouting broccoli (perfectly cooked if I do say so) and a baked Maris Piper potato I acquired today when I ran across them, because I remembered they were my favorite potatoes of all when I lived here, that was a smashing dinner. I took really nice pictures using the great camera in my iPad but they seem to be too big to upload. :(

I enjoyed catching up on the last 2 WFD threads with a cup of tea before making dinner. As always, many amazing and inspirational meals! And oadl, the very best of luck with your quest to quit smoking -- I know it is so hard but the rewards are so great, hang in there my friend!!!

[onceadaylily]

Aw, thanks, Gretchen. I backslid, badly, so I am, at the moment, about 25 pages into that book Lingua recommended.

And your dinner sounds fantastic. What brand of mustard is it? The boyfriend loves hot mustard.

[GretchenS]

It was a supermarket (Sainburys) house brand of Dijon that I bought mainly because it was cheap enough not to feel guilty that I'd only use it maybe twice and then leave it. of course now I'm thinking about smuggling it home!

Fight the good fight, they (whoever "they" are) say it is the worst addiction of them all, but we are all behind you, gently patting you on the back when you backslide, saying, you can do it, oadl, we are with you all the way!!! :)

[Harters]

If you're going to be doing a bit of smuggling, then pop back to Sainsbury's and get a jar of their English mustard. It really is pretty good - and a few pence cheaper than Colman's

[EM23]

What book is that OADL?

Quitting is NOT easy, I quit using the Quest ciggies and then one group hypnosis session for good measure. Five years done. It really helped that I stopped drinking coffee at the same time as that broke the morning ritual.
But, to bring this back to food – after my group hypnosis session I was hungry (it went on for a couple more hours than I had anticipated), and I drove straight to a McDonald’s for a cheeseburger and fries which is crazy as I really don’t like McD and I never (seriously, never) eat it – this is not a diss to anybody who likes McD, btw.) I guess it was just a weird side effect from the hypnosis.
Anyway, best of luck with quitting:-)

[linguafood]

Alan Carr / The Easy Way to Stop Smoking. Works for many folks, worked for me. Well, at least for two years. That's not bad '-)

[Rella]

The easy way for me involved food.

After having been celibate for 2 years, I again returned to the habit during a 3-week trip to China. I even enjoyed smoking between the many courses.

A New Year's Day dinner we were invited to, a family said the whole dinner table was provided by purchases from Costco. I knew I wouldn't be able to smoke in their house. I was talking during the entrance to their home, not knowing that their intercom was recording us before we entered. I don't know if I said anything about smoking, but I was certainly embarrassed that I may have said something not well-received. I never smoked another since that doorbell ring.

This has been 24 years now. Food still tastes better than ever, and I still feel embarrassed.

[EM23]

Two years is not bad and, if you can do it once... Seriously, relapsing has to be the only easy thing about quitting smoking.

Thanks for the title - the amazon reviews are overwhelmingly good so I am going to buy a copy for my cousin (who I was just speaking with on the phone and heard inhale). BTW Lingua, if you don’t mind a sudden desire for McDonald’s, hypnosis might be worth a shot. lol

[linguafood]

Well (not to go completely OT here) -- I ended up gaining a boat load of weight after I quit, which is something to be aware of, for sure. Consider yourself lucky if it's only 10-15 lbs.

I couldn't lose it regardless of what I did, so I started smoking again after 2 years. Amazing how quickly all that poundage dropped (while often having an entire pizza with cheese-stuffed crust for dinner AND drinking lots of reg coke, at that! talk about nicotine speeding up your metabolism).

Stupid, yes. But I was in my mid-20s and was miserable, and I decided I'd rather be unhealthy than fat.

Once I moved to the US, I quit again. I really do consider myself an ex-smoker, as I can easily limit myself to the occasional 'party' or social cigarette.

Though, frankly, after last night's shenanigans, I am likely gonna lay off the cigs for a LONG time. Ugh.

[megjp]

Funny, lingua, I'm this kind of social smoker too now, after having quit for 2+ years initially and re-starting last year. I'm also kind of feeling the same about last night's shenanigans too! :)

[linguafood]

The thing is, too, that I am just under a month away from spending the summer in Berlin = not as fascist about smoking bans as most US cities.... so it's tempting to slip more there. I was back to about a half a pack last summer, since some of my girlfriends smoke.

But I should try to remember how freakin' awful it makes me feel the next day.

[EM23]

Ah, but the after effects of "shenanigans" are rarely just caused by the ciggies. Fess up:-)
If you can smoke just socially, more power to you. I'm too weak. You read what I did to my cauliflower last night:-)

[linguafood]

Indeed. Other suspects include copious amounts of white wine followed by not one, but two Hendrick's martinis. I really should know better at my ripe old age.

[nomadchowwoman]

You have a strong constitution, lingua food. I would be dead. I can handle a little wine AFTER (one) martini, but never would I be able to do two martinis after wine. Those are my vices though.

[linguafood]

My constitution is not feeling so strong at the moment. Actually, kinda close to dead. But I think dinner helped just a bit -- pretty greasy pad see ew with chicken, and a shrimp wonton soup, neither of which I was able to finish.

Hot tea & honey to smooth those vocal chords & perhaps a run-through of the set list will hopefully do the job....

[nomadchowwoman]

Honey, if you are able to sing tonight, you are Wonder Woman in my book!

[mariacarmen]

yeah...she'll get a smoky whiskey flavor to her voice!

[mariacarmen]

at your "ripe old age"? please. i could be your ..... old aunt and i certainly haven't learned. old dogs, new tricks, and all that.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

I've been too tired the last two nights to put too much effort into cooking. Wednesday we got cheap pizza and beer out. Last night was gyoza from the freezer (I had extras after our little gyoza party last weekend). Mixed salad with sesame-ginger vinaigrette and steamed rice on the side. Tonight we're going out for Mexican for my belated birthday celebration. I'm looking forward to it.

[mariacarmen]

enjoy tonight, BBL!

[GretchenS]

yes, happy belated birthday dinner!

[gingershelley]

Last night was a mash up meal of things that needed using; I had some kal-bi style short rib cuts in the fridge, so marinated in some brown sugar, garlic, ginger, soy, fish sauce, rice vinegar; a sweet and tangy profile. cooked quickly on the grill so still rare inside and seared on the outside.

Had that with a cucumber salad with a mild orange and rice vinegar dressing. And of all things, a baked potato with lots of spring onions and yogurt on top. I know, should have had rice, but just felt like the potatoes. It was easy, tasty and next to no work.

[mariacarmen]

you know, that combo actually sounds fantastic. the juices of the kalbi on the potato... yum.

[gingershelley]

It was tasty, that's for sure:)!

[linguafood]

We're lucky tonight in that our good Chinese buddy has invited us over for pork & bacon cassoulet.

So, no cooking for us. We'll instead be watching the Flyers hopefully kick the Penguins back to the Pitts, and later head out to a jazz gig of one of our friends at a local watering hole -- which won't be overrun with students (no fishbowl drinks for $5), but alumni who return this weekend trying desperately to recreate their old glory days while hitting on available = black-out drunk freshmen, presumably. Yay. Party-hardy in Happy Valley.

[mariacarmen]

Whenever you refer to Happy Valley i think of that Monkees' song: Another Pleasant Valley Sunday.... "...here in status symbol laaaaaand...."

[linguafood]

When I first moved here and was told about Happy Valley, I thought it was a joke.

It definitely has a slightly different ring to it since last year's, ummm, "horseplay".

[LindaWhit]

Yes, that's where I thought you were talking about, lingua. I lived in central PA back in the late 80s, and hearing it called "Happy Valley" just seemed so Pollyanna-ish. Like "Pleasantville". :-)

[mariacarmen]

it also makes me think (to bring this back to food) of that commercial for Hidden Valley Ranch where ranch dressing pours out of every fountain.

