What's for Dinner #170 - Apocalypse Chow edition [old]

[roxlet]

Well, like everyone else in the NE, we're waiting for hell or high water, the latter being the more likely. Having had our Egyptian houseguest leave opens the door to pork, and that's what's for dinner tonight. A lovely loin of pork is roasting in the oven, and with that will be potato pancakes. My son and I will have applesauce with those (it's the only time I like a fruit with meat), and my husband will have his plain. There will also be broccoli rabe.

Yesterday, he did some BBQing, so there's a smoked turkey in case the power goes out, which is likely since we live in a "Tree City, USA."

How are you planning on getting through the Frankenstorm, or how are you making us jealous if you're not in its path?

[Bacardi1]

While I believe there are relatively few vegetables that I haven't tried at least once, I did try a new one last night - Jerusalem Artichokes (aka Sunchokes). I always avoided them because I don't like peeling knobbly things, but after discovering that peeling isn't necessary (just a good scrub), bought some at the farmers market, cut them into 1-1/2" pieces & tossed them with equally-sized carrot pieces, halved baby potatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, & freshly ground black pepper. I then placed them in the bottom of a baking dish. Placed a rack in the dish & roasted 2 free-range pastured turkey drumsticks (that I bought last month from a farm around the corner that raises bison & free-range pastured pork, goats, & all sorts of poultry) over the vegetables.

Those chokes were DELICIOUS. Skin was tender, interiors were nutty & very creamy. Slightly sweet - not as sweet as parsnips, which I don't care for - but just a hint of mellow sweetness. Will definitely be buying these again!!

So - Roasted Turkey Drumsticks with Roasted Root Vegetables & a green salad made up last night's meal.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Good to know, Bacardi1. I too have not bothered to cook sunchokes before, though I have had them in restaurants. Will have to try them using your method next time, thanks for inspiring!

[LindaWhit]

Bacardi, just so you know, we've moved on to a new thread (see my post a few above yours for the link).

[mariacarmen]

roast leg of lamb vindaloo - as posted by JungMann, here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/870560#7608949

I made the Jaffrey recipe as a paste, as suggested by JM. i toasted my whole spices, as the J-mann did, and OH! the smells! intoxicating. that and the ginger and garlic. I coated a 4 lb. boneless leg of lamb with the paste, inside and out, reshaped it, and then roasted it, starting at 375 degrees for a 1/2 hour and maybe another 1/2 hour at 350 until the internal temp was 130 degrees. i let it sit for 5 minutes.

I followed the recipe pretty closely re the spicing, except i didn't have black mustard seeds, and i added more garlic. i loved the flavors, so much depth, and a decent heat - although it could have been hotter - but i tried! I added half a minced fresh serrano pepper in - i would add more next time. the BF THINKS he likes food as hot as i do, but i backed off because i don't think he does.

I also made the Mint Coriander dip below Jaffrey's recipe (sans the bell pepper, as i didn't have any), which is Julie Sahni's, and used it over cutesy little cuke boats. Jasmine rice sopped up all the flavors. The lamb was tender and juicy and pearly reddish-pink. The pics make it look a little more done than it actually was.

The BF proclaimed it "tasty" and "not too lamby" - which i attribute to the potent flavors of the vindaloo. I was interested to learn that Vindaloo originated from a Portuguese dish - "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos," - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vindaloo

we have a LOT of lamb left over, luckily for me. mission accomplished!

[Harters]

Sounds good, mc.

Apparently vindaloo is traditionally pork. It's another reflection of the Portuguese influence on the cooking of Goa - there are no religious issues, as many Goans are Christian. Unlike almost all of the Indian sub-continent, Goa was a Portuguse colony and didnt gain independence (and join the rest of India) until some years after the rest of India became independent (from Britain). By the by, the Portuguese are credited with introducing chilli into India - so thank them for hot curries.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Yes, and I made the pork version two weeks back, and it's lovely. I get the lamb vindaloo when we visit our local Indian joint, as they are obviously not Goan. It's is another great prep idea if you have access to a lamb shoulder.

[mariacarmen]

'twas.

thank you, Portuguese!

[JungMann]

The Portuguese influence was felt broadly even beyond Goa. There were Portuguese exclaves throughout coastal India and intermarriage policies combined with internal migration further encouraged Portuguese cultural cross-pollination. Even your standard curry house "balti" comes from the Portuguese word for bucket. Bandel cheese, a specialty of Calcutta, is also of Portuguese origin.

[mariacarmen]

i had no idea - i'd love to hear of other similarities/transferences of the language, words that crossed over, etc.

and this must mean that Portugal is a great CH place to visit!

[Dirtywextraolives]

Looks wonderful!! I love the lamb when it's medium rare like yours! Just beautiful! I am going to try your method over the holidays when I get another leg to roast.

[LindaWhit]

I've started a new thread here, since we've just gone over 300 with my recent replies...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/876229

[mariacarmen]

last night was another tapas night at a friend's home. on the table were two tortillas de patata, patatas bravas, ceviche, fresh tuna stuffed peppers, champiñones al ajillo, gambas al ajillo, bocadillos, a couple of salads, and the star of the show, a wondrous paella made on the grill! my friends and i are seemingly hooked on Spanish food for awhile. i'm enjoying it. my contribution was one of the tortillas, and a tuna fish ceviche. YES, CANNED TUNA, BLASPHEMY! but it gets raves and requests for appearance throughout the year. it's simply good quality canned tuna, a whole bunch of cilantro, small diced onion and toms, minced jalapenos, some hot sauce, (i used a red habanero) a bit of mexican oregano, s&p, and more fresh lime juice than you ever thought you'd add to anything ever - about 12 squozen limes for 4 5-oz cans of tuna. not yer typical tapas, but it worked.

tonight, if i get home in time from the oldster's, i will attempt roast leg of lamb with a vindaloo crust. if i don't, it'll still be lamb, but something much simpler. i'd like to do some type of potato pancake to go with it, to participate in the DOTM thread. i also have a butternut that's ready to be et. vee shall see....

couple a pics from the par-tay attached.

[jenscats5]

It all looks & sounds delicious!!!

[LindaWhit]

Oh, the paella looks heavenly! And if your tuna ceviche is raved about, phooey on the canned part! As long as it's enjoyed. :-)

[steve h.]

Another great looking spread.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Mmmm, paella on the grill..... I've got to do that some day....

[gingershelley]

MC - looks and sounds delish! I must say - canned tuna is HIGHLY prized in Spain - good quality canned seafood in olive oil, sometimes with flavorings is a pricey delight to get in tapas places - so you did right by using canned!

Look forward to hearing what you do with your lamb-ey.

[roxlet]

With both my son and I considerably under the weather today, tonight's dinner will be simple -- burgers and dogs with onion rings. I have a confession to make: I make better burgers than my husband does, but it is impossible to tell him. The beef is wonderful -- ground by him -- but he tends to overcook the burgers. He will get very involved with grill marks, but I like my burgers done rare in a cast iron skillet. We'll see how it goes tonight, and if I am able to usurp his roll. Doubtful, but if that's all I have to complain about, I'm a lucky woman!!

[LindaWhit]

Tell him you don't want his sick hands touching the burgers, so you'll cook yours. ;-)

[roxlet]

Unfortunately, I'm the one who's sick!

[LindaWhit]

Oh shoot - I misread - well, tell him.....umm.... tell him - oh geez - just tell him you want a rare pan-seared burger and you want to make it yourself. LOL

[gingershelley]

A rare burger from a cast iron skillet IS a thing of beauty..... feel better Rox!

[linguafood]

We got a steak thawing (I think it might be a chuck-eye) which will later be marinated in my house marinade. Side will likely be garlicky leaf spinach, maybe some canned (!) corn -- blasphemy, I know -- and even maybier a baked potato which I haven't had in eons.... fully loaded with butter, sour cream & scallions.

[ChristinaMason]

what's in your house marinade, lingua?

[linguafood]

Soy sauce, red wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, maggi, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper.

[ChristinaMason]

Danke!

[Bacardi1]

Market had some nice-looking no-preservatives Sea Scallops, so I bought a dozen & simply pan-seared them in a lightly olive-oiled cast-iron skillet. Topped each scallop with a dab of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce & served them with a side of my own "Sesame Zucchini Carrot Ramen Noodles" & a green salad.

[Harters]

We woke up on this bright Sunday morning to find us on the brink of foody disaster. Yes, someone had left the door to the freezer slightly ajar yesterday. And, yes, there were the signs that things had started to defrost. Not yet by much, so we've cranked up the fast freeze and will remember that things will need full cooking. And, of course, we'll be keeping our fingers crossed that we don't give oursleves food poisoning.

So, on to dinner. An interesting new recipe which puts lamb centre stage. Pulled lamb, that is. There's a rub of salt, pepper, garlic, chilli, ground coriander and lemon juice. It goes in a roasting tin, into which is poured red grape juice. It's covered with baking parchment and tinfoil and cooks for around 4 hours at 170. And is then pulled. I love pulling.

Alongside, the suggested slaw - shredded fennel, grated carrot, sweet chilli sauce, mayo, lemon juice and parsley.

We'll have that with bread - pittas and kobez.

[LindaWhit]

Pulled lamb and the slaw sounds great!

[mariacarmen]

oh my! i'm making lamb tonight as well, hopefully with a vindaloo, but yours sounds nice too...

[Dirtywextraolives]

What cut of lamb was it? Curious about pulling it....

[Harters]

Shoulder. Worked great.

Slaw wasnt a mega success, though. Just a bit meh.

[gingershelley]

Bummer - it sure sounded like a good flavor profile. Did it just need MORE of everything?

[Harters]

Nah. It was just wrong. I like fennel in salads but there was no real aniseed hit here. Nor was there enough chilli hit coming through from the sauce - so it was really just eating sweet mayo with "stuff" in it - not my best idea of fun.

[Dirtywextraolives]

I have never seen a whole lamb shoulder in the markets here.....they are usually butchered up into chops. Guess that's a special order for butchers here.... Thanks!

[Harters]

I'd guess leg is probably more common as a roasting joint where you are. It'd be worth a try but I think shoulder, with its extra fat, lends itself better to the "low and slow" cooking that you want for pulling.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Yes, we have legs to roast, but no shoulders. Andyes, I would agree, a shoulder would be better for pulling. Next time I go to a fancy butchers shop, I will inquire what it takes to get one. Thanks for the inspiration.

[steve h.]

Goat cheese agnolotti is on the menu. A brown butter (burro Mandriano) and sage combo will be the sauce. A quality parmigiano-reggiano will be scraped over the top along with freshly cracked black pepper. House red to wash it all down. We sourced the raw pasta two weeks ago at Tarry Market in Port Chester, N.Y. and froze it immediately.

Deb and I got back from the left coast late Friday night (Sandy insisted). We were lazy, woke up late this morning and sipped some California sparkling wine before doing chores. Later, we broke out the hand saws, reduced the fallen limbs to manageable size and took care of business. Our home in lower Fairfield County, CT, was spared but my next-door neighbor's house had an old/enormous pine tree take out his roof and crash through to his second floor. High winds and rain conspired to take out his first floor. They were not home at the time.

