What's for Dinner #195 - Our Winter of Tummy Content Edition {OLD}

[LindaWhit]

We're cookin', folks. We're cookin' a LOT! So, what incredibly delicious dinners are you concocting for your family's table?

[fldhkybnva]

Ready to jump into Daylight Saving Time in a week?

Follow us here...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892605

[LindaWhit]

fldh, just a note - if you do start a new thread, hit the "Flag" button the original post in the old thread, choose "Other" and write a note to the Mods to add {OLD} to the subject line. That way, people will see that we've moved on to a new thread and can scroll for the link.

[fldhkybnva]

Gracias! this is why I shouldn't take people up on your humorous encouragements and let the pros do it. Should I still do this?

[mariacarmen]

i just did it fldhky - i didn't realize you had JUST posted this. anyway, Mods should take care of it very soon. see you on the new thread.

[fldhkybnva]

Done and done, thanks for the note.

[juliejulez]

Still no idea if the "homey dinner" of pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and broccoli is going to happen tonight haha. I was starving around 12:00 so I made myself some sriracha chicken strips, SO said he wasn't hungry. We then decide to head down to the outlet mall (about an hour drive), and on the way he says he's hungry. I found there's a brewery and restaurant across from the mall so we ended up going there. So at 3 I had almost all of a large chicken quesadilla appetizer to myself, he had a giant beef green chile burrito. So, it's after 8 now and neither of us are all that hungry.

But, the good news is, he doesn't have to leave until Monday morning, so I get another opportunity to feed him tomorrow night... either the homey dinner or my already planned pasta meal.

[gini]

Grilled flank steak with braised bok choy. Sweet potato & white potato gratin made with creme fraiche and gruyere. Simple, but satisfying.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Okay, maybe I'm alone in this sentiment, but this thread moves along too fast, and if you don't cook for a day or two, then try to post on the new thread, and it almost at 300, the point at which you guys turn it over, it almost seems pointless?? Do you really have that hard a time loading the thread if it gets larger? Now I feel like I can't even read this thread, since it will take me two hours to do so, two hours that I could be doing anything else..... I don't have any solution to offer, just seems like a hassle to keep up with new threads every two days.

Anyway, better post my meal before I miss the window for this thread. Marinating two large chicken breasts that I cut in half in some gochujang, soy & ginger. Chicken will be broiled with some Korean beef from Trader Joes. Lettuce wraps for the bul gogi, some pickled carrots & daikon, and a batch of bacon kimchee fried rice. Running low on supplies for the family's favorite meal, so will need to hit up the Asian grocery store this week. Strawberries and cream for dessert.

[roxlet]

I think it's hard to let it get too far over 300 posts since some people do have problems loading long threads. Plus which, threads continue to get many posts even when they're "old." I've noticed that 300 posts can expand easily to 360 by the time the thread is really done...

[suzigirl]

The last thread is over 400

[fldhkybnva]

You read my mind, I am pondering Bulgogi tomorrow.

[PHREDDY]

DWEX....I understand your issue....but isn't it nice to know that if you miss a few days, that your friends here will always pick you up?...
i had a lousy June last year,,,,,came here and got so many well wishers....that I could not thank them enough...all of us here love all that participate..if you miss a day , week or a month....so what???...
I am living proof....I look forward to read your posts!!!!

[Dirtywextraolives]

I know what you mean.... But in reality, my reality, I have children to look after and raise, and since I do cook a lot we also have leftovers to eat a lot.... So when I miss a few days, due to the many after school obligations and reheating leftovers that I don't necessarily have time to rehash here on the thread, when I get back to the thread, so much has happened and so many meals and conversations have occurred it feels impossible to catch up at all. I peruse if I have time, but with young children in the house, time is a luxury I often have to do without. And I know when one of us has a tragic issue we all pull together and make them feel better. But that's not expected of the. Rest of us that are just struggling with day to day. This is about dinners, not that I had to carpool with six nine year olds or that my older kid's basketball team made their tournament. Like I said, I get what you're saying, but it doesn't really seem to apply to me, and I'm not looking for sympathy, I just wish we didn't have to fly through so many threads at break neck speed. I'm not expecting everyone to hold back on account of me, I just wish I didn't feel like I am constantly in catch up mode. I feel like I've missed a lot if inspiring ideas because I am not constantly checking in on the thread. Just my lonely thoughts, of course.

[fldhkybnva]

I started joining only 6 or so threads ago. I stopped after the 1st 3 as I got slowly overwhelmed, but only to be called back. It's just so much fun!

[PHREDDY]

F>>>>A
Right back atcha!!!!

[PHREDDY]

Start thred # 196 now if you want to right now....I await your link!

[fldhkybnva]

And so it is...I suggest we continue here http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892605

[fldhkybnva]

Well SO will be late to Cordon Bleu Dinner (above) so I guess I'll be having Dinner # 2 to add. A quick favorite - sauteed beef, mushrooms, blue cheese and a wollop of Frank's Hot sauce. However, of all the cooking tasks I've mastered to some extent, browning beef is not one of them. It always comes out chewy. Any tips? If it matters I usually sautee the mushrooms separately and mix with the ground beef add the Frank's let meld for 2 minutes or so, plate and add blue cheese.

[suzigirl]

Thank goodness for a backup plan.

[fldhkybnva]

Oh yes, Frank is always a loyal friend

[fldhkybnva]

Mouth appropriately on fire with lovely hint of perspiration on my cheeks and the sniffles. Love you Frank.

[fldhkybnva]

It's Cordon Bleu Saturday as usual. SO walked in and immediately walked in (to the sound of loud banging in the kitchen) "oh I assumed you were prepping the chicken boobs, just thought I'd check." I am still on the fence with the Jarlsberg. I have never been a huge Swiss fan but I hear it's less Swissy and a bit nuttier. I thought about pairing with Provolone or Muenster.

[Frizzle]

Every time I hear Chicken Cordon Bleu I recall a menu board in a tourist area of Bali. "Chicken Gordon Blue". Also on the menu was "Rusty Potatoes" which I assume was supposed to be Potato Rosti.

[fldhkybnva]

Love it! Perhaps we'll consider a cordon bleu/rusty potato night.

[suzigirl]

I am not a Swiss fan either. I use cheddar, provolone, Muenster or mozzarella

[fldhkybnva]

I think tonight will be an all provolone adventure. I imagine it has enough flavor on it's own to be used alone?

[suzigirl]

I think so. I have used it and wasn't unhappy at all.

[fldhkybnva]

Well, if you remember the Monterey Jack went well so perhaps the 100% provolone instead of the usual provolone Muenster mix will be great as well.

[suzigirl]

I was worried the first time I tried cheddar but the bf LOVED it. I generally feel like if it tastes good melted, adding piggy and chicken can't be bad...:-)

[fldhkybnva]

Exactly! Oooh, cheddar that's an idea. I love cheddar and often pair it with ham so add some chicken should be a lovely party.