[LindaWhit]

EVERYTHING comes back to food, mc. :-)

[linguafood]

well, here it is the creamery ice cream, the vastly overrated product of the ag school's milk program and former alma mater of ben & jerry's, that pours out of every fountain.

and bullshit. lotsa bullshit :-D

[EM23]

Ya know what's not lotsa bullshit Lingua? Your Heavenly Tofu, that's what!

I made it last night and it was, indeed, heavenly. So flavorful and so easy. I’m having the leftovers tonight with some sticky rice, steamed bok choy and Manchurian cauliflower. Thanks for adding a tasty dish to the rotation:-)

And thanks too to JungMann for posting the heavenly link and the silken tofu advice. I ended up picking up a package of soft and I will make something else with the silken:-)

[linguafood]

I'm glad you liked it, EM23! It's so ridiculously easy, just throwing some sauces together, that the result is even more surprising in its deliciousness. I love heaps of cilantro & scallions with it, which adds so much brightness to the oyster sauce umami.

I can't think of any other dish one can throw together under 10 minutes that is this satisfying.

[EM23]

I didn't have any cilantro, but lots of green onions and toasted sesame made for a lovely topping. Of course I had to turn my healthy meal, unhealthy with the addition of the Manchurian cauli - but it was so tasty, and I am so weak...

[linguafood]

How could cauli ever be unhealthy? But seriously -- I musta missed the Manchurian prep... care to elaborate? Love me some cauli in most forms (roasted being my absolute fave).

[EM23]

Battered and fried AND w/ketchup. lol
This is the recipe I use http://www.ecurry.com/blog/starters-s...
Very, very delicious! I keep meaning to try it w/tomato paste instead of the ketchup. I'm sure there will be a next time...

And, just for the record - I was going to do roasted cauli last night, but, as I was grating garlic and using similar condiments for your tofu, I figured what the hell.
I had me a fabulous little spicy appetizer smorgasbord, to be repeated tonight:-)

[linguafood]

Interesting!!

Yeah, apps on the menu here as well. Dinner's gotta be simple and fast (not in a tofu mood today, tho :-D).

[Harters]

Upcoming - one of my standard "home alone" dinners. Tuna will be marinated in a mix of light soy sauce, mirin , sugar and grated ginger. It then goes under the grill till just cooked (yes, I know I'm possibly the only person in the world who doesnt like the modern fashion of just searing it so it's raw in the middle). Meanwile, thinly sliced cucumber goes in a mix of rice vinegar, dark soy sauce and sugar. There'll be noodles and there'll be pickled sushi ginger.

I'm actually not "home alone" toinght, but tuna isnt one of the things herself cares for. So, she's having a fish finger sandwich (panini rolls and probably tartare sauce and a bit of salad leaf)

[boyzoma]

Well, you are not alone Harters. I am in your camp. Just can't do the raw thing. So to me, your dinner sounds wonderful. Enjoy!

[ChristinaMason]

Great-sounding meal, Harters. Are you using soba, rice noodles, or some other kind?

[Harters]

Thin rice noodles on this occasion. I usually use whatever comes out of the cupboard first and that was today's selection

[mariacarmen]

i am well pleased. the salad was a delicate bounty of spring, the fromage odiferous, the country levain toasted, the olives bitter and black. i made a dressing of minced fresh thyme, dijon, walnut oil s&p and lemon juice, and sprinkled the greens with toasted walnuts. i gave a nod to the boy and fried two pieces of bacon and crumbled them into the salad. the spring onions were very sharp and oniony - delicious! i would have preferred a glass of white but we had leftover Ravenswood cab, so i had a glass of that. i could eat like this every day.

The boy, of course, said it was "actually tasty" and that the only thing missing was meat. *sigh*.... Jacques, take me away!

in the bacon grease, for tomorrow's dinner, i sauteed a bunch of s/b chicken thighs, seasoned with salt, and piled them all into a casserole dish on a bed of those slivered spring onions, whole garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs, and then sprinkled the thighs with sumac and aleppo as they came out of the cast iron pan. i covered the whole thing with foil and will have the boy stick it in the oven for an hour when he gets home tomorrow so that the garlic gets all soft and sweet.

[JungMann]

That chicken dish sounds like a haraam version of the Palestinian chicken bake I make with sumac and Aleppo pepper. I have to try it!

[gingershelley]

YUM to the salad and cheese meal, and also to the chicken thighs. I am getting hungry here, and it's mid-morning...

[LindaWhit]

That sounds heavenly - both the salad meal, AND tonight's chicken dinner!

[mariacarmen]

thanks, both of you! i'm already looking forward to dinner....

[scubadoo97]

Looks darn tasty MC and certainly would not benefit from meat and I like meat.

[iL Divo]

made MIL's goulash only using celletani (sp?) pasta shapes and adding a tsp of AB's home made chili powder. so good
also had the sourdough bread from earlier today, soft&sour, well he did I didn't as I'd had it on my open faced sandwich for lunch. the fresh wilted cabbage was veg. wanted to do a sweet&sour hot cabbage so used cidar vinegar and agave for the sugar. the hub didn't like it so next time I'll cook it down in a little butter&olive oil add salt&pep with 1 garlic clove in the pan-hubby loves it that way- I shoulda known...

[onceadaylily]

So, I bought some black truffle oil today. I've never had it. I was drawn in my the whole 'sexy smell' thing. Who doesn't love a good sexy smell? And, as I stood in the aisle, realizing that I'd left my glasses in the office at work, I knew that I was taking a risk on what I was getting. And, yeah, it's the 'truffle aroma' variety, and the reviews of the brand were mixed, to be kind. It smells rather like a combination of shiitake and anchovies.

I thought that I'd give it a go tomorrow, with three options in mind. The first is an adaptation of SK's shaved asparagus truffle pizza (but with a batch of ricotta, instead of just olive oil on the dough, fontina instead of mozz, and caramelized onion). The second is a simple pan of roasted chopped sweet potatoes drizzled with a bit of the stuff, and served with eggs, and possibly pepper and onions, and toast (though I think the bell peppers might clash). The third is just a frittata with asparagus and whatnot. I'm leaning toward the pizza, but welcome opinions.

[ChristinaMason]

+1 on pizza. sounds like a good combo.

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, CM. I've settled on the pizza.

[gingershelley]

Oh! Your making me hungry OCDL! I have Oregon White Truffle oil in the fridge, which is 'real extracted' from OR truffles. Milder than black, but still sexy fragrant.

That white pizza with fontina, caramelized onions and asperagus would even pass the Frenchman test.... might have to grill one up this weekend:)!

[onceadaylily]

Thanks! You're another one for grilling pizza, eh. Do you all use a stone? And is a peel necessary?

[roxlet]

We grill pizzas too -- without a stone and you can use a cookie sheet as a peel.

[mariacarmen]

oooh lilly i hope you like it! i'm totally in the sexy smell camp, i could bathe in it. but you may have heard about the folderol a few years back when people discovered that almost NO "truffle oil" available for general purchase is actually made from actual truffles? a lot (most?) are made of some chemical compound or something that's made to smell like them.... and chefs were using it, and never knew the difference. on the other hand.... my truffle oil says truffle oil on it, and not "truffle aroma" so i wonder what you've got there.... for me truffle oil (and truffles) smell like the innermost core of a mushroom, as if you were living in the heart of a really deep dark dank mushroom hole, in the damp, dark, underground, with dogs and pigs snuffling on your home.... now that's sexy!

i think it'll go well on your pizza. what you want to remember is it should be (lightly) drizzled on simple things - soft scrambled eggs, buttered pasta - not too many competing flavors. so, not too much whatnot. truffle mushroom pizza is heavenly.