Sandy was pretty tough. Hats off to roxlet and her intrepid family.

We had a wonderful time during our extended stay in LA. I'll post chapter and verse by Tuesday.

[mariacarmen]

bubbly before handling power tools - you two have cajones!

goat cheese agnolotti... swooning...

[gingershelley]

What MC said - funny!

[jenscats5]

Hi all!! Haven't been here in a LONG time due to some home drama (plumbing issues) and getting ready for Halloween (we do a big yard display). The storm curtailed Halloween and we had to break down early. Fortunately, we weathered the storm with no power loss or damage.

I ate the leftovers from our annual Halloween party held the Saturday before the storm during storm week. So it was meatballs & baked ziti for almost a week!!!

Today I'm making a Curry Broccoli soup in the crockpot with coconut milk. Now that it's cooler it's feeling like soup weather.

[LindaWhit]

Today is a day of indulgement.

Had brunch out with 12 friends at a restaurant I'd not been to - lots of laughter and phenomenal food. The most laughter coming when our young waiter, Kevin, was taking a picture of the group with one of the iPhones, and a message came through. He ever-so-helpfully told the phone's owner "You just got a message from OK Cupid." (She had recently joined.) The picture taken right after we all broke out laughing was the best of the many taken today. :-)

Tonight I'll be joining several of the ladies who brunched at a local pub near my Mom's (one of the women came down from central NH just for this brunch!) It'll probably be just burgers and the like, but we'll have more time to catch up with each other.

Tomorrow? I dine alone and at home. That's OK. Today was my "going overboard" day for eating out!

[roxlet]

Sounds like a great day, LindaWhit! Good friends, good food, and lots of laughs!

[gingershelley]

Sounds like lot's of good times w/ great friends.... the best!

[GretchenS]

Belated happy birthday, LW!!!

[LindaWhit]

Thank you, Gretchen! There were several of us who had had recent birthdays, so while the brunch wasn't for that, we did a glass clink of mimosas, water, coffee cups, and a Bloody Mary for the birthday kids. :-D

[steve h.]

nice.

[roxlet]

Tonight, in celebration of having returned to the land of lights, and because we always go to my SIL's house for Thanksgiving, we are making a somewhat abbreviated Thanksgiving dinner. I suggested to my husband that he pick up a small turkey when he was out and about today, but I should have known better. He came home with an 18 pounder, and claimed it was the smallest one he could find. I made my cranberry, lemon jello, pineapple and walnut concoction, which my husband refers to as "that glop," and there will be stuffing, gravy, something green, and likely mashed potatoes. I am thinking of making a pumpkin pie, but I haven't gotten there yet.

[LindaWhit]

Thatsalotta turkey leftovers for repurposing. ;-) But a worthy celebration upon having Thomas Edison's best invention returned to you. Enjoy!

[mariacarmen]

congrats on the lights! and the Big Bird.

[gingershelley]

YUM! I have been reading T-day threads this morning looking for some new inspiration, and now I just want turkey, gravy and stuffing!

I might have to make stuffing, etc. for the chicken I have in the fridge.....

[Bacardi1]

Yesterday the market had really nice flounder filets, so I picked out 2 nice-size ones, slathered them in mayo, sprinkled liberally with freshly-ground black pepper & a little granulated garlic, & baked them. Served with mounds of fresh buttered green beans & a green salad.

[scubadoo97]

Mayo works so well as a lube. Sounds delicious

[mariacarmen]

love the idea of the mayo.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Still noshing on leftover pot roast, vegs & spaghetti that was made on Wednesday night. And going to a dinner party at old friends' tonight, so felt like I had to clean out the fridge a bit, as I thawed out a couple things, and want to make spaghetti & meatballs tomorrow.

Since I had two large leeks to clean & used one for the dal, I caramelized the second one with some onions & garlic. Used at as a base for a puff pastry tart with gruyère & bacon. Also fried up some chicken smoked sausage this a.m. and made a fried rice with that, leftover shiitakes & the leftover jasmine & basmati rices. Unconventional but quite tasty. Also marinating three thick pork loin chops in a "bakar" sauce which is a mix of honey, coconut palm sugar, fish sauce, lime, red jalapeños & ginger. Will grill those off before I get ready for the party. Kids can make roasted pear sundaes w vanilla froyo & caramel sauce for dessert, though not sure what the babysitter will make for them for dinner, with this many choices! They will probably opt for frozen pizza {{sigh}}.......

[Berheenia]

Let me know next time you need a sitter- will work for food if it is as good as yours sounds!

[Dirtywextraolives]

LOL, I just may have to take you up on that, Berheenia!

[mariacarmen]

those chops sound fab.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Thanks, mariacarmen. I seared them on the panini grill, then pan roasted them. Love that marinade, I may have to slice them thinly & make some bahn mis....

[Harters]

Tonight - one of Jan's longstanding posh dinners.

Filet de boeuf flambe a l'Avignonnaise. It's in an Elizabeth David cookbook that was our "cooking the books" a week or so back and we spotted the recipe and realised we hadnt had for ages. Now, I can't cook steak to save my life so am leaving this entirely in herself's hands.

It all takes aorund three minutes cooking time.

The fillet steaks are seasoned with salkt, pepper and garlic and are quickly fried in butter. You then chuck in some brandy and flambe it. Meanwhile, you've also fried a couple of slcies of baguette. So, baguette on plate.....steak on top.....sauce (such as there is), all over.

There'll be saute potatoes and green beans.

By way of provenance, the steak is Welsh Black beef bought from the farmers market from the, erm, farmer. Potatoes are organic Lady Balfour. Green beans are FairTrade ones from Egypt (we don't seem to farm them commercially here - and Egypt is a lot closer than Kenya where supplies normally seem to come from.

Herself says she'll also conjure up something to nibble on, rather than a formal starter. I have looked in the fridge, found nothing of interest, so I'm sure you'll join me in wishing her luck :-)

[linguafood]

Fabosky dinner at casa Harters. As usual! Betcha herself finds some apps to whip up....

[Harters]

It's been "baking day" here as well. Herself has made what the recipe called "Spanish pizza". We'd assumed that it was going to be the very thin affair that you get in Mallorca and is known there as "coca". But, no, it's quite thick and doughy. Like, erm, a Spanish pizza. Apparently it is going to feature as the starter.

And I'm baking my first ever cake. A recipe for "Dutch apple cake" that we've had for so long, the measurements are not in metric and I've had to Google for conversions. Not really sure whether it's dessert cake or cake to have with a coffee later. Either way, it will feature - unless it;s really shite (of which there's every chance)

[linguafood]

Bake away. I've yet to cross that road....

[LindaWhit]

Baguettes. Steak. Brandy sauce. Perfect.

[scubadoo97]

Sounds wonderful

[mariacarmen]

Herself continues to please. yum on that dinner.

[ChristinaMason]

That beef dish sounds fabulous. Mmm!

[twodales]

Repurposed the eggplant parmesan last night. "Cut" or more like tore it up and served it over spinach penne with some fresh parm on top. Quite good. Leftover chicken cacciatore and a salad to boot.

Might attempt some apple cider ice cream over the weekend.

Baking my no-knead loaf in a cloche this afternoon.

Tidying the garage. Made our Red Cross donation today

Life is good on a grey November Saturday. Best Wishes to all of you folks out East.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Love eggplant Parm, what a great idea to serve it over some penne!

[scubadoo97]

Great repurposing

[weezieduzzit]

One of the neighbors brought over a bag of avocados from her tree (many ripe NOW!) and we have quite a few Campari tomatoes and cilantro that need to be eaten so I braised a chuck roast until fork tender, shredded it and mixed it with a large spoon full of blended chipotles in adobo sauce (I blend the whole can and keep it in a small container in the freezer- it's easy to scoop out what you need.) Lettuce for me and I'll heat some corn tortillas over the gas flame for him and it'll be chipotle shredded beef tacos with fresh salsa and guacamole for dinner.

[twodales]

Gosh that sounds really tasty. Fresh and delish!

[weezieduzzit]

It was great (for lunch, too!) Big flavor, low effort.. which was a nice break for a Friday night. :)

[linguafood]

Ack. Interrupted a dreadful translation job due tomorrow with a nice dinner:

sort of a chicken paprikash -- diced kosher chicken breasts dusted with lots of paprika, a little flour, s&p were browned in oil & butter, taken out. Onions and quartered baby bellas were added and sautéed. Deglazed with a very generous sploosh of some open red wine (shiraz something mix, whatever) and a slightly less generous sploosh of light cream. Chicken back in, a good dash of Aleppo pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon. This was served over paccheri, of which I once again made too many. That pasta is FILLING.

I was feeling citrus-y today, so the side was mâche with a crème fraîche lemon zest dressing and a sprinkle of parm.

Stuffed now, and luckily also done with the job. Gah. Gimlet time. Happy weekend, y'all.

[LindaWhit]

Had a birthday coupon to use at my local butcher, so I made sure I snagged some stuff before it expired. Got a Delmonico steak and seasoned it with salt, pepper, and some dried thyme, as well as spraying it with some Pam cooking spray. Pan-seared both sides, and then into the oven to finish cooking.

Meanwhile, lots of sliced cremini mushrooms are being sauteed in butter, and I added several splashes of Marsala to the mushrooms to cook down for a mushroomy-marsala-y topping.

I was going to roast the green beans, but just went with steaming them. Will toss with some butter and salt and pepper and call it simply done. No starch. I expect to be doing some good eating out this weekend, so I don't need it anyway. :-)

Oh - and wine while making dinner, of course.

[boyzoma]

Sounds yummy, LW. I like everything you are making. Especially the "ushroomy-marsala-y topping"

[roxlet]

That sounds delicious. I love a steak seared on the stove and finished in the oven.

[LindaWhit]

It was *amazing*. I'm going to wait for more coupons and get more good steaks like that from the butcher. And I didn't even miss the carbs! LOL

[roxlet]

What I like to do is to get a cast iron skillet good and hot, then sprinkle liberally with kosher salt just before I put the steak in. No need for Pam-- it doesn't stick at all, and by the time it's ready to be turned, there is enough fat from the steak to keep the other side from sticking. I cook burgers the same way.

[LindaWhit]

I have my Grandma's cast iron fry pan, but it needs cleaning and reseasoning first. I'll make that a winter project. :-)

[scubadoo97]

That does sound fantastic. Happy birthday as well

[ChristinaMason]

You've inspired me to make chicken marsala...soon! I've had a bottle on hand specifically for this purpose for more than a year now. Gah!

[LindaWhit]

GO for it! The mushroom-marsala sauce was *amazing* on the steak.

[Chocolatechipkt]

Yum, love that combination!