I think I might just have to quit medicine and become a professional chicken boob roller. It seems practice does make perfect...eventually! I can remember back to my initial rolling attempt which was a 90 minute adventure in frustration and now I'm a 20 minute roller with less spillage.

[suzigirl]

Being a boob roller is an art for sure. I haven't become quite the pro because I only do it a few times a year as boob rolling is not my strongest skill set. Maybe if i practiced once a month for a while. We'll see. I only have certain things that I repeat all the time. I guess those would be the "yum" from the bf ones.

[fldhkybnva]

Yea well I won't push into pro territory - I still go through quite a few trees' worth of toothpicks but works for and is laughable especially as we attempt to pull them out as fast as possible after it rests a few minutes and before we plate.

[fldhkybnva]

Oh suzigirl, were you the one who lost your cooking mojo a few weeks ago? Wow, I think this is my 1st complete kitchen failure in a very long time that not even my grab-hand-greedy self actually ditched food I had plated. I'm not sure I've ever done that. Recently I mentioned I couldn't finish something at a restaurant and someone mentioned "um, you had leftovers? that's unreal, first time in a lifetime." It was not the provolone, it was me and my madness of not paying attention. Chicken breasts were way overcooked and nearly inedible. I suffered through 1/2 but wow! I was already without any ideas for tomorrow and now I'm just demotivated.

[ChristinaMason]

That blows. Sorry :(

This calls for a quote:

"Cooking something delicious is really much more satisfactory than painting pictures or making pottery. At least for most of us. Food has the tact to disappear, leaving room and opportunity for masterpieces to come. The mistakes don’t hang on the wall or shelves to reproach you forever."

-Jean Grigson, Good Things (1971)

[fldhkybnva]

Well the day has started off wonderful. Perfectly seared scallops on spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette! I have a leg of lamb marinating in the fridge so high hopes ahead...lest I overcook the poor sheep too.

[suzigirl]

It was a funky meat snafu more than a lack of mojo, but yes that was me. If you had seen some of my nightmares over the years, dry chicken would just make you laugh. One bellyflop is not bad concidering all the other things you have posted

[suzigirl]

so, last weekend was a bust for grilling those steaks because my tummy was on the fritz but it has been a week and I'm feeling better. So, the porterhouses are coming back out and will be served with some spinach and boiled potatoes for the man. I would find another starch because we had potatoes last night BUT I can't switch the sides with steak. Bf won't hear of it. So, that's WFD tonight.

[linguafood]

I know I mentioned this before, but I'm kinda with your BF on this. What other starch would you serve with steak? Rice just doesn't gel, maybe pasta?

Of course, we barely ever have starches anymore, but I'd likely opt for taters if it's steak :-)

Glad you're feeling better, btw!

[suzigirl]

Thank you for the well wishes. I don't really know. I was thinking a lemony garlic parm pasta or polenta. I agree that potatoes are best but i have had them mashed and roasted lately. Maybe a baker would make me smile but I have none in the house and i am in weekend lazy Suzi mode. :-)

[juliejulez]

I think a simple risotto would be great with steak. Lots more work than potatoes though :)

[fldhkybnva]

I'm on my way! Potatoes will be great, I could eat them 3x a day...quite possible the only heavy carb I really ever crave

[suzigirl]

How do you like your steak?

[fldhkybnva]

Salt and pepper (sometimes Montreal Steak Seasoning or Cavendar's Greek Seasoning) and simple sear in cast iron. I had a mini-butter obsession and used to top with a variety of European butters which I will throw on 50% of the time. Also, it depends on the steak but love sauteed mushrooms and onions or blue cheese. I usually save that for my less flavorful grass fed steers. If it's a hearty American grain-fed beast of strip or ribeye I usually go simple.

[suzigirl]

Well, if youre on your way we are grilling them with course sea salt, cracked pepper and they will be medium rare. Is that okay?

[fldhkybnva]

perfect! Oh I forgot to mention my temperature preference - duh...most important.

[mariacarmen]

i'm not too late, right?

[suzigirl]

Not at all. Come hungry.

[mariacarmen]

always.

[mariacarmen]

i'm with you, i'm a total potato ho, fo sho.

although, growing up, we ate rice almost as much as we ate potatoes, and sometimes on the same plate (south americans, what can i say?) and i loved eating steak with rice because all the juices of the steak would get on the rice and make it all brown and juicy and delicious. yum.

[ChristinaMason]

<all the juices of the steak would get on the rice and make it all brown and juicy and delicious. yum.>

You're killing me here. I'm trying to eat less rice :)

[mariacarmen]

oops, sorry!

[LindaWhit]

It was supposed to be errands and antiquing today. The former was accomplished; the latter was a bust. Oh well.

I did do some food shopping, so there are a couple of BISO Frankenchicken breasts that are marinating in a combination of grapeseed oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, Herbes de Provence, and a bit of Dijon mustard. They'll go into a roasting pan, seasoned with salt and pepper, and will be roasted in a hot oven until crispy-skinned.

Sides will be steamed asparagus and Israeli couscous with chopped pistachios and dried cranberries.

If "Life of Pi" is available to rent OnDemand, I'll watch that. Otherewise, it'll be "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

[juliejulez]

Linda, just how big are your Frankenchicken breasts that you get? Because I got some yesterday that weighed in at 18-20oz EACH. By far the largest I've ever had. I wonder what that chicken looked like!

[LindaWhit]

There were 5 in this package, julie, and I think the package was over 6 lbs. So easily a pound each, with bone. They're insane. Plenty of chicken left for my work salads.

[fldhkybnva]

I've had a few chicken breasts which were 1 lb without bone...scary!

[juliejulez]

Yeah, that's how mine are... boneless... two were around 18oz another was 20oz. Fine if you're cutting them up (I used one today to make chicken strips, and another tomorrow will get cut up and used in a pasta dish) but not good if you want to eat them whole! I bought these ones at Sprouts, usually the ones I get my regular store are anywhere from 7 to 10oz.

[fldhkybnva]

Yea I find the biggest chicken at Safeway. I have been recently shopping at Whole Foods out of convenience because it's closer to work and they are nearly 1/2 the size

[ChristinaMason]

That couscous sounds very nice. You're reminding me I want to put chopped pistachios on everything right now :) Love the giant Costco bag.

[LindaWhit]

Yup. Giant shelled bag of pistachios from BJ's Wholesale Club. I always feel like I need to type out the whole name of the warehouse store - just typing "BJ's" seems a bit strange. :-)

[ChristinaMason]

snort. that would be funny, esp. in that sentence.

[LindaWhit]

Yeah, "nuts" and "BJ's" definitely needs some clarification.

[mariacarmen]

ahahahahaha! here we go....

[weezieduzzit]

Dinner at our favorite Meditteranean place and then to see Adam Levy play. Should be a nice night. :) Hope everyone has a great weekend.