[onceadaylily]

Talk about your nice descriptors! Although I did not know that dogs snuffled. I appreciate the trivia.

It's the La Tourangelle 'infused' truffle oil. I didn't see the 'infused' until I got back and put my glasses on--and huh. The print on the ingredient list is so tiny that I just googled it before, and there were websites that said that it was truffle 'aroma'. But I just picked the canister, and it says 'sunflower oil, black truffle extract'. I've no idea if this is just clever wordplay after the whole 'aroma' backlash, or if this is a different, and improved, product. I guess it doesn't matter, if I like the stuff.

Boyfriend was really excited that I bought this, though.

Simple things. Got it. (What, like I make things complicated? Me?)

[mariacarmen]

i think you're good!

[boyzoma]

oadl - I may have to get some and try it. I've never had it before either but see it alot in some recipes I've been wanting to try. And your pizza sounds fabulous. And with summer coming on, we love to do pizza on the grill. Thanks for the inspiration.

[onceadaylily]

Mariacarmen was the inspiring one, calling it sexy. ;) Pizza on the grill is something we want to try this summer.

[boyzoma]

You won't regret it. It has become a real favorite. DH and I each make our own and trade slices. Gives us lots of different flavor profiles. Can't wait to try yours.

[LindaWhit]

Definitely use a light hand. It can easily overwhelm.

[onceadaylily]

I can tell. Even just sniffing it a few times last night had me 'tasting' it for awhile.

[boyzoma]

I've heard that it can overwhelm, and a light hand is needed. But I'm anxious to try it.

[nomadchowwoman]

Risotto is another good use for it, oadl.

[ChristinaMason]

DH made dinner tonight, as I was working late. He repurposed a huge batch of black beans leftover from some work catering into soup, to which he added roasted tomatoes, rehydrated guajillo and negro peppers, Mexican oregano, onion, beef broth, and plenty of bay leaves. Cheese and Greek yogurt to garnish, and I topped mine with a generous splash of Tapatio. Several delicious (probably lard-laden) flour tortillas for dipping.

The main was chayote stuffed with spicy country sausage and veggies. It was OK, but I think we've both concluded we don't much care for this super-fatty, oddly-spiced brand of sausage (TN Pride).

[megjp]

The soup sounds delicious, CM! And really, lard gets a bad rap in terms of fats. Don't worry :)

[boyzoma]

Its pouring down rain here. But the weatherman says tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 70's. Go figure. I want sunshine!

But, since it is raining, we are having Split Pea & Ham soup. Had some ham slices in the freezer from Easter. So picked up some ham shanks at the store (they don't carry shanks or knuckles here and definitely not any regular ham "bones"). Just seems like the kind of weather for it. Grilled Cheese sandwiches, I think to go with.

[mamachef]

Sounds like an absolutely perfect meal for a wet day, boyzoma. Enjoy.

[LindaWhit]

Took it easy-peasy for dinner tonight in the cooking department - some homemade lasagna I had frozen a few months ago (defrosted, of course), along with a small salad and a warmed dinner roll.

[iL Divo]

don't you love being able to pull out something from freezer making or ease of prep? my goulash went into the freezer last night after we'd dined on it. it'll make a good meal sometime in the future when I'm all but completely spent.

your lasagna reminded me of watching BF do throw down with sisters who made all vegetable lasagna using zukes instead of pasta. if I can get to a store and buy whole milk for home made ricotta and an abundance of mushrooms, think I'll do that.

[scubadoo97]

My first heartfelt attempt at beef heart. Saw it in the market for a good price. Half a heart for $3 or $1.99/lb. Did some quick research on cleaning and cooking. Tasted great but with a little chew. It was cooked fast to a medium pink center after a 3 hr marinade. Served on a bed of arugula, golden beets, sliced peppers, olives and shreds of carrot and daikon radish, dressed with a vinaigrette. I think I will try to braise the rest to see how it turns out.

[mariacarmen]

OOH OOH! what was your marinade, scuba? beef heart in this prep is my FAVORITE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticuchos

I've never tried making beef heart myself at home.... i'm impressed, yours looks great.

[scubadoo97]

Thank you Maria.

The marinade was OJ, flat champagne and a couple of smashed garlic cloves

[mariacarmen]

interesting! thanks.

[nomadchowwoman]

It sure looks great!

[scubadoo97]

Thanks nomadchowwomen. It was fun to experiement

[megjp]

I ate over the sink again: salsa, avocado, and roasted red peppers, a squeeze of lime, a warmed corn tortilla.

I'm considering pulling out the tonic water for gin & to use up the rest of my limes.. it's been that kinda week.

[mariacarmen]

i'm going to encourage that behavior, megjp.

[megjp]

ENABLER! You and your soft broccoli.. :P

Seriously though, it (and the better part of a bag of chips) already happened. Like I said, one of those weeks..

[mariacarmen]

did you read way up above where i smeared peanut butter on PRINGLES?? do you think i want to be alone in this??

I'll be downing a tanq and tonic or two late tonight, so cheers!

[megjp]

I can't eat Pringles; they are chock fulla flour. BUT in principle I approve -- PB goes with nearly everything, after all, and I remember Pringles being delicious..

The couple of drinks were much needed, as was the self-discipline to keep to a couple because I have a busy morning ahead at work. Hope your nightcap was satisfying too!

[mariacarmen]

nah, they're not good, just addictive!

and yeah, nightcap went down well, thanks.

[weezieduzzit]

It would be a real shame for those limes to go to waste.

[weezieduzzit]

A butterflied chicken marinated in olive oil, s&p, lots of fresh herbs from the garden. A couple generous squeezes of lemon juice will be added before it hits the grill.

We appear to have THREE large heads of cauliflower (?!!?) so a big batch of fauxtatoes will be made that can be eaten over the weekend- which is supposed to be hot and I'll want to keep cooking inside to a minimum. I'm glad I stocked up on charcoal when it was 2- 20 pound bags for $5.58 at Home Depot. 80 pounds should last us until the next time they have the sale (holiday weekends, usually.)

Kale should be used up but with the grill going anyhow I'm thinking zucchini and mushrooms for sides.

Mango mojitos for before, during and afters.

[ChristinaMason]

mango mojitos? yum! do you puree or just muddle the fruit?

[weezieduzzit]

The man likes his blended and icy (which is funny 'cause he doesn't look like a blended drink guy,) I like mine muddled with ice cubes and extra sprigs of mint.

I don't know what kind of mint I am growing- I don't even remember where I got it since its been a few years- but it makes the BEST mojitos! I took a couple of bottles of mojitos I made to a car show last spring and now I get text mesages and phone calls asking if I'm going to be bringing them whenever there is an event coming up.

[ChristinaMason]

lucky friends. wish you could find out what type of mint that is. perhaps post a photo and we can do some investigating?

i had some last year, which grew like a weed, but I wasn't all that crazy about the variety.

[Berheenia]

All that mint and Derby Day coming up May 5- you could go with a pitcher of Mint Juleps!

[nomadchowwoman]

Mango mojitos! I'd kill for one of those right now.

[mariacarmen]

oops, here's a pic of the greens. don't they just sing Spring?

[onceadaylily]

Beautiful. My market still needs a bit of time, but it's getting there.

[mariacarmen]

I am hoping to have a light dinner tonight. have my beautiful stinky goat/cow cheese, still unwrapped, from the weekend, will buy a loaf of Acme bread, and picked up a bunch of beautiful greens from the Ferry Bldg. farmers' market just now. Lovely little tender butter lettuces, radicchio, some peppery beet greens, spring onions and another purple-y lettuce. maybe i'll pick up some salamis for the boy, but i'd be happy with bread, cheese, and salad. maybe some olives.