[boyzoma]

Thursdays are my soup days (for the most part). So a couple of weeks ago, I made stew, and I saved out some of the stew meat from the package and put it in the freezer instead of using it in the stew. Yesterday I thawed it out, cut it up in small bite-sized chunks and browned it. Then I turned it into a beef barley vegetable soup. Simmered it all afternoon. It was soooooo good. With that, we had grilled cheese sandwiches. Nice comfort food. Friday's are usually out or take-out, but might just have to have more of that soup tonight instead.

[eight_inch_pestle]

GF went to see a play with a friend, leaving me home alone to edit a project for her. So...just two very carefully fried sunny-side up eggs with buttered toast and a nice Oregon IPA. Sometimes simplest is best, especially when it doesn't pass snuff as "dinner" unless you're alone.

[LindaWhit]

That most definitely is dinner. But then again, it's just me in my house. Hope it was as good as it sounds!

[JungMann]

I have not been so much making dinner through the Hurricane, so much as getting fat through disaster. What is it about natural disaster (and air travel) that make an Angus Deluxe, Cinnabon and chex mix for dessert an accceptable meal? I mistakenly thought Sunday was Stir Up Sunday so I left church for the market to pick up unfathomable amounts of cream and milk for my 3-month eggnog and low carb tortillas for a DOTM dinner. Once greeted by the panicked mob at the store, I realized I could only get what my arms could reach before I dashed out the door. Luckily I had all the ingredients I needed for the initial Sandy dinner, but as we waited overnight for the storm, dinner became interminable and came to include plenty of Reeses peanut butter cups, more enchiladas and pimento cheese sandwiches. Storm day we sat down to a meal of swiss chard braised with lemon, fish sauce, parmesan and Aleppo pepper and half an enchilada to remain healthy. And washed it down with a deluge of cocktails (including christinamason's sage and gin cocktail for which I went special herb shopping). By day 3 of being homebound we were eating rotisserie chicken with nettle pesto yogurt pasta like weight lifers. Of course after listening me to place the same Bach fugue for about 3 hours and still get tripped up on the same line, there were nerves to be frayed so last night's dinner was apple cider ice cream sandwiched between warm from the oven Snickerdoodle's.

Fridays are normally sushi night, but I am cancelling for something homemade and less carby. I have one last vinegar and garlic marinated milkfish that I would typically fry up for breakfast, but, in the interest of diplomacy, will make for dinner when no one risks being offended by their waking smells being fish and burnt coffee. These are to be served along garlic miso butter noodle soup with radish and preserved bittermelon. FEMA can't repair the damage that Sandy's left from my neck down, but I certainly can!

[Berheenia]

I heard New York City was full of zombies looking for caffeine and a wifi fix but sounds like you have acclimated nicely! I don't know what stir up Sunday is but think I will have one this weekend. EDIT:
looked it up- think I will pass. Good luck with the foraging and hope the power comes back by the weekend for lower Manhattan but in the meantime you brighten my day!

[JungMann]

"Stir Up Sunday" is the last Sunday before Advent in most catholic churches (or the 24th Sunday after Pentecost for me) and traditionally the day when, inspired by the prayer "Stir up the will of your faithful, O Lord," the faithful would return home to stir up the batter for a Christmas pudding before hanging it in a cheesecloth to age for a month. I have reinterpreted the tradition to instead stir up a batch of eggnog which ages to perfection by Christmastime.

[gingershelley]

I like the eggnog replacement of the ol' figgy pudding.... tho I do like a well-aged Christmas pudding myself!

[Harters]

Stir-up Sunday in the UK is on 25/11.

A matter of complete disinterest at Harters Hall. Although we are cooking the family festive lunch this year, the pudding comes from the supermarket and gets cooked in the microwave. Life being too short.....etc, etc.

I will, however, be making mince pies (although the bloody family Philistines will not be getting anywhere them). Orange juice and zest in the pastry. Mincemeat bought from the supermarket, enhanced with booze (usually sweet sherry). A Joclyn Dimbleby recipe I've used for more years than I care to remember.

Ho, ho, ho. 'Tis the season....and all that crap.

[JungMann]

My love for Christmas pudding is well known so I am usually gifted several each year. Perhaps once I've finished the backlog, I might try making and eating my own.

[Harters]

We've only made one once. And, same year, made our own mincemeat for the pies. 'Twas the year Delia Smith brought out her Christmas book and we got very excited. We still use the book for some festive stuff.

Please be aware that I am making great personal sacrifice here in talking about Christmas stuff. In the ordinary course of events, the whole subject is tabboo at Harters Hall until after Bonfire Night. :-0

[gingershelley]

And when, pray tell, is Bonfire Night? I LOVE other countries holiday traditions. Please forgive my squoozing this out of you ahead of said deadline for speaking of such things....

[Harters]

Bonfire night is on 5/11. It celebrates the failure of what we would today describe as Catholic terrorists in trying to blow up the King and Parliament. The chief plotter was called Guido (more usually known as Guy) Fawkes and it's usual to burn an effigy of him on the fire. Lots of fireworks as well.

In my youth, the night before was known as Mischief Night when young boys would play pranks on neighbours. That's now disappeared, with children now following American "trick or treat" on Halloween.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawk...

Needless to say, there are food associations. Treacle toffee and parkin being the main two

[Berheenia]

Parkin? What is that in England?

Over here it's what my husband says before he comes in the house, "I'm parkin the car."

[Harters]

It's a cake - traditionally from northern England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkin_(...

[LindaWhit]

ROFL! Berheenia, that's what I thought as well! Although technically, in the Boston area, it's "pahkin' the cah". ;-)

[gingershelley]

Thanks for the explenation Harters. I have heard of Guy Fawkes day.... Treacle toffee sounds pretty good to serve on Monday!

[twodales]

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot"

We often have a dinner or party on this side of the pond. Complete with burning the effigy of Guy Fawkes and Fireworks. It's the only time I have made Parkin.

BTW looks like someone has hacked the usa network today with reference to Guy Fawkes.

[twodales]

Big fan of Matthew Walker's (not the Scottish Walker's) pudding. Flamed in brandy. Served with Brandy Butter. I don't have a sweet tooth but I do love this concoction!

I will soon be making our Christmas cake. Loaded with dried fruit and tons of brandy. Turning it every week for yet more brandy. In December it will be covered with marzipan and then royal icing. Keeps the Brit happy.

[Dirtywextraolives]

I have many friends in your neck of the woods who still have no power, gasoline, or food left in their homes. I am so sorry for all of you and am praying hard for all of you to be able to return to normal very soon...... Sounds like you are fairing pretty well with your supplies, to a point..... Best of luck, Friend....

[JungMann]

We have little to complain about uptown, but the difficulties for those who live downtown are palpable. The glow from the wealthy party set obscures the fact that there are also many working poor in Downtown Manhattan who were hard hit by the storm and that others in the Tri-State region are facing extreme difficulties due to the lack of gasoline and electricity. I am counting my blessings.

[gingershelley]

What she said, and JM below:) Prayers and good thoughts lifted up.....

[ChristinaMason]

JM, sounds like you ate well if not particularly healthily through the storm. I completely forgot about that cocktail; remind me---was it gin, lemon, simple syrup, and fresh sage shaken together? I hope it helped take the edge off before the storm. :)

[JungMann]

You remember the cocktail well! I've certainly been thinking about it since you posted it. Now if I can manage to break my unlucky streak with overwintering herbs on the windowsill, I can enjoy it all winter long.

[tiffeecanoe]

I'm going through here looking for inspiration! It's just me tonight... and my daughter, but she's 10-months-old and I was not really inspired by the beef and sweet potato meatballs I made for her last week... I only thawed one for her and none for me ;)

I'm thinking maybe anchovy pasta again or a Tarte d'Alsace from the freezer...

[Chocolatechipkt]

Tonight we're having quiche with caramelized onions and cheddar and maple-roasted butternut squash and carrots.

[roxlet]

We are still without power, but thankfully the contents of the freezer are still frozen, but we may bring some of the prime beef over to a neighbor's house who has a generator and offered us a freezer. My husband has taken some of our food to the fridge in his office, and other things are in the bbq outside. It's not that cold today, but it's still cooler outside than in, but since we have hot water, we're muddling through.

My husband has a little gas burner that he got when we renovated our kitchen, so we came home last night to him sautéing so mushrooms on the burner. He was baking potatoes in the gas grill, and that he later used to grill steaks. Though we ate in the dark, we still had a lovely dinner of sautéed mushrooms with shallots, baked potato and strip steaks. Tonight, he is promising gumbo with the lagostino that are quickly defrosting in the garage freezer. He will be cooking that outside on his burner.

[ChristinaMason]

Way to make lemonade!

[mariacarmen]

trust the two of you to eat like kings despite your travails!
but hope you're up and running 100% again very soon.

[gingershelley]

Impressive doings without power there Roxlet! Nice work making magic in the dark....

[LindaWhit]

Rub a couple of sticks together, and you could make a great meal, roxlet! I *do* hope you have power back very, very soon. Very nice of your neighbor to take a few freezer items to keep them frozen.

[roxlet]

Thanks, all. Last night's dinner of langosta, shrimp and chorizo gumbo was fantastic. My husband did the mise en place inside while it was still light, and then did the roux outside on his little burner. So delicious!! I think we may go out tonight. It's his birthday, and I think we are all wearying of dinner in the dark. We had electricity yesterday for all of 5 minutes, so we are very hopeful that we will get it soon. Sadly, I'm not able to make my husband's annual coconut birthday cake. Next week we will be celebrating my son's 17th birthday with a crowd (we hope) so I will make a coconut cake then...

[LindaWhit]

An amazing dinner, rox! And yes, I think going out would be very good to uplift some spirits - I hope the electricity comes back on TODAY!

[roxlet]

Yes, it came back on, but it teased first. Lights on, and we filled up the refrigerator. Then they went off, and on, and off, and I thought I'd weep. But they went on just before we went to dinner, and they were still on when we got home. I HOPE that's it now!

[LindaWhit]

Wonderful news! Fingers crossed for you and those all around you, roxlet!

[gingershelley]

Excellent! Let there be light (and, well, power:)

[GretchenS]

Glad you got your power back rox, but man oh man you sure ate well without it!!!

[Harters]

Upcoming......lamb chops cooked on the griddle pan. Alongside Sophie Grigson's tomato rice.

Tomato rice? Wassat - I hear you ask. Well, think of it as a sort of baked risotto. Fry some onion and garlic, stir in risotto rice. Add saffron, tomato puree, chopped parsley and stock. Bring it up to the boil and transfer to a baking dish. Cover with tinfoil and bake for arund 30 minutes at 150.

On the rare occurances that there are leftovers, I'm quite happy to eat them cold for lunch -perhaps wrapping up spoonfuls in an old fashioned soft floppy lettuce leaf

[ChristinaMason]

That rice sounds delicious--approx. how I make "red rice" for Mexican/Tex Mex food (minus the saffron, of course).

[ChristinaMason]

This evening I made a cross between this recipe for Callaloo http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Traci-Bs... (to use up the last of the kale) and L. Nightshade's groundnut stew (minus the meat). Basically I doubled all the spices in the callaloo recipe and added the cinnamon, cumin, and peanut butter called for in the groundnut stew. Instead of sweet potato I used frozen pumpkin puree. Basically ended up with a thick stew of tomatoes, onion, black eyed peas, pumpkin, and kale with spices, peanut, and coconut milk.