[roxlet]

The sunny and promisingly spring-like morning fooled my husband into deciding to raise the BBQ flag. I literally laughed out loud as I saw flurries when returned from the market! Nonetheless, everyone was happy to get the call, and he had lots of neighbors and friends who wanted something in the pit. He's got 12 racks of ribs, 6 chickens and 6 sides of salmon smoking away. He's making a rack for us (mainly for my husband and son) and a chicken (mainly for me). With that will be barbecued beans and some sort of vegetable -- likely broccoli-- that I haven't figured out yet.

[linguafood]

Please move to our nabe very, very soon :-)

[LindaWhit]

:::la, la la la lah!!!!:::: I can't hear you say that 4-letter word! But enjoy the BBQ!

[GretchenS]

Lucky, lucky neighbors!!!!

[suzigirl]

You said a mouthful.

[roxlet]

Here are all the beauties in various stages of doneness. All done now, but it's dark :)

Wish you all were here too!!

[suzigirl]

I wish i was there too. Yum.

[steve h.]

I think you've just amped up the property values in your neighborhood by an order of magnitude.

Great pictures, rox.

[roxlet]

Thanks. I'll tell my husband. He took 'em.

[KrumTx]

"amped up property values." Ha! No doubt. Looks amazing, roxlet!

[Frizzle]

Wow! Impressive.

[LindaWhit]

Oh. WOW.

[mariacarmen]

ditto!

[ChristinaMason]

Drool. What do you use the smoked chicken for, aside from on top of salad or mixed into chicken salad? Any favorite uses?

[roxlet]

Usually it's mostly gone after dinner. And this was a particularly eensy little bird. But I will have a sandwich of leftovers, or put some in a wrap, or my son will just gnaw on it as is. It doesn't hang around long enough to force us to be creative.

[catface1]

home made dilly bread and crock pot chile.

[Bacardi1]

Although it's a chain, Friday nights our local "Glory Days Grill" serves up an excellent "Fish & Chips" platter for $9.99. Two large thick crispy fried Cod filets served up with a more-than-ample side of fries, some cole slaw, & tartar sauce.

So we indulged last night after enjoying a free classic film at the Library of Congress theatre.

[janetofreno]

PS: Tonight's dinner might be even more eclectic. We have a new large-screen tv, so we decided to download a movie and have a dinner of apps in front of the tv. Sunset magazine's food issue this month had a recipe for Indian-spiced "guacamole" that we couldn't resist trying...so it will be that, plus pappadum, the rest of the hummus, and some assorted Indian snacks (ghantia) with mango ice cream for dessert. And maybe some more Bloody Mary's (DH goes through drink stages; he was hooked on Martinis for awhile but lately seems to want the Bloody Marys, and I still have some mix and vodka left....:-). I will report back on the Indian-spiced guacamole recipe.....

[ChristinaMason]

Fun, I love it. The guac sounds good--let us know for sure :)

[janetofreno]

The guac WAS very good; see the latest issue of Sunset magazine for the recipe...towards the back of the issue; bottom of a page. And this has been such a good year for avocados, especially in our area, so I'm always looking for things to do with them. I did vary the recipe slightly and in an interesting way: I used lime instead of lemon (lemon? in Guacamole? Really?? NOOOOO....), and I added a dollop or two of plain greek yogurt for creaminess and added protein. I say that this is an interesting variation because normally I would NEVER add any kind of sour cream or yogurt to my guacamole (just as I would never use lemon instead of lime). But somehow with the Indian spices it just seemed appropriate...and it was delicious! DH and I loved it with pappard (what you would call pappadum), and also enjoyed the hummus. But we looked at the two dips on our TV tray and both agreed we needed a third to make it perfect: some pico de gallo! So that's exactly what we had! Great combination! (I am a firm believer in mixing ethnic types at one meal. Why not? Are we not a mix of ethnic types ourselves?:-)

[Dirtywextraolives]

Actually, lemon in guac is more traditional and common than one would think. And it definitely works in it. Now, Greek yogurt? That's different! But what a great idea, I'll have to try that one....thanks!

[janetofreno]

Oh, I get the citrus/acid thing...and I'm sure some people use lemons. But I think that lemons and limes have a very different taste and since in Mexico they only use "limones" (which are actually limes) that's what I use. And I don't want anyone here to think I condone the use of yogurt in standard guacamole. Heresy!!! I only tried it because of the Indian spices, and somehow I was reminded of raita....

[ChristinaMason]

Nice, thanks for the write-up. I like your twists. Do you by chance remember the title of the recipe so I can find it online? Haven't seen Sunset mag around these parts.

[janetofreno]

Sunset bills itself as the"Magazine of the American West" or something like that so maybe not distributed outside of here. Recipe was simply called, "Indian-Spiced Guacamole" IIRC

[ChristinaMason]

gracias!

[LindaWhit]

And what's the movie you're going to watch? (I finally saw "Argo" last night [loved it!] and will probably watch "Beasts of the Southern Wild" tonight.)

[janetofreno]

lol....might do Beasts of the Southern Wild too!

[GreekChorus]

Beasts of the Southern Wild here too! I was intrigued with the Indian guacamole also.

[LindaWhit]

It was good - different, but good.

[janetofreno]

lol....I had what could only be described as an eclectic dinner last night. DH said he was craving falafel (Remember, DH is a pescatarian, so that does limit choices somewhat). So we had homemade falafel/pita sandwhiches, with greek yogurt, hummus, and a tomato/cucumber/onion/cilantro salad as fillings to go along with the falafel patties. Accompanying it was the first asparagus of the season (roasted with olive oil, salt, and a touch of maple syrup, yum!), and spicy Bloody Mary's. Like I said, a bit eclectic but it was delicious! DH ate more than his fill, declared it one of the best meals of the year, and promptly crawled off to sleep on the couch:-)

[LindaWhit]

Oh, janet - lucky you on early asparagus! We'll have to wait several more months here in New England before that shows up locally.

[fldhkybnva]

In love with asparagus though perhaps I need to start growing it...it's my $11 every other day habit since it's so expensive this time of year. I am quite infatuated with simple roasted asparagus - salt and pepper, sometimes Old Bay or parmesan

[foodieX2]

Feeling the need for summer tonight! Making grilled 3 chile dusted shrimp and a black bean, corn and tomato salad. I was so happy to find had one bag of frozen corn left from this summers farm share!

[LindaWhit]

Love the idea of that salad - a good harbinger of summer to come!

[MAH]

Last night, after a grueling week, was comfort food. Spicy sausage risotto with baby spinach.

[foodieX2]

nice!

[Harters]

Our "cooking the books" exercise continues. Several have recently found their way to the charity shop as we couldnt see anything we wanted to cook. They tended to be the ones we've picked up in "remainder" bookshops - you know the sort of book "150 ways with a turnip" or "Christmas canapes with mackerel". Anyway, this one is stopping - "English Food", Jane Grigson, 1974.

A bit old fashioned now , of course, but there's some reasonable narrative about regional food as well as lots of good solid recipes.