Oh! i forgot, another Jacques quote last night, re the last meal....paraphrasing: "If i had the best butter and good bread, that's all i would need, really." which completely echoed what Eric Ripert said when we heard him speak. Those Frenchies. They know what they're talkin' 'bout.

[JungMann]

I was looking for some inspiration for a light and easy dinner tonight; I think you win the contest. I have a wedge of Chaumes cheese that I can smell from clear across the room that I ought to polish off. Hopefully I can make it to the delicatessen before they close for some leberwurst to eat with horseradish and mustard along with a parsley salad.

[linguafood]

The only problem with Chaumes is that you can't touch it, lest you want your fingers to smell like Chaumes for a year...

[JungMann]

I found that out yesterday when I was working at my desk. I also made the mistake of putting it in my gym bag on the way home from the market. My locker still smells like I'm keeping bodies in it.

[linguafood]

Well, now you can - without anyone ever finding out about it. Muuhaaaahaaaahaaaaa.

[mariacarmen]

I called the BF and had him pull the cheese out of the fridge for optimum smell-age by the time we're ready to eat. It's a Mont St. Francis, a washed-rind goat cheese. Hmmmm... i just found out it's not a CA cheese but instead from IN.... no skin of my nose.

[JungMann]

I just finished my salad with a new-to-me ingredient: marinated artichokes. The hearts were so creamy that one could almost mistake them for cheese. And since I saved myself some calories, I didn't feel quite so guilty about having Girl Scout cookies for dessert.

[gingershelley]

It's true MC.... Sometimes I think JF could live on baguette, as long as there was some red wine in the bargain too:)

[nomadchowwoman]

Oh, mc, the mere mention of the Ferry Bldg. FM makes me swoon. You guys are so lucky. When I first heard of that market, I made sure to put it first on the list for the next trip to SF. When I got there, I just about cried--I'd reached Nirvana. I was paralyzed with indecision but did buy three loaves of bread from Acme, among other impractical items for a traveller--my colleague thought I was bonkers--though I managed not to try to schlep fresh produce home on the plane. I discovered Cowgirl cheeses on that trip and will splurge on those still when I can get them here.

Oh, and yes those French do know a thing or two about food . . . .

[mariacarmen]

I love that you toted Acme bread back with you! Yeah, i do know how lucky I am. thanks NCW! Hope you get to visit soon! and, conversely, i'd LOVE to see New Orleans sometime, I've never been. which i think is a damned shame.

[Cherylptw]

We've been eating on the smorgasbord of meats this week from Sunday; I smoked a half turkey and this afternoon, I removed the skin & bones and pulled it for BBQ turkey. It went into a slowcooker with some of my cousin's vinegar based sauce to simmer for a few hours. We have leftover green beans with potatoes in the fridge that'll be a side and I'll make a cole slaw. We also have some lettuce that needs to be used so there'll be a salad with some roasted pear tomatoes, cukes, carrots and blanched broccoli.

[roxlet]

Last night was a lovely paella made by my husband which included shrimp, chicken wings and chicken chorizo (we have a visiting Egyptian, so we're eschewing pork). Tonight will be veal Milanese with a side of pesto and a green salad.

Lately, we are having a lot of broken dinners -- i.e. people eating at different times. My son's visiting squash coach comes home well after 8, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays my husband doesn't walk in the door until after 9. Further complicating matters is that in the middle of dinner prep, I have to pick my son up from crew practice about 20 minutes away, and he walks in the door at about 7:15 ravenous and ready to eat. This has made dinner planning very challenging, and I can only make things that can sit for a while and are OK reheated. It seems that dinner is leftovers almost every night of the week!

[nomadchowwoman]

I doubt anyone's complaining about those dinners!

[GretchenS]

Just popping in from vacation to say that here in Shropshire (UK) WFD is a gorgeous lamb chop and picked-today organic asparagus, both from the beautiful farm store I shopped at today. I can see I will have a lot of catching up to do at some point!

[mariacarmen]

hope you are enjoying the hell out of your vacation, GS!

[LindaWhit]

Ditto the "enjoying the hell out of your vacation"! :-)

[Harters]

Is that one of the two places I mentioned to you, Gretchen?

And asparagus is out there? Can't be long till it gets to the next county north - probably while I'm on your usual side of the The Pond.

[GretchenS]

No John, I shopped at Hillers Market which is connected to the Ragley Estate and run by my host in the Cotswolds. So it was Cotswolds asparagus and quite the best lamb chop I have ever had for dinner last night. And I did stick my nose into the Ludlow Food Centre on my way up yesterday but as predicted, had way overshopped at Hillers already. Their stuff looked great though and they had local asparagus but it was even more fiercely expensive than what I bought.

Tonight it will be a lovely Ragley Hall pork chop with purple sprouting broccoli (a favorite of mine, assuming that I do not overcook it) and a Cornish new potato (only one 'cos I was eating them 2 or 3x day down south). If I am not too lazy I have some nice mushrooms to saute and perch atop the pork chop. It is always interesting to make do with what is in the cupboard at rental places, this one just has tea, coffee, sugar and olive oil, usually there is a mustard or something to play with.

mc and LW, yes, having fun, but sadly also needing to do more work than I (or my boss, to be fair) bargained for. Looks like will stay an extra couple of days in London for work. Plusses and minuses....

[Harters]

Ah. Cotwolds. That explains it - they're always first out with the new season crop.I reckon the Shropshire stuff must have been grown under glass to be out now.

We always make too much purple sprouting. Leftovers get a saute in oil and garlic and become a bruschetta topping.

[mariacarmen]

GS, sorry it's a mixed bag... but working there as opposed to working at home... that's gotta be better, right?

your English countryside meals are making me hungry....

[Harters]

The mixed bag may have got worse - it's been pretty much non-stop rain here (a hour north of Gretchen)

[GretchenS]

The afternoon was gorgeous though!

[mariacarmen]

atta girl, bright-side-Gretchen!

[tiffeecanoe]

burgers!

topped with bleu cheese, cloves of roasted garlic and mustard on pretzel buns! Salad on the side!

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night was one of those high-hopes dinners that was just kind of meh. (In fairness, I doubt DH had hopes of any kind for the broccoli salad!) I was doing a riff on linguafood's nuked salmon (sans nuker as I can't trust/regulate mine very well) w/sliced scallions and a little ginger and garlic. But the grill's gas tank was empty as we stepped outside to grill so I had to grill stovetop. I used a domed cover to try to create an oven effect. At any rate, I overcooked the salmon. It was tasty enough, esp. w/the scallions and ginger and a drizzle of orange oil, but still overcooked. We had that with wild rice and the aforementioned (Garlicky Sesame-Cured) broccoli salad (a Melissa Clark COTM recipe that has potential but could lose most of the cumin seed, imo). At least it was healthy.

Tonight we should fare better. Mom, Sister, and Niece will be in attendance. Sister, who rarely cooks anything but is a prodigy at pork chops will be cooking the chops. I'm making red beans (not from dried, but frozen from fresh--they really are delicious) and rice (brown for us, white for the loved ones), and a big green salad. Mom's bringing cake, and I'll have fresh strawberries to go with. And, wow, is it a gorgeous day today in NOLA. Love this period before the unrelenting heat sets in.

[Harters]

The only hope I would have for broccoli salad is that no-one puts it on the table and expects me to eat it.

LOL.

(PS: although broccoli salad incorporating "Garlicky Sesame-cured" may have some merit. Even more LOL!)

[mariacarmen]

Harters! Eat your veggies!

[megjp]

Nah, I'm with Harters on this one.. but that means all the more for you!

[mariacarmen]

i only eat mine cooked until soft, so they're nice and sweet. EFF raw broccoli!