Not bad, but my formerly veg. hubby was way more excited about it than I was. Try as I might, I just don't get that into veggie stews.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Please, tofu-less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmq6m...

[ChristinaMason]

:)

[scubadoo97]

Everyone is making such great meals.
Been awhile since I posted a meal.

I've been trying to get comfortable with boning out a chicken using PepIn's method. Comfortable now trying to get quicker

Tonight I boned out a chicken and made a duxelle to stuff it with. Tied it up and roasted in over some sliced carrots and made some roasted butternut cubes. The squash comes out like candy

[scubadoo97]

Follow up pixs. Wish you could do this from your phone.

[ChristinaMason]

mouth-watering!

[PHREDDY]

MMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

[tiffeecanoe]

Oh my! Looks so delicious - gorgeous!

[gingershelley]

Fabulous Scuba! I haven't boned out a whole chicken in a long time - you are intrepid, and the food looks delicious;)

[scubadoo97]

Thanks everyone. Intrepid? It's actually pretty easy after doing it a few times. I keep doing it so it will get more fluid. Not able to do it in two minutes flat like Pepin, but under 15 min is making me feel like I kinda know what I'm doing

I will definetly do this again. I had a lot of mushrooms so a duxelle seemed right. I didn't have a rack that would fit in a disposable pan so the carrots seemed a perfect solution and I could eat them as a side

[gingershelley]

Well, scuba, I still remember the first time I boned out poultry - a whole turkey a la some Julia Child recipe back in 1978 when I was 16; making some uber-complex Tday turkey prep that involved a stuffing of bockwurst and rye bread, and then you put back the turkey breast (sliced), and form the whole thing back together so it looks like a turkey again, roast and present.

When we cut into it, the sliced breast gave everyone these little bits of turkey slices, which was strange. I have never had a great desire to bone out fowl since!

You may have inspired me to try again......

[scubadoo97]

Go for it !!! It's easy and does'nt make a difference if it's a turkey or quail

[tzurriz]

For Halloween we had our traditional chili with cornbread, and the hot milled wine that we pass out for grownups herding groups of kids.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Tonight will be (assuming the market has thighs) pecan-crusted oven-fried chicken from A Love Affair with Southern Cooking. Sides will be (1) leftover yams mashed with cream, milk, roasted garlic, and sage, and (2) either a simple salad or greens braised with ham hock and crushed red pepper. And a beer to celebrate the Bulls' season opener.

[gingershelley]

Tonight is going to be spaghetti with ragu sauce from the freezer with a pinch of red pepper flakes added along with a pan-roasted italian sausage and sauteed red pepper and onion on the side. Very simple.
Small ceasar salad with purchased dressing doctored up with anchovy and more lemon. Probably not going to be worth any pics.

My playwright roomie and I are going to hide in the Pussywillow room at the back of the house with the fireplace going and watch scary movies and avoid the trick or treaters this year. No lights on the walkway out front. I feel very, very naughty for this behavior, and the pasta will help. Woops!

[Dirtywextraolives]

We've still been enjoying the leftover vindaloo, pakoras & dal.

But since it's Halloween, I am doing my traditional beef pot roast with carrots, potatoes, onions and.....wait for it....Spaghetti! Yes, an old Yankee tradition, apparently, was to serve spaghetti cooked in the meat juices after braising a pot roast. Probably not all Yankees did this, just the ones in Southern New England who were greatly influenced by the Italian immigrants. Anyway. It's delicious with lots of grated Parm over it. If anyone is up for dessert, there is some pumpkin chocolate chip loaf and I can also make some sundaes with roasted pears and caramel sauce.

[mariacarmen]

i had TOTALLY been thinking of using the leftover juices from our pot roast to make spaghetti! we're having leftovers tonight anyway (my sister made a ginormous and delicious pork shoulder last weekend and we're still all working through it) so maybe i'll toss that into the mix too.

[Dirtywextraolives]

You know what they say about great minds....., lol! It's really quite tasty. Of course my Nana never used Parm, but it's great with that salty umami kick. Now I do it with other roasts that have lots of jus too. Enjoy it!

[mariacarmen]

i forgot to say above that i brought for lunch on Monday the leftover mashed turnips with a couple spoonfuls of that meat sauce. so good!

[LindaWhit]

First day back at work after 2.5 days of no power there. Ended up doing 2.5 days of work in just over 5 hours. Pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

Forgot I had a birthday coupon to use at my local butcher that expired after today, so off I went. Several good items for later noshing, but I also got some ultra-thick boneless pork chops, so one of them is WFD tonight. Sprinkled with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. It'll be pan-seared in hot olive oil, I'll add a few Tbsp. of caramelized onions and a half cup of chicken stock after removing the chop. I'll reduce the stock, and then pour it and the caramelized onion over the chop and into an oven to finish baking.

Side will half a leftover baked potato, and some corn and peas. Keeping it simple.

[gingershelley]

Sounds like a tasty Chop! Glad things are getting sort of back to normal LW!

[tiffeecanoe]

Tonight will be a small pan fried trout filets and I'm making some risotto again thanks to the wonderful risotto success I had a couple of weeks ago. Tonight it will be a delicata squash and sage risotto! Off to roast the squash now while daughter is napping... so I'm not messing with that, trick or treaters and my little busy body baby around dinner time.

[twodales]

I had the most delicious trout a few weeks back in A Swedish restaurant. It had a Spinach, red pepper and something sauce. Ultra fresh and tasty. One of my favorite fishes. Enjoy! And well done on the planning ahead.

[tiffeecanoe]

Trout truly is delicious. I'm lucky enough to live somewhat close to Lake Superior and our little locally owned grocer carries some beautiful local(ish) trout.

That sauce sounds delicious!

[eight_inch_pestle]

Love lake trout. So under-appreciated. Did some charter fishing on Lake Michigan for a bachelor party this summer. Grilled up a bunch of these-were-just-swimming fillets for a condo full of boys with nothing but lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Amazing eating.

[gingershelley]

YUM! to lake trout!

[ChristinaMason]

That sounds great!

[kubasd]

Oh how I love trout! I grew up doing a "fishing derby" every year around my birthday at a lake stocked with rainbow trout. There was also a lake on my road (ironically named Pickerel Lake) that had tons of trout in it. We would always flour the filets and pan fry in butter... Haven't had anything like it in so long! Thanks for reminding me :)

[MAH]

Still contending with storm damage and incredibly grateful for generator power (night 3). Tonight dinner will be curried beef pot pies, made with leftover beef bourguignon doctored up with TJ's mango chutney, curry powder, sambar powder and gold raisin, simmered with a bit of stock. Portioned into crocks to be topped with puff pastry and baked til golden brown. Maybe a simple salad alongside.

The storm damage and power outages all around are simply devastating and depressing. We are incredibly grateful to have suffered far less than others and are comfortable with the generator running. And we've certainly been eating well through the storm. Counting our blessings and happy to have WFD for an outlet.

[GretchenS]

Wow, MAH, glad you are OK and eating so well. Your dinner tonight sounds like one of the great repurposing menus of all time!

[twodales]

Tonight, the pot of chili is ready and waiting for anyone to serve themselves inbetween the trick or treaters. Simple and Easy.

[MAH]

Despite feeling incredibly lucky, I have to admit I'm pretty bummed that the Governor has "rescheduled" Halloween for Monday (when I'll be traveling for work, if flights are making it out by then). This is the 2nd year in a row that Halloween has been disrupted by Mother Nature. Last year was snowpacalypse -- the blizzard that caused us to lose power for 5 days and sent us to a hotel. Clearly there are more important issues at hand, and my toddler seems not to care, having no real expectations for what should be happening this evening, but I'm sad that there will be no trick or treating tonight and that I'll likely miss it when it does happen. :-(

I think we'll make brownies tonight and trick or treat inside...

[ChristinaMason]

I agree, that's pretty clever!

[tiffeecanoe]

Glad you're ok.

Your dinner sounds delicious.

[LindaWhit]

Very glad you're doing OK, despite being on generator power. Eating wonderfully.

[prima]

yogurt-marinated then roasted chicken parts, some sort of Mediterranean-ish cauliflower, Ottolenghi's Mejadra http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyl... , and maybe a yogurt cake. Trying to use up some yogurt...

[linguafood]

It's been a while since we had a chicken dish. I'm feeling that old casa lingua standard, piccata coming up.

OTOH, a couple of roasted cornish game hens sounds mighty fine right now, too....

Will have to see what Wegmans got on tap, and make a game time decision.

[linguafood]

Whatta bummer -- cornish game hens were in the frozen section, so I decided against them.

So... piccata it is, with a tomato, feta & scallion salad on the side and some leftover stir-fried Chinese broccoli and pea shoots from last night.

[gingershelley]

Yum.... Picatta sounds good. May have to make that in next couple of days! Thanks for inspiration Lingua.

[linguafood]

My man just reminded me that it's one of his favorite things I make. Guess we'll put it in rotation again :-)

Though your crispy thighs and cauli look mighty fine, too! Gotta make them thighs again soon.....

[Berheenia]

Tonight is leftover roast pork and a cauliflower/potato gratin that was going to be the dish of the month post but pancakes won. Boo hoo.

[Berheenia]

Gratin lost at my house too because I was out of potatoes! So it was a pork stroganoff with mushrooms in a lovely sauce with a touch of cream sherry and heavy cream over egg noodles. I love egg noodles. Can't take my eyes off the national news! New Jersey Hounds, my heart goes out to you! Not to mention those in lower Manhattan and Breezy Point. And so on.

[Harters]

So, a dead simple dinner at Harters Hall tonight - poached smoked haddock (I may top my portion with the traditional poached egg), new potatoes, peas. Job done.

[twodales]

Queen Delia Smith inspired me tonight. Beef in Designer beer.

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

I used Oktobrfest beer from Sam Adams. The croutons on top are worth doing. Lovely food on a windy and chilly night.

[Harters]

Such a good dish, 2D.

One of my favourites when I visit Ieper, in Belguim, where I know it as rundsstoverij (Flemish beef stew). Always served with a vast bowl of chips/fries.

[LindaWhit]

Beef, beer, croutons and cheese. How can you go wrong?

[Harters]

The croutons aren't traditional in Flanders but they're just going to add another level of flavour

[twodales]

The Brit is not fond of mustard...nor a foodie...yeah, I know...but even he commented on the wholegrain mustard and slightly crusty melted gruyere croutons. He said they added another nice "something" to the meal.

Yep...there is hope.

[ChristinaMason]

That's almost exactly how I make my carbonnade, except I also add shallots, a little grainy mustard, a piece of Lebkuchen or some crumbled gingersnaps, and a shot of Worcestershire. The crouton idea is brilliant.