So, a pork fillet is trimmed of its membrane , partially cut along its length, opened out like a book and given a good spanking so its wider and thinner.

Some chopped ham is laid along the length, as is crumbled Lancashire cheese (the last of the Christmas purchase of "Bob's Knob" - tee, hee) and some blanched sage leaves. It's then tied back up with string and browned in the pan.

It now goes in the oven on top of some sliced onions, draped in streaky bacon and some booze goes in (recipe is flexible about this - suggesting sweet sherry, madeira or port). Cooks for 45 minutes at 190 and the juice produce a ready made sauce. There's some little new potatoes to go alongside. And we've got assorted veg to select from - beetroot, leeks, red and green cabbage.

Dessert is a Nigel Slater recipe that someone (I think on Chowhound) pointed me towards. Hotcakes - which sound very much like a version of Welsh cakes (in which case, herself & I are in for a treat). A couple of eggs are separated. Into the yolks go the remains of the jar of Christmas mincemeat, and some flour and the zest of a clementine. Egg whites get beaten till stiff and are folded in. Spoonfuls of the gloop are fried till they are cooked through and a bit golden. Ice cream sounds a good bet with them.

[LindaWhit]

That pork fillet sounds very good, Harters! I like the idea of madeira or port - do you use alcohol in cooking? I know you no longer drink it as-is.

[Harters]

I don't have a problem with cooking with alcohol (and eating the finished product)- or, indeed, with having it in the house generally. As you know, Jan drinks and, once in a while, I do look very longingly at her glass of wine.

[Frizzle]

This is making me want a second dinner. Pork stuffed with cheese and ham and then cooked with bacon and alcohol? Oh my. I hope it delivers.

[ChristinaMason]

Agreed, that sounds very good!

[Harters]

A last minute discovery now means there's a starter as well. Discovered are two pigeon breasts. Quickly fried so they are still rare, they'll go on some Little Gem letttuce leaves. Dressing needs be nothing more than the rapeseed oil they'll be fried in and a splash of Cheshire cider vinegar.

[LindaWhit]

This is the 2nd time this week I've heard/read about "Little Gem" lettuce leaves. The first time was Wednesday night on the Top Chef finale; and now Harters. (You're in good company, Harters!)

Had to go to The Google, and it sounds like something I'd like!

http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?...

[Harters]

I think you'd like them.

Good crisp leaves and the sort of crinkly nature means they hold a dressing well. The leaves are also very good for scooping stuff up - like, say, the bulgher wheat in a tabbouleh.

[mariacarmen]

love the texture of little gems.

[Berheenia]

What's with little gem anyway? We are out in the middle of the n where at an inn and guess WFD? Little gem salad!

[LindaWhit]

AND???? How was it? LOL

[fldhkybnva]

Spinach salad craving continues - any good meat topping ideas? I'm running out of ideas - shrimp, seared tuna steak, lobster, deli meat. I not only am obsessed with spinach but fish too. In fact when I walk past the fish counter nowadays the fishmonger asked "uh, no fish?" I was thinking I have a few cans of tuna and salmon lying around so that'd be a different flavor and also have some scallops I could sear and throw on.

[Frizzle]

A local pub here in Australia does a killer salad of spinach leaves with fall-apart braised lamb chunks, cubes of roast pumpkin and chopped macadamia nuts. If it appeals let me know and I'll share my attempt at their recipe.

[fldhkybnva]

Lamb was my next idea :) Would love to hear here the recipe

[LindaWhit]

Oh please do share! That sounds great, Frizzle!

[Frizzle]

recipe below. I usually make this over two days. Day one I cook the lamb shanks and day two I roast the pumpkin and assemble the salad. I think you could use any bits of leftover lamb roast for this as long as they aren't dry. I suspect it's what the pub does. There is a strong taste of red wine in their dish,

Ingredients
1 bag baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry
lemon juice, to taste
4-5 cloves garlic
2 lamb shanks
olive oil
1/2 (depends on size) pumpkin, Peel and chop into bite-sized chunks
2 cups red wine
salt and pepper
smoked hot paprika
1 sprig rosemary
100 grams feta, crumbled
100 grams macadamia nuts, slightly smashed

Notes / Directions
Season shanks and brown in an oven safe pot in olive oil. Add wine, rosemary sprig and garlic cloves to pot. Bring to the boil and then remove from stove and place in an oven at 120 degrees. Cook for a couple of hours until the meat is falling off the bone. Check occasionally and turn.

Roast cubed pumpkin that has been rubbed with olive oil, salt & paprika until starting to caramelise. Allow to cool.

Strip meat from lamb shanks and remove garlic from pot. Fry lamb briefly to warm up, then toss through with remaining ingredients (spinach, nuts, feta).

Make a dressing by combining olive oil with some of the cooking juices from the lamb as well as the cloves of garlic mashed up. A squeeze of lemon juice to finish

[fldhkybnva]

Wow this looks incredible and much better than the deli meat I'm staring at.

[mariacarmen]

bacon! or lardons!

[gingershelley]

Wow - This is the winter of my Tummy Content - but I fear indigestion at the speed these threads are going!

I left you all for less than 30 hours, and you are 250+ posts along... crazy awesome people!

So last night has nothing interesting to report; just a basic roast chicken with sage and (lemony!) action... wilted greens. Simples.

Tonight, after catching up here, I am off to the local awesome burger joint "Zippy's Giant Burgers' (for your edification, should you care; http://zippysgiantburgers.com/menu/) for the signature Zip with smoked cheddar, an order of onion rings, a not-deserved but much looked forward to malt, and then it's home to a movie which I think will be 'flight' after Denzel's interview on NPR tonight (I think he might have been drunk or high during it?).

Anyhoo. All about resting up for tomorrow, when I shall reprise my Chili Verde recipe to cook for the upcoming Wine World Chili Cook-Off, which is actually Sunday, but the Verde will benefit from a day in the fridgerator to 'meld'.

Last year I came in third - and I plan to kill that number with flavor and flare!

More on that tomorrow as I get rolling with my pork and roasted multi types of chilies.

Happy Friday to you all.

[Berheenia]

Break a leg with that Chili!

[fldhkybnva]

I lost you guys for a while, but I'm back post-vacation. Tonight is the usual fish night - I had a bit of a binge moment in the store and grabbed swordfish, scallops and shrimp so it will be some combination of the swordfish + scallops or shrimp likely with the usual Asian-style marinade and roasted asparagus. Tomorrow is Cordon Bleu night - I am not a swiss fan but for some reason just had my first Reuben last week and didn't find it so bad so perhaps my tastes have changed. I picked up some Jarslberg even though I've never had it. Is this considered a milder swiss?

[GretchenS]

Welcome back! Did you do lots of cooking on your vacation, as you planned, or did it end up going in a different direction?

Can't answer your question about Jarlsberg, as I have never liked Swiss cheese either. Although so many of my other tastes have changed over the years maybe it is time to give it another shot.