[buttertart]

Hear, hear!

[linguafood]

Yeah, I've made that broccoli salad after all the raves, and was decidedly underwhelmed. It did not turn me into a broccoli lover, as so many have claimed. Meh.

[nomadchowwoman]

Broccoli is almost always pretty boring although I like it fine cooked, esp. in Asian preps. But raw broccoli I can love only if dunked in a thick, creamy blue cheese dressing--and then the excessive calories negate any healthful benefits. I did not enjoy at all the combination of cumin and broccoli in Clark's recipe.

[ChristinaMason]

there's a roasted broccoli with cumin and parmesan recipe that made the rounds a few years ago, and I didn't like the combo then, either.

[GretchenS]

I so agree about the cumin in that recipe, I was trying to pick it out it was so overwhelming.

[Berheenia]

I can't believe I was on WFD less than 24 hours ago and now there is a whole new one almost up to 100! Busy group. Recovering from too much entertaining and volunteering- mostly sandwiches and finger food - I am keeping it simple. Made chicken enchiladas using canned sauce - still good but not as good as mine- I wish I had made more but I was too tired so tonight we can fight over the last enchilada! There is a respectable Italian sausage and pasta leftover for the loser. Last night was baked potato, sirloin burger (grass fed even) and some swiss chard that shrivelled up on me when I wasn't looking. I have the morning off so I watched a cooking show I had dvr'd- pulled chicken sandwiches using a rotisserie chicken so I hear Costco calling me Saturday. I think the barbeque sauce will be bottled and the cole slaw dressing will be Kraft but it's still Home Cooking.
Sunday it's supposed to rain and that will be better cooking weather than the heat we had earlier this week. I'm thinking about a big pot of chili.- the hamburg variety.

[Harters]

We're hosting the family birthday dinner for the SiL tonight.

There's assorted nibbles (dips, crisps, olives and the like) to start.

Main is an old standard. Chicken (we've got breasts & thighs) are marinated in a mix of sherry vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, garlic, prunes, black olives & capers. That's sitting in the fridge for the next few hours. Then it all gets chucked into the oven and baked through. Alongside baked potato wedges ( we confess that these are supermarket bought, already prepped and sprinkled with herbs) and steamed green beans.

And, cos it's a birthday, there's a cake. Herself has made this one before - lemon polenta cake. Very lemony. Very lovely. Ideal for this sort of occasion as it's much more a dessert sort of cake than the sort you'd have a slice of with an afternoon cup of tea. Ask me no more about the cake - i regard cake baking as akin to witchcraft and have no need to know the details of the dark arts that bring about cake from ingredients.

[mariacarmen]

i've never seen pre-prepped/herbed potatoes harters.... are they peeled and cut? how do they come, in a bag?

[Harters]

In a bag. Peeled & cut into wedges. Not the sort of short-cut we nornally do Chez Harters but it just seemed a good idea when we've quite a few to feed.

And even the green beans have been "top and tailed" so just need a wash and then into the steamer.

[mariacarmen]

a helping hand is always welcome!

[Berheenia]

mmm.. sounds like Chicken Mirabel - always a winner.

[buttertart]

Love sherry vinegar in or on anything, just about.

[ChristinaMason]

ditto. best vinegar ever!

[nomadchowwoman]

I agree.

[Frizzle]

Last night's pumpkin and baby spinach salad type dish hit the spot - lighter than the cream overload of the previous night but not too light for the abysmal weather outside.

Tonight I'm raiding the freezer for leftover soup. French onion for me and cauliflower and raclette for him. I haven't tried freezing either of these before so I hope they survived the process ok. It's cooking show night on tv tonight so curling up on the couch with a no fuss bowl of soup and a bit if Heston sounds sublime.

Hopefully the one year old will actually decide to sleep tonight so tomorrow I'll be able to summon up the energy to cook. I spied a thread about making miso soup here and I thought I might do that to have with some miso glazed aubergines.

[mamachef]

Whoa, Frizzle: the aubergines sound marvelous!!
Re: the one-year old - it gets easier, It really, really does.
Tonight's delivery meal is pan-roasted, oven-finished, balsamic-marinated chicken with an un-sweet kugel: medium egg noodles, eggs, milk, onion, mushrooms and spinach, baked until savory and custardy. Veg is broccoli raab, which I like for the bitterness. It plays nicely against the slight sweetness of the chicken marinade. To home, I'll be seeing how much damage I can inflict on the rest of the kugel, along with a plain patty of ground sirloin and maybe some red-wine pan sauce for that. A little salad, and I'll be set. And one more dinner is done!!

[mariacarmen]

mmmmm that kugel sounds like the best in comfort food....

[suburban_mom]

Pulled pork tacos - shoulder braised in a sauce made of ancho and guajillo chiles, chipotles in adobo, onion, garlic, oregano, honey, cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Served on corn tortillas with avocado, mango, cilantro and cojita cheese. "Unfried" refried beans made in the crockpot. And a salad made with clementines, jicama, cilantro, red onion, cojita cheese and a lime vinaigrette.

My husband has been obsessing about the tacos and I had a change in plans today which gave me the time to make them.

[nomadchowwoman]

Well, no wonder--they sound fantastic.

[mariacarmen]

no kidding, now I'M obsessing about them!

[weezieduzzit]

I think it'll be shrimp stuffed artichokes. They were a hit last time I made them. Extra veggies on the side.

Its really warming up here- mid 90s by the weekend. I'm thinking the rest of the week/weekend is going to be grilled meats/ veggies and cold veggie and fruit salads. More tomatoes are turning red- I can hardly wait for them to be ready....

[roxlet]

How do you make the shrimp stuffed artichokes? I adore both those things, but I don't think I've ever made them together...

[weezieduzzit]

I trim/ prep them like you normally would, steam them and then let them cool enough to handle, pull out enough of the inside to get to the crown (pull all of the inedible part out,) and fill with a mixture of finely diced veggies (onions, celery, s&p, whatever you like sauteed until getting soft and a sprinkle of panko added for crunch.) you can pull the leaves out a little if you have extra filling and spoon it in there, too- its a nice presentation.

This is the pic from the first time I made it:

[roxlet]

So where do the shrimp come in, and do you mix the shrimp with the vegetables?

[weezieduzzit]

I'm sorry- I was really tired yesterday! Yes, the shrimp goes in after the veggies are soft just until they're done, then the panko gets mixed in, then it goes in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes or so to brown the top.

[roxlet]

Thanks weezie! That about duzzit!

[LindaWhit]

Gah-ROAN! http://instantrimshot.com/

[gingershelley]

Rim shot too funny LW:)! Thanks for the link. I know I will find somewhere to use it!

[weezieduzzit]

hahahahahahha!

[nomadchowwoman]

I somehow missed this yesterday. That's one good looking artichoke--whole plate is photogenic, for that matter.

[ChristinaMason]

agreed. that sounds very appealing! too bad prepping artichokes is kind of a pain, let alone stuffing them!

[LindaWhit]

A test - having problems posting to this thread...seeing if this will work....

OK, so this now works. Weird. AND I just tried to respond to someone on this thread, and I get the red circle going round and round and round and round. Something's going on. Grrr.....

So I'll post my response to lingua and gingershelley above:

All I'm suggesting is that whoever creates a new thread make a note of it on the old thread with a link, and ask the Mods to put "OLD" on the subject line of the old thread. Both threads seem to have been going along side-by-side, which can get confusing.

I don't post every day on the WFD thread, and I often post my WFD post before I read the rest of what is still "unread" to me....so if I hadn't posted until tomorrow, I would be posting on a thread that was unused for 24 hours or so. It's just a nice thing to do for others, don't you think?

[mariacarmen]

i had the exact same problem, Linda, with being able to reply to someone's post. finally gave up.