[tiffeecanoe]

Greek Chicken - pounded out breasts marinated in olive oil,lemon juice, garlic and oregano. On the side was a chickpea and zucchini salad. The salad was dressed with a yogurt, dill and feta and so was the chicken... and sopped up the sauce with a pita. Yum! One of my super easy go-to's a couple times a month.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Love those chicken cutlets!

[gingershelley]

Well way over here on the West left coast, we did have a rainy day, that clearly doesn't even bare mentioning!

Tonight I follow a craving. pizza! Crust is puffing up, sauce is waiting around after smutzing a couple tbsp. of tomato paste with some OO, basil (tj's cubes of frozen), chopped canned tom's, clove of garlic in the mini processor.

That will go on the pizza crust, with salame, Italy-cheese blend from a package, good olives, a bit of drabs of fresh mozz, parsley and some pepper flakes. Simples, Hits the spot!

A mini salad of the ceasar variety is on deck on the side.

Hope everyone on the Right coast is coming through in grand, tasty style!

[ChristinaMason]

I was craving comfort food, so tonight was a simple meal of smothered pork loin chops, steamed broccoli w/ butter, and steamed white rice. I brined the chops and amped up the basic sauce of cream of mushroom soup, milk, and seasoned salt with some sauteed onion, chicken broth, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and Maggi.

I've actually never made pork this way before, but my mom often prepares it, and I thought it was time to give it a go and use up some canned rations. DH and I both enjoyed it, but I don't think this will make it into regular rotation anytime soon. I prefer a traditional white sauce with a flour roux.

[gingershelley]

Your a fine woman CM, in that you - forgive me if anyone thinks I am 'snobing up" - think a housemade sauce beats a can 'o' soup. You rock on the pork chops!

[ChristinaMason]

Thanks (I think)! I welcome any excuse to whisk flour into melted butter. :)

[Chocolatechipkt]

Panang curry with chicken
fried rice with roasted pork
(Yes, carry out -- my danger pay for the storm)

[boyzoma]

No Apocalypse here either. Just rain, rain, rain. Dinner will be really simple. Fish & chips with a cole slaw salad on the side. Easy, peasy.

[juliejulez]

I'm in Colorado so no apocalypse here! I hope everyone is staying safe though.

Dinner tonight is a new recipe, Chicken Pesto Lasagna Rolls. Hope they're good, they sound good, plus I'm relying on the leftovers for at least 2 more meals :)

[ChristinaMason]

I think I saw you mention those on another thread. They sounded good--let us know what you think.

[roxlet]

Well, it was apocalypse chow at our house last night. We lost power at about 6PM, and haven't gotten t back yet. We had Ramen noodle diinner with hard boiled eggs and left over roast pork. Tonight, I am sure it will be the smoked chicken and a salad. Minimal cooking because the vent isn't operational and my husband has a fetish about smelling up the house. We've been told it will be at least another day until power is restored. Our half of the village is dark, but the village itself has electricity, and it was a madhouse there today as everyone tried to eat hot food at any open restaurant. Waaaah. I want my power back!!!!

[LindaWhit]

Oh, sorry to hear you're without power, rox! I hope it's back very soon! I'm still waiting on my work complex's buildings to be brought back up, so I spent the day monitoring work Email from home. But I did sneak in a 45 minute nap. With a very heavy kitteh lying on my chest. Until he decided that the sparrows on the deck were more interesting, and launched himself from my belly to the floor. Ooof! That woke me up.

[GretchenS]

so sorry rox, but glad you have yummy smoked chicken to get you through

[gingershelley]

A nap, with a kitteh, LW, is a great respite from the storm:)

[mariacarmen]

waah roxlet - sorry about that! hope it comes back on soon.

[PHREDDY]

Here in NY LI no power problem....but as planned qued filet mignon, grilled veges, baked , loaded pots, a good pinot , greens mixed with rouquefort, shalots, evoo, sherry vinegar, s&p ....

[gingershelley]

WAAHHH! Glad it is only half-bad and the village with power is within sight.

[Berheenia]

You really nailed it when you named this thread Apocalypse - at least you have a gas stove. My husband came home from work last night with a horror story he overheard. Someone had put a baked ziti in the oven during the storm and when the power went out the oven locked itself and nothing could get it open! So much for electric ovens. Imagine having to smell and see a baked WFD when you couldn't open the damn door. Sending you a virtual baked ziti or maybe a free pass to the front of the line for a restaurant lunch. Hope you get power back on today!

[biondanonima]

Just made a killer quiche with breakfast sausage, onion, dried cherries and Beemster Vlaaskas. I made the pie crust using the CI Vodka recipe, but I kind of half-assed it and left out a good bit of the butter - it still turned out great.

[Harters]

Upcoming.......turkey saltimbocca as per this Delia Smith recipe: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/turkey/turkey-saltimbocca.html

Alongside, there's leftover spuds, cauliflower and runner beans which will get the frying pan treatment and, hopefully, get a bit burnt and crispy (although not in bad way). There's talk that I should include chopped garlic and rosemary in said fry-up.

The demon baker, with whom I share my life, has been at it again with perhaps her most ambitious project to date - the Paul Hollywood eight strand plaited loaf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/eig.... I have to tell you it looks fecking amazing and it's going to have to feature in dinner tonight somehow.

[LindaWhit]

Dinner sounds very very good, Harters!

[mariacarmen]

that bread IS impressive - go, DB!

[gingershelley]

Very nice dinner - and WOW on that bread!

[pine time]

Gorgeous bread! How did it taste?

[Harters]

Just like a very good white loaf. So, in taste terms, not anything stellar. Certainly not as stellar as it looks. In the book, Hollywood talks of it coming out with a particularly dark crust - which it has. I, and more importantly herself, reckon it'd be better being baked a couple of minutes less to lighten it slightly.

[mariacarmen]

hm. i imagined it sweeter, for some reason. well, it looked lovely

[Berheenia]

We went through the storm unscathed and had enchiladas for dinner with a salad. Today is my husband's birthday so I am thawing out his favorite Italian sausages for dinner and we will have them in a red sauce on pasta- he gets to pick- with steamed zucchini and a few glasses of house red. We celebrated last Saturday so this is just a pick your favorite for dinner birthday meal.

[gingershelley]

Glad your all right where you are Berheenia!

[mariacarmen]

felt off all day, sickish, sleepy, just weird. got home, immediately laid down and slept until 9:30. BF had leftover pot roast. i woke up and just had two pieces of buttered sourdough toast (and one was also slathered with braunschweiger) for my dinner. totally comforting food, and i feel better. back to bed soon though.

reading all reports on storm - frightening. i hope all our East Coasters are safe and dry, and have plenty of supplies!

[Chocolatechipkt]

Hope you feel better soon!

[LindaWhit]

Aww, so sorry you were feeling poorly, mc - hope you're better this a.m.!

[mariacarmen]

thanks, guys! i do feel better. not sure what that was, maybe just the Monday yuckies.

[GretchenS]

hope you are feeling better mc!

[gingershelley]

Hope your feeling better MC. Braunschweiger is a good cure-all:)

[eight_inch_pestle]

That feeling is the worst. Glad it passed!

[weezieduzzit]

A couple off different kinds of maki sushi rolls for tonight, leaning towards the non-traditional (including the dreaded Philly smoked salmon roll, I can hear the gasping now but I don't care- its my house and I like cream cheese.)

I was going to do a tour-of-Asia-little-food-extravaganza but decided to only visit Japan tonight and save Thailand and China for Wednesday night (we lock ourselves in with the lights out on Halloween and watch movies in the back bedroom, little food will be perfect for that.)

[eight_inch_pestle]

Lamb brats with sides of garlic-and-spice roasted cauliflower and mashed yams.

Also? Best. WFD. Title. Ever.

[mariacarmen]

lamb brats?? i'm assuming that's different from merguez?? i want lamb brats!
sides are yum too.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Well, either because I changed my mind or grabbed the wrong package (I was so tired I honestly don't remember which), I came home with pork-juniper links instead of lamb brats. So I can't tell you how they compare to merguez, just yet. And because I was so tired we ended up splitting a tuna melt and Caesar salad at the corner pub.

We did have the pork-juniper tonight, though, and boy were they tasty. Browned them in a little butter, and they gave up enough fat that I ended up making a little IPA-sage pan sauce. Roasted the cauliflower in olive oil, bacon fat, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper, and topped it with grated parm at the end. Served the sausages on top of yams mashed with milk, cream, roasted garlic, and sage with a little of the pan sauce on top. Good eats.

[ChristinaMason]

That all sounds really good. I'm intrigued by the pan sauce, because it seems it might become too bitter with the reduction. Do you add cream?

[eight_inch_pestle]

That's funny, Christina. I had the cream next to the stove for just that reason. Turned out the fat from the sausages had enough porky sweetness to offset the IPA. Nor did I use a ton of beer---just enough to deglaze and impart a little extra something.

[gingershelley]

eight inch - where did you procure those sausages, if I might inquire?

[eight_inch_pestle]

The little branch of Ken's Market at 5th (6th?) and McGraw just started carrying a couple varieties of Link Lab sausages, GS.

We don't own a car, and that tiny place has been a bit of a lifesaver since the top-of-the-hill Metropolitan Market closed.

[gingershelley]

Good ol' Ken's Market, 8-inch. Not suprised they have sausages worth eating. That must be a bummer not having Met Market up top any more. A long time ago, I used to live just below the top of the counterbalance on QA, and my roommate and I always joked that if we were dressed from work we would go to the Met Market, and if we were all scruffy in sweats or whatever on a Sat. morning - Safeway it was! That was before they had even remodeled that safeway (eons ago!).

[mariacarmen]

oh YUM to that meal - cauliflower sounds amazing!

[tiffeecanoe]

Stay safe all! Good luck in the storm.

Well, the time has come again to start clearing out the cabinets and fridge. No shopping until next week. I do this at the end of every month and I actually have a lot of fun getting creative with what needs using up before next month.

I'm making an ultimate comfort food dish straight from my childhood tonight - Bacon Tomato Mac! I don't really cook with cream of _______ soups ever - I DO cook with condensed tomato soup a few times a year. I used to get jealous of all the awesome creamy salty casseroles my friends' moms cooked growing up, we just didn't get that stuff EXCEPT, EXCEPT for this recipe from my awesome aunt by marriage who whipped up fabulous casseroles like my friends' moms! It's a very basic recipe and pretty much to taste.

Elbow Macaroni
1-2 cans of Tomato Soup
chopped yellow onion
Bacon.

Boil pot of noodles. Cook bacon. Remove, drain some of the grease. Add onion, saute in fat until soft, add tomato soup, bacon cook up for a bit. Drain noodles, put noodles back in pot and pour the tomato, bacon, onion mixture over the top. Sometimes I get crazy and add a little pinch of dill and sriracha...

Delicious. My husband is now obsessed with it.

[Dirtywextraolives]

That's funny, tiffeecanoe, that sounds very similar to a casserole I loved while growing up in the 70s. It was cooked spaghetti, tossed with the ubiquitous condensed tomato soup, and then topped with brown & serve sausages before being baked together for a few minutes. I really like the sound of bacon, though.....