[fldhkybnva]

There was a mix of cooking and discovery of the most fabulous local-run family spots in the city. It was tremendous!! Is it my birthday again? I think I put on a few lbs but it's only 4 days, so I"m going to call that water weight and just get back to my usual high protein habit.

[LindaWhit]

fldh, perhaps you'll get some more detailed answers over on the new Cheese board if you ask about Jarlsberg there:

http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/91

[fldhkybnva]

Oh thanks, I totally forgot about the Cheese Board.

[Berheenia]

Love both but Jarlsberg is milder and I prefer to eat it in a nice big chunk with a drink whereas Swiss is my go to cheese for a sandwich.

[suzigirl]

Hope you had a nice vacation. Love the seafood combo idea. And cordon blue for tomorrow sounds yummy also. I'm joining the not a fan if Swiss club.

[Frizzle]

Last night was a thrown together meal. Defrosted borlotti bean and cavolo nero soup. I had some pumpkin and bread that needed to be used so I made a bruschetta of sorts. Pumpkin and fresh fennel got tossed in oil, chilli flakes and fennel powder and roasted. I then mashed the pumpkin and finely chopped the fresh fennel. Some Danish feta was folded through the mix and it was piled onto garlic rubbed toasted sourdough. A few rocket leaves as a token salad were added to the plate. Not bad as a pre-soup snack.

Tonight it's Chinese. The bloke is in charge of the kitchen and is whipping up a choy sum dish and a chicken and black bean dish. Both are from Every Grain of Rice so I have high expectations. We may also have some pan-fried noodles if they survive past the lunch hour. Chances are they won't.

[Breadcrumbs]

Your Tuscan-style meal sounds outstanding Frizzle! Could I have a piece of that bruschetta please?

[Frizzle]

And tonight's meal. The noodles made it through the afternoon and we decided to have them with the greens for dinner. Not a bad meal at all. The chicken thighs are in the freezer ready to make a future appearance.

[ChristinaMason]

Clever bruschetta. I love seeing what people do with their "need to be used ASAP" items here.

[Breadcrumbs]

Last night, two dishes from the Feb COTM to wish February a fond farewell. I'd make both again despite an issue w our fish. Crispy Cod (sablefish that turned to mush inside but looked good and the herb/shallot/garlic breading tasted nice!) and, my favourite recipe from the book, a garlicky tomato confit.

Tonight, a reliable standard. It's spaghetti Friday and mr bc is heating up my homemade meatballs and marinara. A green salad an garlic bread on the side. Oh yeah, and wine. Definitely some wine!!

[LindaWhit]

I had leftovers. But your last two sentences were also on the menu. :-)

[MidwesternerTT]

Chili & buttermilk cornbread tonight. Always a dilemma - do I make the cornbread with buttermilk recipe (1 C cornmeal, 1 T. flour, 1 C. buttermilk), or the sweeter version that's equal-parts cornmeal & flour, plus 1/4 C. sugar and regular milk. I've been known to toss a coin to decide.

[roxlet]

My husband is just stepping outside with a glass of wine and a couple of lovely T-bone steaks to do a little winter grilling. With that, we will have a salad of the rest of the huge amount of arugula he bought. Pignoli and goat cheese will be part of the salad. He is having a baked potato, but my big splurge is the fabulous steak!

[LindaWhit]

Nom. Your dinner and steve h's dinner goes VERY well together!

[suzigirl]

Yum on everything but the goat cheese. And LW is right. They are best friends

[ChristinaMason]

Sounds excellent. I bet it was worth it!

[hannaone]

Got hungry earlier with this thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892375
and the omelet was so good decided to do it again in a bit more dinner version. Used some leftover prime rib roast for the meat component, block cheese, kimchi, tomato, and of course some rice. Also made a Korean rolled omelet to go with it and a few left over pieces of the spicy wings from last night.

[LindaWhit]

hanna, that omelet looks SO good! I've never had kimchi, so I read roxlet's thread with interest.

[LMAshton]

Kimchi is positively delightful. Wonderful, wonderful stuff. I've only had my own, homemade, never bought it. I hear the homemade stuff is a whole level of more awesome over the store bought.

[LMAshton]

Pan fried spicy salmon, skin crispy of course (I eat the husband's salmon skin since he doesn't like it) topped with pickled ginger with a Thai salad. The Thai salad will be made with jambu and green apple since the store was out of mangos, the horror. And basmati rice.

I don't have to cook for another hour or so, but that's the plan. :)

[gingershelley]

LW! You have never had kimchi?

You must come to Seattle for a visit, and let me take you around to various places where we could eat it in meals, you could get some from my basement laundry room (cum wine-cellar/curing room/ fermenting place). And, we could go to a class a friend teaches about kimchi.

Your officially invited to be my guest!

[fldhkybnva]

Love kimchi!!

[mariacarmen]

yep, another kimchi lover here, but i've not yet ventured to make my own. i have a local mom & pop store, Korean/Vietnamese take-out place, and i buy their kimchi every few weeks or so. it's homemade by them, and it's really great stuff. i like keeping it til it's really pungent.

[gingershelley]

Lucky you! that is the way to roll.....

[LMAshton]

Oooh, it's still homemade! That's a massive score. :)

[hannaone]

I posted pics of today's kimchi making in that thread.

[linguafood]

I gots some drumsticks marinating in oo, lemon juice, a sploosh of rwv, paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt & oregano.

They'll be hoppin' in the oven as soon as I get out of my post-workout shower. Probably roast at 375 and see what happens, Larry.

App is a massive ball of bufflo mozza, side is baby romaine with boring vinaigrette.

Late night show today, so tomorrow will be a slooooow one.

Gotta start that pork shoulder before I head out to the local ashtray....

[LindaWhit]

The drumstick marinade sounds good - but......what is "rvv"? At first I thought it was "rwv" (meaning rice wine vinegar) but that's not a "w" in the middle. :-)

[hannaone]

Rudolph Valentino Vodka ?

[gingershelley]

"like"

[ChristinaMason]

rw = red wine?

[linguafood]

Dingdingding, we have a winner! Thx for catching that, Linda. Red wine vinegar it is.

[LindaWhit]

Ahhh, I see I had the wrong "r". :-)

[wyogal]

proscuitto wrapped chicken tenders with pesto, lemon zest, garlic, will top with provolone towards end of cooking time. Will make a simple sauce with chicken stock, lemon, garlic and serve with noodles. I also have a quartered artichoke simmering.

[juliejulez]

Yum!

[suzigirl]

That sounds like it would be right up my alley. And if some of the sauce accidently makes it on the artichokes all the better. Yum. I am going to riff this really soon

[wyogal]

the sauce was amazing, and yes, drenched the artichokes... and the chicken.... and the bread....

[suzigirl]

That is how it would have ended up here.