[LindaWhit]

It was very frustrating, wasn't it? I'm glad to see your Jacques Pepin post finally made it, though!

[mariacarmen]

yeah, i thought for a moment i was being blocked!

[relizabeth]

I boiled some barley last night. Lunch was barley tossed w fennel and White beans. Dinner and tomorrow's lunch will be more barley and some kimchee and Japanese sliced egg crepes. I'm also gonna prep everything for that fennel White bean calzone that was in the nytimes today for tomorrow's dinner.

[megjp]

I always feel so unfancy when I make 'hurry-up' meals (this time because I reserved a car-sharing vehicle for a Costco trip, so am on an actual schedule, but was of course a bit late at work).

Still, ten minutes flat to make warmed corn tortillas with spicy garlic aioli slathered inside and filled up with chin-dripping amounts of refried rice, Brussels sprouts, broken-up turkey meatballs, and roasted red pepper. Cool sliced tomatoes on top. I ate two 'wraps' hovering over the sink, and now I have just enough time to write this, clean up, and head to the suburban wilds. :)

[LindaWhit]

Whoa. When did we move over here? There wasn't a pointer on #138 until lingua mentioned it. It's helpful on the older thread to do so so we all know to move over here, as well as ask the Mods on the older thread to put an (OLD) in the subject line if someone comes back to the thread later to post their dinner. (I don't always come to this thread if I'm not cooking on a particular evening.)

I'll be roasting a bone-in/skin-on chicken breast tonight. I'm thinking something with sumac, as JungMann keeps mentioning it and I keep forgetting I have it to use. :-) (ETA: And having read his post above about Aleppo pepper *and* sumac, I'll be using both! LOL)

Sides will be a baked potato and steamed green beans with toasted almonds.

[linguafood]

Oh. I thought my mentioning it *was* the pointer '-)

Glad everyone found the new thread. We got our weekly Sichuan jour fixe, and I am already drooling over all the goodies I'll be pigging out on in just a few hours....

[PHREDDY]

iF YOU BAKE YOUR POTS IN FOIL FIRST...YOU CAN INCLUDE A LITTLE BUTTER AND SOME THIN SLICED GARLIC....then open the foil , cut open the pot and let it bake another 1/2 hour....MMMMMMMM good

[LindaWhit]

I don't like baking potatoes in foil; it doesn't crisp the skin. And since the chicken will have garlic on it, I'm not going to add it to the potatoes. I've changed to roasted potatoes anyway, so it's a moot point.

[gingershelley]

Whoh, well we all seem to be getting here, however funkily (sp?)...smile

A simple CB with spice and sides is a fine dinner. Sometimes, I just want a baked potato, and the main is the excuse for it:)

[JungMann]

Roasted chicken covered in sumac is one of my favorite simple pleasures. I already like chicken with lemons (e.g. francese, Greek chicken, etc), but sumac adds something deliciously funky on top of the sour notes.

[LindaWhit]

I agree - it has a slightly sour/bitey taste to the skin with the sumac and Aleppo pepper.

I need to remember to use both more often. :-)

[gingershelley]

Well, I have been in the zone of eating all the things the Frenchman hates while he has been gone - read; ALL THINGS SPICY!

Yesterday lunch, since working at home, went to the local hole in the wall taquaria and got a haurache; roasted rajas and lengua, homemade spicy beans on top, with lettuce, tomato and crema drizzled over with green salsa on the side. Perfect.

Dinner last night was hot wings, celery sticks and homemade creme-fraiche blue cheese dressing. A perfect singleton dinner:)

I am reading Micheal Ruhlman's Charcuterie right now, and all I can think about is ducking out of working today (and of course the sun had to come out to compound my play-hooky desires), and go trolling for pork fat and shoulder, and get busy on a country pate. If I find what I need today, I can marinate overnight, grind it tomorrow and cook up for a great first course suprise for the man.

I rely heavily on my own chicken liver mousse with brandy and apple, but I always make that, and it is looking mighty boring compared to all the sausages and pate's in this book. I must buy it, and cook my way through!

Have a thermometer in the basement as I write checking my ambient temp. to see if it would be cool enough for a drying room for salumi... stay tuned!

[onceadaylily]

Your dinner is far from boring. The Frenchman will be very happy to come home.

[gingershelley]

Well, so far, I don't have a dinner for HIM planned, but I have hours to figure that out. It has been interesting cooking for a Paris, France person for the last few years... despite his having lived in Seattle for nearly 20 years, his tastes hew very close to home. I have learned much about french cuisine over this time, and on some days - am very intimidated! On others I am like - dude! get over it, and let's have a taco salad!

Still working it out, after 3 years:)

[onceadaylily]

Grabbing more mushrooms than I can use has become a habit of mine, apparently. I've settled on a sort of French onion and mushroom soup for tonight. I've no red wine, but have used a mixture of red wine and balsamic vinegars to deglaze the pot with success before. Three onions, some button mushrooms, a huge bag of creminis, roasted garlic, thyme, and that no-beef broth. I plan on running the immersion blender through the pot lightly at the end to thicken it just a bit. I'll give the boyfriend the choice between the baked version of the soup, or having grilled cheese instead. I'm leaning toward the baked version myself, but my ramekins are on the small side, and it's kind of a pain to do a tray of mini soups. I have some vintage soup mugs that are the perfect size, but have *no* idea if they're oven-safe. Would they explode? Or just leach something unpleasant into the soup? That isn't the kind of suspense I need.

You know, I've attributed my sore throat, body aches, fever, and nausea to this trying to quit smoking thing . . . but when my nose started running this morning, I realized that I've had the flu. It made me laugh. And I feel better today, but toxic soup isn't something I want to chance.

Since I have to work tomorrow, I'm going to throw together an orzo salad for the boyfriend to eat after work. Roasted broccoli, marinated tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, olives, feta, and whatever else I can dig up that would appeal to him, tossed with a vinaigrette. I made a similar salad a few weeks ago, and it was the first time he ever declared orzo delicious. This made me happy.

[Breadcrumbs]

First of all, that orzo sounds super-yummy! Also, sorry you're not feeling well oadl but HUGE congrats on quitting smoking...good for you! FWIW, years ago I heard a homeopathic doctor interviewed on a radio program who said his patients had enjoyed the greatest success in quitting smoking if they started their day with some carrot, orange, ginger juice. I was a smoker at the time so the next morning I thought I'd give it a try. I never looked back. Not sure if it was the juice, or a commitment I'd made to myself to quit or, a combination of both but I quit cold turkey that day and haven't smoked since. After the first week, I wasn't even tempted. I thought I'd share this since you're feeling under the weather anyway, maybe you'd like to give it a try. To this day, if I have a carrot orange ginger juice I feel quite virtuous!! I happen to love the flavour combo as well which doesn't hurt.

All the very best to you on this journey and I hope you're feeling better tomorrow.

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, BC. When I was at the cafe, I used to love fresh carrot, tomato, and cucumber juice. Though I do remember that they are a bit expensive, maybe I'll poke around online and see what the current prices are.

[mariacarmen]

aww sorry you have the flu, but what a grand surprise to learn the non-smoking trials and tribulations were not kicking your butt as much as you thought they were! solider on!

that orzo salad sounds light and perfect. i'm embarassed to say i've never made orzo.

[onceadaylily]

I know, right? Turns out I was pushing all the wrong fluids. ;)

I like the texture of orzo. It's . . . slippery. I like it best in room temperature pasta salads, but it was nice in chicken and lemon egg drop soup as well.

[mariacarmen]

slippery - that's a good descriptor, and makes me want it even more.

never forget that the juniper in gin has healing and mystical properties.

[PHREDDY]

First off.....mushroom anything and I am on board....