[adido]

Sounds like (forgive me) a low brow version of Bucatini all'amatriciana which is one of my favorites. I'll have to try it some day. http://www.babbonyc.com/rec-bucatini....

[tiffeecanoe]

totally!

[steve h.]

Great title, roxlet!

The storm has shut JFK so Deb and I will ride this one out in the Hills of Beverly.

To our chow-colleagues back east: Be safe, eat/drink well and keep us posted as things develop.

Best regards,

--steve.

[Berheenia]

You lucky ducks! Heard the airlines were being flexible about re-scheduling so enjoy the bonus vacation/birthday trip! Go have a cobb salad or something Californian with a nice bottle of wine. :)

[steve h.]

I think Deb liked her birthday trip. Riding out the storm in Beverly Hills, visiting old stomping grounds in Pasadena, catching Bob Dylan at the Hollywood Bowl, etc. can't be beat.

[scubadoo97]

Nice!

[twodales]

Steve h and Deb: I was thinking about you two earlier. Glad you are safe and sound in CA..

Thankfully, we hauled Trinity out of the water on Saturday. If she was still on the mooring, there wouldn't be much left of her tomorrow. 16 to 25 foot waves predicted for Lake Michigan.

It was windy and cold when we put the boat to bed so when I got home I made a big pot of minestrone and some meatballs on the side to put in the soup (or into spaghetti sauce), upon our whim.

Tonight I was inspired by Marcella Hazan and made both her Chicken Cacciatore and her Eggplant Parmigiano. I've been using Bell & Evans chicken of late and have been very happy with the results. Spinach penne on the side to soak up the juices. A little chianti.

Some Autumnal spice cake to end it all. Happy campers for now.

[steve h.]

Your supper sounds excellent. Good timing on hauling out Trinity. There's something about a full keel on a monohull that gives me a modest sense of security. The down-side, of course, is you multi-hull guys will tie up hours before me.

[weezieduzzit]

I was hoping to hear you two were going to stay out here for the storm. Glad to hear it! I hope Deb's B day was spectacular!

[steve h.]

It was.

[Dirtywextraolives]

I cannot wait to hear all about your meals here!! And be thankful you are here, my sisters in CT still have no power except for generators :(

[steve h.]

I'll post chapter and verse by Tuesday. LA is pretty special.

[nomadchowwoman]

I haven't had enough time to keep up w WFD lately, but wanted to pop in and wish those of you in Sandy's path all the best. I hope it turns out to be less than it sounds. I know you'll be eating well, even if it's at room temperature.

Maybe too late for some, but a tip: those plastic gallon jugs of water, frozen solid, and stuck in your fridge and any open space in your freezer will extend the life of what's inside should your power be out for very long.

Stay safe, Eastern Hounds. Fingers cossed here.

[Kontxesi]

Chicken Saltimbocca (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ma...) and pasta. Still working on a veggie. Broccoli of some kind, perhaps?

If I can get to the store, and if the power doesn't go out, that is. (But maybe I could try cooking this over the woodstove? We've talked about it but never done it.)

[Chocolatechipkt]

The rain is coming down and the wind is gusting here. I have freezer meatballs and sauce going, and it's starting to smell good in here (again ... made freezer scones this morning).

[ChristinaMason]

Soggy, gray weather put me in a braising state of mind. I have a pot of cacciatore bubbling away slowly on the stove. Used a combination of recipes from Cook's Illustrated and Batalli, plus a few twists of my own (of course). Will serve that over refrigerator linguine (Buitoni or some such), perhaps with sauteed kale on the side drizzled with syrupy balsamic.

[Berheenia]

Dirty laundry won out over hurricane cooking so here I am eating a bologna and cheese sandwich as the dryer spins. We will have clean jeans if the power goes out and we have to eat out! But it rarely does so I think I am going to jump on the enchilada wagon finally for DOTM using the real ground corn tortillas I bought for the no flour diet (a thing of the past but there is food to be eaten) and ground chuck. I have some odds and ends of cheddar including some mild Wisconsin orange cheese I need to use up too. Gulp- there was a flicker just now! Should have saved that bologna!

[rabaja]

Pounded chicken breasts with roasted fennel, onions and delicata, and hearty portion of broccolini on the side. Nothing fancy, but it will be quick and should hit the spot.
And if it doesn't, warm apple and pear crisp with a cornmeal fregolotta topping should help.
I'd love to whip up a big batch of chicken soup to get us through Halloween. Work is amping up for me and rain is supposed to head our way.
Not that I'm complaining, it will be nothing like what many of you are facing today. I popped in here to wish you all well. May all to the east stay warm, dry and safe!

[ChristinaMason]

miss your posts! hello :)

[tiffeecanoe]

Hmmm, I have delicata on the counter, fennel in the fridge - just may re-organize the meal plan for this week!

[gimlis1mum]

I'm torn about what to do. Our power is still on so I could make something fresh, but I spent a lot of time cooking this weekend...do we eat up the stuff we have, or cook some more & hope the power stays on until after dinner?

[roxlet]

We're having the same dilemma -- eat the smoked chicken we made, or cook while the cooking's good? I think we all need a crystal ball!

[gimlis1mum]

We ended up eating the already-made curries. Hubby pointed out that thawing stuff from the freezer and cooking it on the gas stove would be easier than trying to keep the pre-cooked stuff cold, if the power goes out. (Which it still hasn't! Feeling lucky over here).

[LindaWhit]

I'll be eating the mac & ham & cheese I made last night for dinner tonight as well. Nuked if I still have electricity; cold if not. Or I could make another steak and garlic/herb cheese sandwich as I did for lunch. We'll see.

[MAH]

it hasn't gotten too bad here yet, and we are hoping that our generator (put in after last year's Halloween blizzard) works as planned. So today is a nice day home from work and for some cooking projects with the toddler.

We are marinating beef for bourguignon tomorrow. The toddler peeled the carrots and helped put the chopped onions, carrots and herbs into the bag for marinating. Also helps measure and pour -- little stuff, but she loves it. Made some gougeres will figure into the mix too?

Tonight, i think we will be having cannelloni. I normally make it with a mix of sausage, pork and veal, mixed with some spinach, ricotta and parm. Based on what i've got on hand, tonight the filling will be made with hot sausage and a mix of chard/kale that i needed to use up. Crepe batter is resting now. Tempted to run out for more milk. After the bechamel we'll be low...

Hoping for the best with the storm...

[LindaWhit]

I love that the little one helped with dinner! Will get her/keep her interested in cooking. :-) Good luck to you for this storm as well!

[tiffeecanoe]

Awww, I look forward to my little girl helping out in the kitchen! Most of my favorite childhood memories come from being in my Oma's kitchen.

Good luck with the storm <3

[MAH]

the cannelloni made with sausage/kale/chard/ricotta topped with both bechamel and marinara was awesome. an all day project, but the light homemade crepes really are worth it. we felt very blessed to sit down to dinner in the midst of the hurricane, running on generator power, and enjoy a comforting, hearty, homemade meal. Best wishes to all those out there weathering the storm.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. if we've still got a working generator (can't take anything for granted), we've got some projects planned....beef bourguignon, polenta? maybe some brownies.

[gingershelley]

LOVE the title Roxlet!

Cooking over here on the left coast, and certainly not complaining about our 'lil rain storm we had last night.

Last night's dinner was old-school tacos made with some chopped leftover steak. Even made homemade pico de gallo, since the rain made me not even want to bother going to the Mexican market. Corn tortillas fried up, steak sauteed with onion, a little cooked potato left from last night, and taco seasoning. Lime juice and water added and simmered.

That mix into the soft tortillas with pico, avocado, shredded lettuce and cheddar. A bit of crema and side of canned refries hit the spot.

Tonight is something with chicken thighs that were on sale, and roasted cauliflower - perhaps all will get some Indian spices courtesy of DWEO's inspiration....

Hang in there Right-coasters!

[Dirtywextraolives]

LOL, I am also considering making butter chicken in the next few weeks..... ;-))

[gingershelley]

Uhm to butter chicken, or - my weakness - chicken Tikka Masala (which, I know, they say was invented in England - sigh).

[Harters]

At the risk of being overly pedantic about my national cuisine (well, someone has to), they actually say it was invented in Scotland, not England. The Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow claims it.

[gingershelley]

Well, I shall defer to you, Harters. John - I don't care where it was invented, It just tastes good in the incarnation it is in these days in recipes. Darn that upset servant who used the 'tomato soup' from the version I heard of how it was invented. I just LIKE it:)

[gingershelley]

Here were the chix thighs and cauliflower dish from Monday night - forgot to post details later.

VERY good, and shall be reprised. Chick was the Crispy chix thighs made famous here (I am forgeting who's recipe - sorry!) and I did the skin down thing, but then finished with a bit of pan sauce. I had used a pretty heavy dose of garlic, thyme, smoked paprika on the chix, and deglazed with a bit of stock and sherry vinegar.

Cauliflower was roasted, then tossed with chopped prunes plumped in a bit of olive oil and rosemary, handfull of capers, parsley, red pepper flakes, and a dash of red wine vinegar. GREAT with the sweet and sour tart vs. roasty flavors.

[mariacarmen]

swoony! i love those chix thighs.... your cauli dish sounds divine.

[gingershelley]

My roomie came in with a 2 lb. package of pitted plump prunes; so looking for ways to use those, so went with that vs. currants I normally would have reached for. Highly recommend the prunes! More 'unctuous':)

[PHREDDY]

I love prunes cooked with sweet potatoes, and carrots...I usually eat too much of that sweet stuff , but prunes are defintiely Bowelicious!

[luckyfatima]

We just finished celebrating Eid and that meant three days of heavy and meaty meals. I definitely want to eat light today, I have gained like 4 pounds over the weekend. I have some cauliflower and eggplant in the fridge and am planning to thumb through the COTM, 660 Curries to see if I can use a recipe from that. Other than that, we are just hoping we will have power for the rest of the day and on into tomorrow. If not, well, then I guess we will be eating cans of beans and Spaghettios.

[roxlet]

Did you have fata (or fattah)?

[luckyfatima]

No, we didn't have any Arab foods for Eid, mostly only desi and American.

[luckyfatima]

Ended up making dry fideos (mexican spaghetti). I feel bad, today is my 4 year old's birthday and we are at home all day. But I realize my worries don't compare to that of others who have suffered a lot due to Sandy.

[JungMann]

Eid mubarak, aunty!

[luckyfatima]

Khair mubarak, beta!

[linguafood]

Schools are closed here due to .... um, a light drizzle (SO glad I don't have kids :-)). We're not expecting the shit to hit the fan until later tonight here in Happy Valley.

The supermarkets were a freaking zoo yesterday -- similar to those 3-day weekend where everyone has to OMG SHOP FOR EVERYTHING NOW b/c stores will be closed for 3! THREE!! DAYS IN A ROW OMG OMG OM GGGGGGGGAAAAA. I scored the last few bottles of Spellegrino, we're good on tea lights, I think, and will hope for the best. I'll believe it when I see it.