[Berheenia]

What is your cooking method? Pan or oven? Sounds delish- please tell more. (I have a pack of tenders in the fridge)

[LaLa]

Slow and low pork butt... I put it in last night when I got up with the baby...so good. Homemade Mac n cheese, cole slaw, and rolls. The leftovers will head to the fire dept tomorrow for the guys to eat on white bread :)

[ChristinaMason]

Now that sounds delicious! Impressed you do all that from scratch and tend to a little one.

[steve h.]

Temps in the (low) 40's, sunny skies here in Southern New England.

I thought I'd stick it to Old Man Winter by purchasing two good-sized lobsters from my fishmonger. I'll boil 'em according to the Jasper White timetables, melted butter on the side. There will be a small green salad as a token gesture to the nutrition police. Beer for me, wine for Deb. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (Cary Grant, Myrna Loy) will be on the plasma.

[LindaWhit]

Lobster. Nom.

[steve h.]

There may be some bisque in my future.

[ChristinaMason]

That's right, you show him, Steve. Mmm, lobster.

[steve h.]

It was a fine meal. Winter and its harbinger, Superstorm Sandy, needed a little Connecticut Yankee pushback. Mission accomplished.

[Frizzle]

I would love to eat at your place tonight. On my way.

[steve h.]

Door's open.

[gingershelley]

Now that's a WFD meal, Steve. Somehow, despite our dungeness crab-ness over here on the other coast - I never stop being jealous of you lobsta's...

Nice movie pic as well.

[steve h.]

Thanks, we Nutmeggers love the sea roach.

[suzigirl]

Mmm. Love the sea roach.

[twodales]

Sounds like a perfect evening Mr. H.

I like my lobster simple...just a bit of butter. No lobster mac and cheese for me. It would be a sin to adulterate this delight, IMHO.

A brewski plus Cary Grant...a dream of an evening. Enjoy!

[steve h.]

Hi twodales,

Thanks. It was a fun evening. Nobody does light comedy like Cary Grant.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Met him quite a few years ago while visiting out here in LA, actually in OC. Such a gentleman. Been in love with him ever since.

[linguafood]

The epitome of Man. Many reasons to love that guy.

[roxlet]

And comedy? You never saw such a handsome guy quite as able to make himself look silly.

[linguafood]

Oh yeah. And bi, experimented with acid, real smart.... a man of many faces & talents.

[LindaWhit]

My favorite comedy of his is "Arsenic and Old Lace." :-)

[roxlet]

Mine is Bringing Up Baby. I watch it at least once a year.

[linguafood]

LOVE that one, too. But he's great in everything.

[steve h.]

His Girl Friday is a rapid fire tour de force. One of my favorites.

[suzigirl]

i got a great deal on pork loin roasts buy one get one so that's WFD. Its going to get seared and finished it in the oven. Baby red potatoes and broccoli and cheese sauce to get rid of this package of cheese I got dupped into buying. It said sharp cheddar cheese in big letters and somehow I missed where it said cheesefood. So, the only reasonable thing to do is make a cheese sauce because i can't just snack on cheesefood but i can tolerate it melted so i don't waste it. Oh well.

[ChristinaMason]

<i can't just snack on cheesefood>

now, that would be terribly un-Houndlike. <whistles guiltily....>

[suzigirl]

Belly laugh. Its not the taste, its the texture. That is why it is living out its life in a cheese sauce. Everything I dislike is for the texture, except liver and goat cheese. I cannot abide those tastes. So strong. Although fried chicken livers are okay... I am southern, so all things fried. :-)

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight we're going to have the chicken roaster breast that I brined overnight with ground sumac, garlic, onion, turmeric, Urfa pepper, ground ginger, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, thyme, and other goodies I've by now forgotten. I'm going to stuff some preserved lemon, Aleppo, Urfa, and thyme compound butter under the skin, season the outside, and roast until crisp and juicy. There will probably be some oil-cured and green olives, shallots, grape tomatoes, cubed acorn squash and mushrooms in the pan. Harissa for dipping on the side.

[JungMann]

I love everything about this. Are you dipping in straight up harissa or mixing it into a sauce?

[ChristinaMason]

I was debating stirring it into mayo, but for that, I'd have to make mayo. I'm feeling reeeeeeeeaaaally lazy, but it might still happen.

[ChristinaMason]

One (eventually saved) broken emulsion later, we have a creamy harissa-cilantro dipping sauce. In what is quite possibly the least PC move ever, I used some liquid bacon fat to make up for the amount of oil that I was missing. It tastes...not bad...not kosher, for sure.

[suzigirl]

Way to pull it out Christina. Bacon fat is good. Sounds like you shook off your "lazy".

[mariacarmen]

another great sounding meal!

[GretchenS]

Another great meal chez CM!

[gingershelley]

Well, this chicken dinner (winner!) sound like a crazy tasty awesome meal. Kind of a crazy perfect mash up of flavors, that totally make sense... I think you are surfing around the mediterranean basin tonight.:)

[ChristinaMason]

:-) I unfortunately over-brined the chicken, but aside from the dense texture and salty flavor, it was all good. I sprinkled za'atar on the veg., which was nice.

[Bacardi1]

Last night was just an impromptu meal of good old Celentano-brand mini cheese ravioli topped with our favorite jarred sauce (Safeway's own brand of "Arrabbiata" - talk about spicy!), & freshly grated Romano. Garlic bread, & a big green salad topped with halved multi-colored grape tomatoes, chickpeas, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, croutons, & Kalamata olives accompanied.

[iowagirl]

Tonight will be deli sandwiches on the road (that 5 hour drive to KC makes us peckish!) and then, at the request of my 85 year old grandmother, it's the Outback tomorrow night. It would not be our first choice, but it's a dinner to celebrate her birthday, so she gets to pick! At least there will be wine!!!

[ChristinaMason]

This thread title just makes me think of suzigirl. I hope your tummy issues get straightened out!

[suzigirl]

Aww. Thank you. I am getting there. Slow and steady but I am hanging in there. :-)

[ChristinaMason]

I know your ailment is a bit different, but I wrote a little somethin' over here about diet and tummy issues. In case it helps, or at the very least encourages you: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8449...

Always good reading about WFD in your kitchen!

[suzigirl]

Thank you for the tread. It will take me a little while to read it but i need all the help I can get. It has been almost a year and I haven't figured out my triggers and it seems they change all the time. A boiled egg on an empty stomach put me down for two days last week but I had eaten two of them with no issues earlier that day. So any information I can get is nectar of the gods. Thank you. And i also enjoy reading what's on your table.

[juliejulez]

SO comes home tonight, so I'm making a "homey" meal for dinner... I'm learning he likes that after a week of traveling and eating out (on the company dime, poor him). So, I'm making a pork tenderloin that is rubbed with chili powder, smoked paprika, and s&p, and then seared on the stove and then popped in the oven to finish. After it comes out of the oven I glaze with a glaze made from ketchup, cider vinegar and a bit of sugar. Or maybe I'll swap bbq sauce for the ketchup and omit the sugar. We'll see. Sides will just be mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli.