GIVING UP SMOKING, WHICH I DID ON MY FIRST FATHERS' DAY 28 YEARS AGO...WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE....I STILL RUN 5K ,3 TIMES A WEEK @ 57 YEARS OF AGE...but CHindg...is a great alternative!!!!
TRY A LITTLE RED PEPPER FLAKES IN THE WONDERFUL BLENDED "CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP"

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, Phreddy. Trust me, aleppo pepper will go in after the puree. I'm fanatical about the stuff.

[PHREDDY]

Orzo with chciken and lemon soup...great for a cold....great on a romantic night....

[gingershelley]

Kind GF to make an orzo salad so -delish sounding for the partner while you are working. Nice job:)

I hope you feel better, both from flu, and that the tiny 'gild-the-lilly (hehee) things that make the quit-smoke better make a difference.

Gild that LIly!

[mamachef]

Hey oadl, don't use the vintage cups in the oven. I don't know what the glaze is, but it could contain lead, which is never a nice addition to one's beautiful soup. If they pre-date common microwave useage, they are absolutely not oven/mw safe unless they're pyrex or stoneware specifically for oven use. Generally oven-safe ware is specifically labelled on the bottom.
The orzo salad would have given me the happies too. I adore roasted broccoli, and combined with the tomatoes, it souonds just great.
Feel better, oadl. : )

[onceadaylily]

Thanks, mc, and that is exactly what I was thinking: lead. The mugs are from the mid-seventies, if not earlier, stoneware, do have a glaze on them, but only say 'Japan' on the bottom. I wound up doing the pot of soup with grilled cheese, even though it wasn't as satisfying.

[JungMann]

Usually when I make pasta with yogurt sauce, I top it with minced lamb which is flavorful enough not to need any extra seasoning. I can't say the same about ground beef, though. In the past I simply added seven spices to flavor the ground beef, but in the end, always ended up with something tasting heavily of cinnamon and allspice. This time, though, I relied more on onions and garlic, some bitterness from parsley and the sharp bite of lemon to flavor the mince. A little of my spice blend ended up being more of an assist, rather than the dominating flavor. Went beautifully with yogurt, dill and garlic and a generous sprinkling of Aleppo pepper and sumac.

[ChristinaMason]

You've got my mouth watering. These sound like similar flavors to Turkish manti. Was that what you were aiming for, or was another tradition in sight? Any melted butter drizzled over top?

[JungMann]

Good eye, Christina. You're spot on with the inspiration. When I use lamb, I am pretty much making deconstructed manti. I buy 80/20 ground beef, so I forgo the decadent browned butter with that and sub dill for the mint in the yogurt sauce. Even without the butter (which is oh-so-good with the lamb), this is one of my favorite cheap, 30-minute meals.

[gingershelley]

I am so curious about this 'butter on yoghurt' thing. Been reading the COTM books, and find several lamb/ other preps that end with yoghurt and melted butter over top.

It sounds delicious, but have - I confess - never eating that. What is the distinction of adding the butter vs. not JM- or others willing to contribute to my ignorance. Which, I plan on rectifying. How could I have lived all this time, a lover of middle-eastern food, have not had yoghurt with butter running down it?

[nomadchowwoman]

I know--doesn't that sound delicious. Oh heck, butter running down just about anything sounds delicious to me.

[JungMann]

Have you not yet tried browned butter on fatteh? If you have ever drizzled a good olive oil on yogurt, browned butter is the next step up. The warmed butter perfumed with toasted Aleppo pepper is nutty and fruity and complements the lamb. I could be wrong, but I think this technique is common to Turkic cuisines as you find butter used to perfume dishes in both Ottoman and Mughal cooking.

[Frizzle]

I've had hot ghee on fatteh but not browned butter. Next time I'll give it a whirl.

[ChristinaMason]

Yum! Can you tell me a tad more about the spicing (including amounts) you'd recommend with beef? I'm gonna have to make this....

[JungMann]

I sauteed half an onion until translucent and then added 2 cloves of minced garlic. For about a pound of beef, I used about a tsp. of allspice, 1/2 tsp. each of cumin and coriander, 1/4 tsp. each of nutmeg, black pepper and sumac, 1/8 tsp. of cinnamon and a pinch of ground cardamom. Measurements are rough since I use a demitasse spoon, but the proportions should be about right. If you have a trusty kebab recipe, you can use that spice blend instead. Once the beef was done, I simply drained off the fat and finished it with a tbsp. of chopped parsley and the juice of half a small lemon.

For the yogurt sauce, I just combined pureed garlic and chopped dill with strained yogurt.

[mamachef]

Thank you for directing me to tomorrow night's repast, JungMann! This sounds fantastic, easy, and crowd-pleasing, so it's in the bag!!

[mariacarmen]

wow, that sounds like a great pasta topping... seriously drool-worthy.

[Breadcrumbs]

Totally agree w the others JM, that sounds outstanding. What a great combo!

[justme123]

Tonight is 'kitchen sink' pasta. (AKA time to clean out the fridge). I think I have some leftover italian sausage, some broccoli, I may add in some oven-dried cherry tomatoes from the freezer and I may have some roasted peppers lurking in there as well. We eat this about once a month, and it's never the same, but is always...good? Well, I haven't killed anyone yet anyway :)

[ChristinaMason]

can't go wrong with those add-ins. love repurposing leftovers and saving things from the depths of the crisper.

[Breadcrumbs]

sausage pasta is a house favourite here justme...enjoy!!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

It was my birthday yesterday, but we're waiting until Friday to go out to dinner, so I threw together a quickie pseudo-laab with some lean ground pork I had hanging out in the freezer. Used lemon juice 'cause I didn't have lime and the whole thing turned out surprisingly well. Ate it lettuce wrap style with some steamed rice. Sparkling lemonade over ice to wash it down and reduce the burn (I used more of those little chilies than the recipe called for), and more of that homemade rocky road for dessert. Not sure about tonight yet.

[linguafood]

Awesome birthday meal, if I may say so. I'll have to make laarb sometime at home, seems easy enough to make, and I love it -- one of my favorite Thai dishes .

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks! This was my first time making it and it was even easier than I thought it would be. Lightly cook the meat, stir in everything else, eat.

[onceadaylily]

Happy birthday, BBL. An ice cream maker has been on our to-buy list for quite awhile. As the weather warms, it moves steadily toward the top of the list.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

I got mine from a thrift store and it may be the best $6 I've ever spent (it's the ice-and-salt kind, but has a motorized churner). It is particularly wonderful to have it in the summer!

[gingershelley]

Happy B-day BBL, and happy Laarb-ing as well. That sounds good...

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks! It was!

[roxlet]

Happy belated. And, though you had to make it, it sounds like a fantastic impromptu birthday dinner. I adore laarb, but never get to have it.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks! It was really good, and one of the easiest dinners I've made recently.

[mariacarmen]

happy belated bda, BBL! mmm... i'm having duck larb tonight, tho not homemade... glad you had a good night!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks mc! Duck larb sound fantastic, homemade or not.

[Breadcrumbs]

Happy Birthday BBL!! I hope you have a wonderful celebration on Friday! You know, I don't think I've ever had sparkling lemonade but what a terrific idea! I've been addicted to sparkling blood orange juice these days but for some reason this just never occurred to me. Thanks for the inspiration!!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks! This particular sparkling lemonade was manufactured by Martinelli, but I've made it myself too by just switching out the water in lemonade for sparkling water.

[justme123]

Happy B-day! Enjoy your dinner out!!
I have never thought of making laarb at home before. this sounds intriguing, and delish!!!
thanks for the inspiration :)

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks! You should try it -- it's super easy and turned out great.