The porkapalooza was a bit of a nail-biter, as the recipe I was given was for a 6 lbs. shoulder.... and mine was 11.5 lbs, and I had been told that there would be no need to adjust the cooking time.... oh well.

Not sure if it was a thermometer issue, but the roast seemed nowhere near ready (after having been in the oven for nearly 8.5 hours @225°) around the time my 10 guests had planned on eating, so I had to crank up the oven to 400° and hope for the best.

Finally, around 9 pm I just took it out. It was flavorful and reasonably tender, but nowhere near the result I had hoped for, similar to pernil or bo ssam. Ya know, crunchy and brown on the outside, fork-tender on the inside. Sigh.

Anywhos, people sucked it up regardless, the sides were all delish -- besides what I had mentioned already, we got a nice, Indian-spiced pumpkin mash, roasted veggies, roasted Brussels sprouts that were damn near perfect, a flourless chocolate cake and the anticipated key lime π.

Despite sending some folks home with a portion of peeg, we still have roughly 2 lbs. leftover which will be WFD tonight/tomorrow, along with some leftover slaw.

Not sure what to expect here since we're pretty far inland, but apparently, the apocalypse is upon us. Good thing we have booze.

[pine time]

Okay, I'll bite: how did you get that "pi"?

[linguafood]

alt + p, at least on my mac :-)

[biondanonima]

Just prepped a loaf of no-knead bread for its second rise - we'll probably turn that into BLTs or some other delicious sandwich for dinner. For brunch today, though, we had French toast made out of Portuguese rolls (the only bread left at my local supermarket by yesterday afternoon, and a surprisingly awesome substitute for challah or brioche) and sausage drenched in Grade B maple syrup - the perfect indulgence for a free day off work!

[tcamp]

I made chili last night in the slowcooker - chuck, pintos, onions, and several peppers. It is sitting on the counter awaiting lunchtime. Planning to use up ingredients on hand - making saag paneer and applesauce, for starters.

Schools are closed as are my and spouse's offices. They just went to Costco for dog food - the place is empty.

[gingershelley]

Funny tcamp - everyone went over the weekend to Costco. I guess this is the day to shop, if there is anything left to buy, that is.
Glad you can stay home to ride it out. Stay safe!

[GretchenS]

The carcass from last night's roast chicken is on the stove, making chicken stock. Should be ready for chicken-noodle-escarole soup for lunch with a smal grilled chese sandwich, assuming power is on. Winds not too bad so far, supposed to get very bad around mid-afternoon. WFD tonight depends on power situation. Power on: leftover puerco asado, black beans and rice and roasted carrots and leeks. No power: cold roasted chicken sandwiches, probably with roasted veggies in them. Stay safe everyone!

[Harters]

Upcoming......pork meatballs. There''ll be lemon zest and juice in there. And a little chilli. Browned and then finished off in a tomato sauce. With pasta.

Just been reading (10.25 GMT) the BBC News website about your forthcoming weather (although it isnt top story currently). Stay safe, folks.

[Harters]

Mea culpa. I'd forgotten there's to be a starter. It comes from our "cooking the books" exercise - "Mediterranean Food", Elizabeth David, 1958 (revised version - book first published 1950 - so it's as old as I am, although I miss I could also be revised)

A simple dish entitled "A Provencal Salad". Chopped celery, watercress, grated orange peel, parsley, garlic, stoned black olives and sliced tomato. Oil & lemon dressing. No quantities given so I'll make it up as I chop along.

[linguafood]

How d'ya get those black olives stoned? '-)

[LindaWhit]

Silly lingua. Of course those olives have been marinating awhile. That would stone any olive!

[linguafood]

So there were sauced AND stoned. Sounds familiar.

[Harters]

Just gave them some of the good stash ;-)

[Dirtywextraolives]

Earlier this week while out doing errands, I was searching for an Asian market close by to my appointment, since I needed to stock up on a few things but found an Indian market instead. So since we had an evening mass to attend, I planned for an Indian feast for the late afternoon.

I picked up some red lentils and a pakora mix at the grocers, so I started marinating some cubed chicken breast for the pakora, they sit in some lemon juice, grated fresh ginger and a pressed garlic clove with some garam masala. I started the red lentils to make a dal, which I have never made before. Using a FN recipe to guide me, I cleaned & sliced up some leeks while the lentils soaked. In some water they are cooked with garlic, ginger, leeks, a halved red jalapeño and a can of diced tomatoes. They are cooked down for about 40 minutes or so, then I added a good dose of salt. Here is the recipe I used: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aa...

While that was going on, I had rubbed a pork shoulder that I cubed with a vindaloo paste I had in the fridge, for quite a while. I loosened it up with some water, then massaged into the pork cubes and let sit overnight. I proceeded to make a vindaloo, using a combination of recipes I received from others on this board (Thanks, all who responded to my questions!) and the directions on the back of the Penzey's vindaloo spice bottle. I liked that recipe since it included potatoes, which is how the vindaloo comes that I order at our local Indian restaurant. I used the advice from fellow CHers in rubbing the meat ahead & using tomatoes, white vinegar & a shot of vodka for the sauce. It stewed for about two hours and was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to enjoy the leftovers all week.

Since I was not going to make the vindaloo mild, I fried chicken pakoras for the kids, as I knew the vindaloo would be too spicy. Along with the red lentil dal, to which a spiced oil was added and helped take it from bland to yummy, I steamed some basmati rice, baked some frozen garlic naan, and steamed some baby broccoli for the sides. I also put out some mint & mango chutney, and some Thai sweet chili sauce for the kids' pakoras.

Being the first time I seriously cooked Indian, it took a lot longer than I realized, but it all came out very delicious. Will definitely be making this again, perhaps when I have company here for the holidays. It definitely scratched my itch for craving some Indian, and was much more economical than the take out we get.

[mariacarmen]

this all sounds so wonderful, DWEO. i've only ever made curry from scratch. oh, and once aloo gobi. oh wait, and once some appetizer fried shrimp cake things, with chutney.... i guess i've made more indian food than i thought! but nothing as good as this all sounds like. expecially that vindaloo.

[Dirtywextraolives]

You know, the vindaloo was actually the easiest & least labor intensive part of the meal. Definitely will be making it again soon. And I bet it freezes well too. I also have an easy appetizer that is like mini samosas, that I thought about making, but now glad I didn't since we had plenty of food. Will save those for next time ;-)

[JungMann]

Kudos to you on the daring meal. Vindaloo paste does freeze quite well. I make a large batch of paste whenever I am making the vindaloo as frying off the onions can be quite time consuming. One of the non-traditional uses where it shines is as a spice crust on a roast rack or shoulder. Combine the paste with salt, smoked paprika, more vinegar, garlic and slather generously on your pork. It is absolutely incredible after toasting in the oven for about an hour.

[mariacarmen]

ooohhh you just gave me an idea. my sister bought my leg of lamb today from Costco ($20 for 4.5 pounder - still not cheap, but half what i would have paid at the stupidmarket) and i just looked up a recipe for vindaloo.... maybe this is our Sunday dinner. i think the BF would be more amenable to lamb if it had the indian flavah going for it. it sounds wonderful!

but, JM, onions? i found this recipe, is not a good one? http://www.ehow.com/how_2054958_make-vindaloo-paste.html

and how interesting, it says that vindaloo originated in Portugal!

do you have a different recipe handy? i probably won't go looking for a jarred version before then...

ETA: i've googled 3 recipes, and no mention of onions, so maybe that's a variation? and all required hot mustard powder - is that the same as Coleman's Mustard?

ok, the 4th recipe i found said onions: http://www.indianfoodrecipes.net/indi...

probably more authentic, eh?

[JungMann]

There was a very enlightening thread on vindaloo last month in which I posted my modified recipe. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/870560 I like the sweetness cinnamon and apple cider vinegar bring to the party. A recipe using only local Goan ingredients might now. The paprika I add to my spice rub is definitely not Goan, but a nod to the recipe's Portuguese roots and takes the flavors in a pleasingly Iberian direction.

If an Indian recipe requires mustard, I can only imagine it is mustard seed, usually brown. If you're using an Anglo recipe, then Coleman's is probably the right ingredient, but I don't know if I'd want to use that recipe!

[Dirtywextraolives]

I believe in one recipe I saw, it called for black mustard seeds, which I have not seen. Now that I've found a semi local Indian market, I may have to ask them so I can make the paste from scratch, after we've finished our penzey's spice mix.

[mariacarmen]

thanks for this. i've copied the link. i've already prepped the bf that we are having lamb this Sunday!

[Dirtywextraolives]

Yay!! Hope it turns out wonderfully!

[Dirtywextraolives]

Oh, it MUST have onions.....

And the recipe I like best has potatoes in it too, that's how my local Indian joint makes it, but just not Goan style which uses pork.....

[Dirtywextraolives]

Thanks for the tips, JungMann, greatly appreciated! I will do that next time, but I have to say, it's so potent nothing grew on it, so I used it up and then made a paste with the fresh spice bottle I bought. And I used it once before to rub on some shrimp, which I then skewered & grilled, and they came out delicious, even my husband loved them & he's no fan of shrimp..... Sounds good to rub on some lamb, that's the vindaloo I order at my local Indian place. But I am still considering stealing your app that you described on the last WFD thread (?) of it on some duck....sounds wonderful! Thanks, again!

[gingershelley]

Sounds excellent dweo - I LOVE Indian food, and could easily eat it a couple times a week - just most recipes have SO many ingredients, and take more time than I expect.

I am with you to make more of that this winter, now that I don't have a French person to complain about spices to cook for:). Sounds like you did a great job!

[Dirtywextraolives]

Same here, and I've been craving it since I picked up a bottle of vindaloo spices. And it sure is a bit time consuming, but worth it, as I had an appreciative family who enjoyed all of it.

[mariacarmen]

Lady Marmalade Chicken, a success. wiped the marinade off the chicken, put the sauce in a little pot, it reduced it until syrupy. quickly pan fried the chicken, brushed the reduced marinade over it, then stuck it under the broiler, and served it with additional sauce on top.

also, baked potatoes with crispy skins, butter, s&p, mexican crema, sliced scallions.

liked the lingua/roxlet cole slaw, tart as it was, as it went well with the sweet-ish/spicy chicken. unfortunately, i didn't make enough extra to see how much better it would be from sitting overnight, but it was good and so easy (i used a mandoline for the red cabbage, and also for the onions, but then as roxlet counseled, chopped up the onion further). i'd make it again.

[GretchenS]

My mouth is watering mc!

[PHREDDY]

Nice meal....but where is the "side of remote"?

[roxlet]

Looks delicious, and the slaw is so good with anything rich.

[mariacarmen]

thanks, all!

[pine time]

Will you share your Lady Marmalade Chicken recipe? TIA.