[suzigirl]

That sounds like a welcome home meal that i would love to tuck into.

[iowagirl]

Sounds like a perfect comforting homecoming meal. And as one who had done a fair share of business travel, that homecooked meal after a week away - soooooooooo good. You're a sweet SO, Juliejulez!!!!

[suzigirl]

Yes she is sweet. I know her honey knows it, too.

[juliejulez]

You ladies are too kind :) But yes I try to take care of him when he's home which lately has only been about a day and a half each week.

[suzigirl]

If i only had my sweetie for a day and a half a week I would spoil him silly. And you do.

[gingershelley]

A fine GF you are SuzieG; nothing like a fine home-ccoked meal after a week on the road eating crap (or even decent food) from a resto kitchen - you just want to eat food someone who loves you made. I sure relate.

Nice work, kind lady!

[suzigirl]

Not me. That is miss juliejulez. :-)

[gingershelley]

Right - but your good to your man I am sure too:)

[suzigirl]

I try. I keep his tummy full as long as my tummy is cooperating. And having been a bachelor for years and being his first(and last) live in gf he really apreciates having a home cooked meal.

[ChristinaMason]

I was going to write the same thing. Lucky guy!

[boyzoma]

Oh, yummy. I love pork tenderloin. Yours sounds so good. Your SO is very lucky. Great job jj.

[GretchenS]

Very nice welcome-home!

[juliejulez]

Well, SO's flight was delayed so we didn't get home til about a half hour ago (8pm). And, his stomach is bothering him, so the homey dinner is postponed until tomorrow. He doesn't want to eat anything, and I'm eating some raviolis I pulled from the freezer with some jarred marinara :)

[LindaWhit]

Aww, sorry he wasn't feeling well, julie. Hopefully he's feeling up for it tonight.

[suzigirl]

Such a limited time together and he doesn't feel well. So sorry. Hope he feels better today.

[juliejulez]

Thanks ladies. I'm sure he will after relaxing and getting some good sleep in his own bed (he's still up there and it's 10am haha). I guess he got stuck next to a non-stop talker on his flight, and he said it stressed him out haha.

[LindaWhit]

UGH on the non-stop talker! I would just say "I'm sorry, I'm really not feeling well" and close my eyes.

[weezieduzzit]

Hahaha. "Talking on a plane makes me nauseous."

[ChristinaMason]

Brilliant! I'll have to remember that one.

[juliejulez]

Yeah I guess every time he tried to put his headphones on the guy would start in again, and he kept wanting to buy SO beers and shots of jack daniels... total weirdo. Apparently it was only his 2nd time ever flying (as a 30 year old), and he kept asking SO about every little noise to ask if it was OK... finally SO told him, "if you see me freaking out, then it's time to freak out".

[boyzoma]

Leftovers, and lovin it! Last night, I made Cream of Chicken Mushroom soup and it was so darned good, I'm looking forward to having more tonight (although there is not as much left as I thought there would be). After tonight, it will be all gone :-(

[LindaWhit]

That looks stunning, boyzoma! If only that's what the canned stuff looked like....nah. Will never happen! :-D

[suzigirl]

That looks so comforting.

[boyzoma]

Thanks, Ladies. It was the first time I ever tried that recipe and it was so good. I don't know if I could even improve on it. What you don't see in the pic is the nice chunks of chicken nor the celery. I used a combination of a couple of different recipes plus it helped using home made chicken stock. I think that was key as well as using 2 different types of mushrooms. Definitely on my make again list.

[GretchenS]

Winner, winner baked fish dinner!

That baked cod with tomato-bacon-crumb topping I mentioned last thread (linked below) was outstanding! Can hardly wait to eat the leftovers for lunch. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8917...

[ChristinaMason]

That sounded really good. I'm going to tuck the recipe away for dinner sometime soon.

[gingershelley]

Winner Winner baked fish dinner(!) indeed. I am making this one.

Thanks Gretchen S!

[aching]

I made mujadara last night, served with a sauce of Greek yogurt, Persian cucumber, and mint, with a dash of harissa on top. So delicious. Mujadara is one of those dishes that I forget to make for a while, and then when I remember, I ask myself why I don't make it every week.

[Harters]

Tomato & anchovy risotto.

Anchovy fillets, onion and garlic are fried till they've softened then in goes the rice. You start to add the stock but, after a while, add a tin of cherry tomatoes and then go back to using stock.

Meanwhile, a handful of breadcrumbs go in the frying pan with some and are crisped up. Risotto goes in bowls, breadcrumbs scattered on top, as are a few basil leaves. A few shavings of Parmesan will make it look suitably poncy.

Mrs H in command of the kitchen this evening as she's a better risotto cooker than I am. Truth be told, next door's dog is a better risotto cooker than I am.

[Frizzle]

Are the anchovy fillets the type you get in jars? The brown ones that practically dissolve when you cook them? This sounds very nice, poncy even,

[Harters]

Yep - although these are in tins not jars (and the recipe suggests using the oil in the tin for frying).

I love these for cooking almost as much as I love the ones in vinegar that the Spanish serve as tapas and call boquerones.

[Frizzle]

Are the ones in vinegar white? Slap a few on nice white bread and devour?

[Harters]

Yep

I remember my last trip to Mallorca. We went to the market on the second day and bought anchovies and the bitter local olives. That evening, I sat and nibbled at them for a hour, doing little else than gaze at the sun going down behind the mountain. Thenwe went out for dinner. A lovely day.

[PHREDDY]

John,
My trouble with cooking rizotto usually comes with me sipping a glass or three of wine during the 20 or so minute process, usually with the tv on.....

Generally the rizotto turns out fine, but I need help with the plating !!! I never get it correct, so I serve what would be condiments; parmreg, breadcrumbs, chili paste, etc on the side.

Amazingly simple products in combination, brings such wonderful depth of flavours to rice!

[gingershelley]

I think I would like to cook anything someone would describe as 'poncy". Great descriptor!

[mariacarmen]

that sounds fantastic. we don't have cherry tomatoes in cans here, just the plums.... and can i ask, what is the word missing from "...breadcrumbs go in the frying pan with some ____ and are crisped up."? garlic? cheese?

[Harters]

Sorry, mc. Seems that, increasingly, I miss my typos even when I read through the post carefully. It's oil from the tin of anchovies (although there wasnt enough, so some olive oli wen tin as well).

[mariacarmen]

no worries, Mr. H. - you're busy editing much larger, headier works right now! that makes sense that it would be oil. thanks for the correction...

[LMAshton]

Gozleme, heavily modified. I took the recipe from taste.com.au and modified the dough from commercial yeast to wild yeast, then filled it with yesterday's leftovers. I found the dough to be lacking in salt, so I'll increase that next time, but overall, yeah, I'll be making gozleme again. Next time, I'd like to make it with the spinach and feta filling just for kicks and giggles. :)

[LMAshton]

Should have added a pic to the previous post, couldn't figure out how to add it on edit, so here it is.