[LindaWhit]

Hope you had a great birthday yesterday, and have a great birthday dinner "out" on Friday, BBL!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks Linda! I'm looking forward to Friday. We're going to try the Mexican restaurant we once walked 2 hours to get to, only to find it had just closed. This time we're calling ahead and taking the bus!

[LindaWhit]

A much better birthday ride than your feet, BBL. ;-)

[nomadchowwoman]

Happy Birthday--and your dinner sounds delicious. And homemade rocky road--yummmmmm.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks! I didn't mix the marshmallows in very well, so the first few times we ate it, it was what my boyfriend referred to as "marshmallows in frozen fudge sauce" and now it's more like chocolate ice cream with almond chunks. Delicious, though (a David Lebovitz recipe)

[mamachef]

Either way, it sounds very, very good to me, BBL. And Happy Belated Birthday!!

[buttertart]

Happy birthday, and YUM!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thank you -- it really was good!

[weezieduzzit]

Happy belated!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks!

[Frizzle]

Happy birthday! Laarb is wonderful isn't it? What a great sounding dinner.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thank you! I even managed to slip about a tablespoon of fish sauce into the mix with no complaints from the seafood-hating boyfriend!

[Frizzle]

You know strangely enough my seafood hater is ok with fish sauce. If I try and sneak an anchovy into something like a sauce for lamb he notices it straight away and hates it. It doesn't make much sense.
I'm thankful they both are ok with fish sauce. A life with fish sauce-less laarb and Thai salads would be grim.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

It's a fine line with mine. If I get the balance just right, he doesn't even notice it's there. If I add too much, it makes him physically ill. I've only tried anchovies once and he didn't notice, but I think if he knew I was using them, he'd start looking for the taste and I'd have to stop.

[mariacarmen]

mine is the same!

[mariacarmen]

reposting because i can't stop thinking about Jacques tonight....

last night at the oldster's was delivery pizza. he was feeling MUCH more chipper last night than he has in a week, and ate a whole slice and a half of pepperoni and mushroom.

myself, before the pizza arrived, i may or may not have gorged myself on sour cream and onion Pringles (my dad loves them). some of them may or may not have been schmeared with peanut butter first. the jeans and i are on a mini-break. please god it's mini.

for his dinner tonight i made him salmon cakes with a sauteed tomato onion sauce, and a pot of rice. his appetite has been very decent, surprisingly, for which we are grateful.

tonight it's out for dinner - seeing Jacques Pepin speak first!! but first, the best Thai place in the City. i bet Jacques would love it.

[roxlet]

Hmmm. Pringles with peanut butter. That's a new one on me! I'm glad your dad is feeling better, and that Jacques thing sounds amazing. Please tell us about it!

[mariacarmen]

they were sitting on the counter next to each other. what was i to do?

will do!

[ChristinaMason]

this is the reason i seriously consider not keeping PB in the house at all. it goes on everything.

[mariacarmen]

i actually don't keep it!

[Breadcrumbs]

mc I'm excited for you seeing JP tonight...give him our best!! I hope you have a lovely dinner afterwards, we'll be thinking about you!

[mariacarmen]

will do! shall i shout "Chowhounders love you! from the balcony? or should i be civilized? depends on if i have a glass of wine before at dinner, methinks.....

[gingershelley]

Shout it out! Well, perhaps whisper it in the wind....

[PHREDDY]

Have met him , his wife (who is an absolute doll) at a memorial for Julia Childs...you will be amazed how personable he is...nevermind his food!!!!!!

IF HE WAS TO VISIT YOUR KITCHEN ...WHAT WOULD YOU COOK WITH HIM?

[buttertart]

What's the Thai? Must go in the summer :)

[mariacarmen]

Lers Ros, on Larkin. Yes, you must! (check out my pics on FB).

[Frizzle]

I'm glad the oldster is feeling a bit better and super excited for you about Pepin - do tell us how it went.

[mariacarmen]

Thanks, Frizzle! (here's my review of the Pepin show if y'all are interested: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/844966)

[Frizzle]

What a fab write up. Shame about not enough Jacques. I gather from your clear review you didn't over-indulge in wine and do the chowhounder shout out :)

[mariacarmen]

haha you're right - i didn't have wine with dinner because i tend to start drifting off the minute i sit down in a crowded, dark auditorium, and i didn't want to miss a word of Jacques!

and thanks!

[LindaWhit]

GREAT write-up, mc!

[mariacarmen]

thanks LW!

[Frizzle]

I keep coming back to the Pringles with peanut butter and wondering how you managed to smear it on without breaking the Pringles. From memory they are rather delicate.

[mariacarmen]

it was exceptionally creamy p-butter, at room temperature. and yeah, i had to use a knife, there was no dipping!

[Harters]

Pringles are an "interesting" product in the UK. Legally, whilst they may look like a crisp (or chip as Americans call them), they aren't.

It's all to do with our Value Added Tax (similar to a North American sales tax), which is incorporated into the price of many things we buy at 20%. Most foods are exempt from VAT but, for some reason, crisps are not. And, apparently, Pringles are made from less than 50% potato with miost of the rest being flour - legally making it into a dough so it is, effectively, regarded as a cake or biscuit on which VAT isnt charged .

[Berheenia]

If I lived in the UK I would probably weigh a lot less than I do because chips or crisps are my down fall and paying VAT would be a factor, I think. When you visit you have to try Cape Cod Potato chips- they have a factory tour in Hyannis. They are a love it or leave it chip - hubby leaves his for me as I love them and he does not. Your trip is soon isn't it?

http://www.capecodchips.com/about-us/...

[Harters]

Oh, thanks for that, Berheenia. We're staying a few days at Hyannis and have almost no plans for that part of the holiday - just going to be some chill out time before coming home.

[Berheenia]

You should befriend CapeCodGuy, a most knowledgable Hound on the Southern New England Board for ideas.Trying to link him to this

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8443...

[Harters]

I'm actively reading the various New England boards for ideas.

We may actually do a bit of cooking on the Cape as we're renting a cottage. Although perhaps I shoudl ask for your advice for a seriously strong Cheddar and make Cheddar and Cape Cod Chips sandwiches for dinner one day.

[LindaWhit]

Harters, you *might* be able to find that English Coastal cheddar at a Whole Foods or Trader Joes. You know that one that actually comes from near you? Gah - never mind. Whole Foods supermarket hasn't made its way down towards the Cape yet. You'd have to buy it while you're in the Boston area and bring it with you. Otherwise, Cabot Creamery has a good sharp cheddar - Hunter's Seriously Sharp - that, while probably not as sharp as some English cheddars, should do in a pinch. :-)

[GretchenS]

Before you head down to the Cape you should make a pilgrimage to one of the Formaggio Kitchens -- Cambridge or South End of Boston -- to get cheeses and other items for la pique nique down on the Cape.

[Berheenia]

Trader Joe's has a good selection of cheeses at a price that won't make you wince if you have to leave some in the rental bin when you leave. Very decent grass fed New Zealand Cheddar. I like a good rat cheese myself- sometimes there is a cheese lady selling it at the local farmers markets. Check with Cape Cod Guy or Phelena or Cyclista for best advice. If you see a raw milk cheddar, buy it!

[buttertart]

The Canadian cheddar Trader Joe's sells is not to be sneered at (except by me, who has a 6-yr-old aged cheese connection...). It was my mainstay before I got lucky.

[LindaWhit]

Cape Cod chips are *seriously* amazingly good chips, Harters.

[Frizzle]

I enjoy telling people that pringles cost more than regular chips because it takes a long time for the manufacturers to find so many potatoes the exact same shape.

[Rella]

think 'Pressed' foods - meats, etc.
Could that possibly be? No, I don't think so, but it has a mind wondering.

[mariacarmen]

Pringles should have a VET - Value Extracted Tax.