[mariacarmen]

it's right up above, pt! here, i'll recopy and paste (gave me a chance to correct spelling and other errors!):

[i used boneless/skinless chicken thighs) -

"... ok, so the fix for not having skin-on chicken thighs was, natch, a marinade. my BF sees my marinating as a fetish - "any excuse to marinate' - but i'm ok with that.

so on finding we were out of sweet chili sauce, i winged it, with half a jar of homemade (not by me) tangerine marmalade (SOO GOOD! I'd forgotten i had it - a friend gave it to me last May, 2011!) i mixed sriracha, granulated garlic, a thumb-sized piece of minced ginger, lemon juice, salt, pepper, a little sugar, and a splash of fish sauce...."

that's it - pretty simple, nothing to exact about it.... this all marinated for about an hour. then i wiped off the marinade, quickly sauteed the thighs, boiled down the leftover marinade some til it got thick, the spread it over the thighs, and into the broiler they went to get brown. i served them with a little more of the marinade on top.

hope that helps!

[pine time]

<blushing> Mea culpa! And, hey, love that you cook the marinade and use it as a sauce. I do that all the time and ignore those dire warnings never to use marinades--what a waste of lovely flavors. Thanks again!

[mariacarmen]

yeah, i figured it only marinated for an hour, i boiled it way down, why not?

[gingershelley]

I believe in cooking marinades - just NOT using them raw - a tried and true French tradition in cooking - dual purpose, I say. Go for it, ladies.

[mariacarmen]

no, that's gross! people really do that? let raw meat sit in something and then just pour it over the finished product?

[pine time]

The raw meat sits in the marinade, then the marinade gets the bejeebers cooked out of it before using as a sauce. If I cook the meat and eat it, why not cook and eat the marinade, too?

[gingershelley]

Yes!

[mariacarmen]

that's exactly what i did. i was asking if some people use the marinade WITHOUT cooking it.

[gingershelley]

I should have worded that better - I meant it is tried and true to turn the marinade into a sauce - by cooking:)!

[LindaWhit]

Exactly. Why waste the good flavors of the marinade? Boil the daylights out of it, and reduce it for a good simmer sauce.

[biondanonima]

For whatever reason, the impending storm has made us throw dietary caution out the window. Therefore, dinner tonight was huge med-rare burgers dripping with melted cheddar, green olive mayo and caramelized red onions on potato buns. Only my husband's forgetfulness at the grocery store kept us from having tater tots fried in bacon grease alongside! However, we've got challah French toast and bacon on the menu for tomorrow morning (since work is cancelled in NYC).

[PHREDDY]

Hope the storm passes easy for you...hunkered down at home , just listening to the wind and rain...
Actually today is ,....What Can We Cook? :-()....already did the wash, cleaned out one closet, and set up a new LCD TV...
Baking will be an afternoon activity, with some left over apples from the pumpkin patch, for an open faced apple pie with golden raisins, sour cream and a strussel top...an old favority I learned at a cooking class some 20 years ago...
WFD....looking in the freezer....perhaps some shrimp with Udon noodles, miren, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, Siracchia and a touch of soy...

Stay inside and stay safe! (For the rest of you away from this mess, enjoy your day!)

[gingershelley]

Tummy-Apocolypse Bio! Sounds like a delicious way to get through the weather - stay safe!

[MAH]

this weekend has been one full of cooking -- we had a houseguest and in preparation for the storm. Last night we grilled our famous cheeseburgers with the standard sides. today i made pumpkin pancakes as well as migas using leftover ground turkey taco meat and baby spinach (yum). Tonight we had roasted bone in chicken breasts seasoned with tons of garlic and some rosemary and sage, roasted butternut squash and roasted brussel sprouts with coarse sea salt. Followed by an apple pie made from some of the spoils from our apple picking adventure a couple of weeks ago.

Tomorrow I am planning on boeuf Bourguignon, but now that i have the day off tomorrow i'm tempted to make veal/spinach canneloni (made with crepes). that's a good long project that would make good culinary use of the day. But i don' t have some things i need. we'll see if it's fit to go out for ingredients tomorrow. BTW, the idea of going out for more food supplies is crazy given the amount of things we have on hand (2 stocked fridges/freezers). but i tend to shop often and cook exactly what i'm in the mood for. clearly not efficient.

Best wishes to everyone in the storm''s path.

[Dirtywextraolives]

I do the same thing, MAH, with two full fridges, freezers & pantries. And yet I consistently have to continue to shop as I cook what I am in the mood to eat, too.

The migas, cannelloni & boeuf Bourguignon sounds wonderful..... I am currently reading Julia's My Life in France, and even though its 80 degrees out, it has me craving that very dish....

[gingershelley]

DWO - I LOVED that book! It is a fun read. I read that on the plane in '09 the first time I went to meet my Frenchman in Paris. It inspired my eating and food shopping while there for sure.

If you like that one, I suggest a fun follow up is "As always, Julia" a collection of letters written between Julia and Avis DeVoto, starting when she and Paul lived in France, and on up to when they moved back to the states many years later - all the while she is preparing her book manuscript.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Thanks for the tip!

[suburban_mom]

My meat CSA experimented with uncured beef bacon. I used it in black bean soup - red and green peppers, onion, garlic, beef bacon, chicken stock, canned black beans, ground cumin and ground chipotle chili powder. I made my mom's cornbread to serve on the side. It was good and comforting for a colder fall evening.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Soup sounds terrific!

[gingershelley]

So SM, is that beef belly basically then? As in corresponding how pork belly is bacon, just not cured? Curious!

[eight_inch_pestle]

Should still have been smoked, I imagine, just not cured with saltpeter and spices first.

[mariacarmen]

Apocalypse Chow - love it!

ok, so the fix for not having skin-on chicken thighs was, natch, a marinade. my BF sees my marinading as as fetish - "any excuse to marinade' - but i'm ok with that.

so on finding we were out of sweet chili sauce, i winged it, with half a jar of homemade (not by me) tangerine marmalade (SOO GOOD! I'd forgotten i had it - a friend gave it to me last May, 2011!) i mixed sriracha, granulated garlic, a thumb-sized piece of minced ginger, lemon juice, salt, pepper, a little sugar, and a splash of fish sauce. four small idahos are baking in the oven. as soon as they're done i'll quick saute the chicken and then stick it under the broiler to caramelize a bit. roxlet's cole slaw, despite my bungles on the previous thread, abides....

[PHREDDY]

MC...I don't know, but Mrs Phreddy marinades everything too!...I think I might come home from work one day and find some sole (that is my shoes) marinating!.

She says it a throw back to her days growing up in Ecuador, where the refrigeration was not the most reliable...

[mariacarmen]

hah - funny. i didn't grow up marinating things, my mom (from Bolivia) didn't.... i just love strong flavors, and the marinades always seem to abet that.

[gingershelley]

Good save MC! One of my favorite chix dishes is ginger-orange chicken, and your marinade sounds about like it. BF is a lucky man if his woman uses 'any excuse to marinade' - takes those flavors up a notch fo' sure!

[tzurriz]

No apocalypse planned for Chicago, but we do have a 3 day old baby so normal cooking is suspended. Tonight we had lovely baked spaghetti from a dear friend and my husband baked some romaine lettuce seasoned with salt and pepper, and olive oil as a side.

Even the kids lived it. And, new baby let us eat together which was nice.

[ChristinaMason]

congratulations!

tell us more about that baked spaghetti :)

[LindaWhit]

Congratulations on the new little one in your house!

[PHREDDY]

Congratulations to you! and wish the little one a belated "Happy Birthday"...

Great that you friend provided you all with a nice dish....

[mariacarmen]

Congrats on your new CHer!

the lettuce was baked, and olive oil on the side? can you elaborate on this? thx!

[tzurriz]

Cut a head pf romaine in 1/2 lengthwise, leaving the core attached. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400f for 8-10 minutes.

I know cooked lettuce sounds bizarre, but it is delicious. And since the oven was already on re-heating the spaghetti bake ...

[Berheenia]

Grilled Caesar Salad is a popular item at several pubs in our town- your version sounds like an easier way than firing up the grill. Terrific that you are home with a new baby- I imagine a lot of newbies on the East Coast will be named Sandy!

[mariacarmen]

no i'd heard of cooked lettuce, i was just wondering about the prep - the olive oil "on the side". thanks for clarifying!

[tzurriz]

The lettuce was a side dish. :)

[mariacarmen]

got it! thanks again, tzurriz. and enjoy your new little one!

[Chocolatechipkt]

Congratulations!

[roxlet]

Wow! Three days old and the baby is letting you post. That's some wonderful baby!! Congratulations, and as I look at my almost 17 year-old son, it's harder and harder to remember those infant days. Enjoy them.

[tzurriz]

I post from my phone while he sleeps on me, or uses me as a pacifier.

[gingershelley]

Congrats on the new family CH'er, and that baked romaine sounds great:)

[tiffeecanoe]

Congratulations on the new little one! <3

The baked romaine sounds very interesting!

[LindaWhit]

I just found out that my work has closed on Monday. My CEO and CTO both live on Plum Island just outside of Newburyport, so I suspect they'll both be stranded out there (only a voluntary evacuation has been called for PI). But the CEO has always been concerned about employees driving in bad weather, so I'm glad he called for the close (especially since MA Governor has asked that private businesses also close as did the Commonwealth government offices).

Two fridge freezers and chest freezer are full. Hopefully, if I *do* lose power, it won't be for longer than a couple of days, as things will stay frozen for at least that long.

So - I get to sleep in late tomorrow. Depending on how that tree does outside my bedroom.

P.S. LOVE the title of this thread! LOL

[mariacarmen]

yay for you! hope you wake up warm, cozy and relatively dry!

[boyzoma]

+1 on that! Please stay safe and snug. We will be thinking of all of you on the east coast to hope you stay safe and sound. You all will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[gingershelley]

LW, glad your bosses had the good sense to put employee safety first! Hope more businesses do that.

Good for you you get to sleep in, and enjoy all those full coffers of food:)

[LindaWhit]

Well, I didn't sleep in - set the alarm for 7am when I realized I needed to run payroll for Wednesday. So I got up and into work by 8:30 - got home by noon after looking for a car charger for my cell phone (generic one @ Walmart, as the local Verizon store was closed).

About 10 minutes ago, heard a loud ::::WHUMP!::: outside - ran to the front door and saw a dead tree in the woods next to me had come down - the top of which is lying in the grass that separates two sets of townhouses. So fingers crossed for the two large trees that are next to my end unit. (And a very strongly worded letter will be going to the Property Mgmt. company for the 4th time about when these trees will be either trimmed back or cut down. Last response from them was 3+ months ago when they said "we're putting it out for bids." Grrrr.....

Lights flicker on occasion, so I suspect I'll go out. Internet, cable and landline phone will be gone should it happen. Hopefully Verizon has their act together if it does.

[Berheenia]

We are flickering too! Tiny new tree is bending low..

[mariacarmen]

whoa, be careful!

[roxlet]

We had flickering as well, and periodic gusts. Dinner tonight will likely be leftovers.

[boyzoma]

I'm just sitting here in the rain, on the west coast, but I am so wishing all of you my love and prayers on the east coast. Please, please stay safe.