[Frizzle]

Yum. I love a good gozleme.

[LMAshton]

I first heard of gozleme a couple of days ago when we watched a season 4 episode of Masterchef Australia. Never had it before, obviously. :)

[Frizzle]

It's an Australian discovery for me too. I hadn't heard of the dish before moving here. We have it at markets in the weekends. There always seems to be a stand manned by motherly looking ladies who are super fast at making them. The spinach and feta is our favourite followed by the lamb mince. I had never thought of attempting to make them myself so am impressed with yours, they look great.

edited to add: I'm really enjoying reading your food discoveries in Singapore. I wonder if you've come across buah keluak yet. I ate it in dishes out a few times when I was there but never cooked with it. It's a uniquely peranaken ingredient as far as I know. Petai beans are another delicious but pungent item that I miss. The durian burps are something I am glad to have left behind however.

[LMAshton]

I'm planning to get some spinach and feta so I can make that version. But honestly, it's really easy to make. It's just a thin flatread folded over a thin layer of stuffing, then fried. Really really easy. :) I actually watched a couple videos of those little old lady types making them, but after I'd made mine. Turns out theirs are much thinner than mine, both the dough and the filling. They look more like a stuffed naan. Regardless, still good whether I do them the way I did today or their way. :)

Had to look that up. Buah keluak looks like a pork dish. Yes? If so, I'll likely never have it. The husband is Muslim, so we only eat out at halal restaurants and only eat halal foods at home.

I haven't had durian yet. I want to, but the husband refuses. The petai beans are new to me - haven't stumbled across them that I know of.

[Frizzle]

I might have to try making them when we move to NZ and they are unavailable to buy.

Buah keluak is a seed from a mangrove plant. It's used in a chicken dish as well as the pork one you mentioned. There's also a vegetarian place I used to go to and order a vegetarian version http://www.wholeearth.com.sg/ I struggle to describe the flavour, it's a bit sour I guess. If you get a chance to try it please do, I haven't seen it available outside of Spore or MY.

[gingershelley]

LMA; you 'fry'? You don't griddle? All the references I saw for gozleme were cooked on a dry griddle.... curious.

Please dish!

[LMAshton]

Well, fried in a little bit of oil if you consider that you brush the outside of the thing with oil. And the closes I have to a griddle is a flat griddle with barely raised sides that is the only cast iron I own.

[roxlet]

This is the first I'm hearing of it!

[LindaWhit]

Have never heard of it - my first time too!

[gingershelley]

I would like to love a good gozleme.... first I have heard of it. I had to Bing it to find out what it was. Now in search of a local place to eat it here in my 'hood, with all of it's ethnic glories....

Gozleme - here I come!

[ChristinaMason]

I recognize this from Berlin. Wow! Looks great.

[JungMann]

I didn't realize gozleme was a yeasted dough or that it was that simple to make. Did you fry them or grill them?

[LMAshton]

It doesn't have to be a yeasted dough. I found recipes that contained baking powder.

Fry vs. grill - there might be some regional differences in how these words are used. I fried them with very very very little oil - as in, just what was brushed onto the gozleme itself. It was pretty close to a dry fry. I don't own a grill.

[linguafood]

Love me some good gözleme. A great snack/lunch we indulge in when in Berlin -- there's a market where a bunch of old Turkish ladies make them fresh to order on a hot stone.

[gingershelley]

Can I just say that the 'word of the week' on WFD should be GOZLEME?

I think two days ago, it was 'Lemony"....

[linguafood]

Well, it really should be gözleme, not gozleme.

[LMAshton]

Yup. But I'm too... lazy to figure out how to get the umlaut up there.

[l0b0SKI]

Sopa de ajo, using the garlic that my sister got me in Gilroy

[LindaWhit]

Love sopa de ajo.

[steve h.]

Cheeseburgers tonight. The patties (special house grind) were pulled from the freezer, defrosted, pan fried, topped with white American cheese and a slice of tomato. Tasty.

Edited to add: Nice title, LW.

[LindaWhit]

:-) And enjoy the boigahs.

[mariacarmen]

burger semi-fail.... i did not grind my own, i did not get good butcher meat, but i did go to the meat counter of my stupidmarket, and splurged for the ground sirloin. last night, i'd gone out with a friend for late night burgers and drinks after a show. the place is new, and the burgers were phenomenal! so inspired, i wanted to make boighus for the BF, since, as he reminded me, as i was raving about them to him, i did not bring one home for him (the place is a block away from our house).

anyway, ground sirloin, shaped into patties, sprinkled kosher salt just before them throwing into a screaming hot CI... cooked them to what i was sure was barely medium rare, served with iceberg lettuce, sliced toms, onion for the boy, colby jack cheese, choice of mayo, mustard, ketchup and sriracha. and roasted blue lake green beans, subbing for fries, which were great. but the burgers came out rather tan inside, even though on close inspection they were VERY rare, but no pink! weird. i won't buy GB for burgers at a stupidmart again. as for taste, they were just ok. i know steve h. is shaking his head at me.

on the bright side, i got a lovely bottle of ribera del duero at Bev Mo at their buy-one-get-the-2nd-bottle-for-$.05, recommended by the cashier. it was great. at least i'm sticking with one of my New Year's "suggestions" - drink more red wine!

[ChristinaMason]

MC, just a personal preference, but I think ground sirloin might be too lean for nice juicy, flavorful burgers. 80/20 is more the way to go, although I've been known to make fat bombs with the 73%-ers on occasion (they sear up really well).

[mariacarmen]

ahhh didn't know that! see how much i still have to learn? the last time i bought "regular" stupid market gb i did buy the 80/20 - it's what i usually buy (I've not seen the 73%), but the best burgers were 2 times ago when i bought some type of mix from our very nice butcher shop down the street. those were the best. thanks for the tip!

[steve h.]

Hi mc,

I think CM hit the nail on the head. Ground chuck has more fat, thus more flavor. You might also want to dial the heat back a bit.

Anybody who makes Korean food as good as you do will master the art of the burger in no time.

Good call on the New Year's resolution.

Edited to add: There's a chance the ground sirloin was sitting around for a few days and oxidized a bit. That shouldn't affect taste too much but it can affect color (absence of pink).

[mariacarmen]

aw thanks steve h.

the sirloin it looked good in its raw form though... are you saying even when cooked?

going to keep working at it, and one day, yes, i may even grind my own.

[hannaone]

One of my all time favorites - Korean style spicy chicken wings.

[linguafood]

Winnnnnggggs. Those look fantastic.

[hannaone]

They really were good.

This is a Korean "Twice cooked" dish. They are deep fried after coating in sweet rice flour, allowed to cool, then stir fried in the spicy sauce. These were garnished with chopped peanuts and green onion.

[linguafood]

WANT.

[ChristinaMason]

Nice to see you back here. Those look awfully good.

[suzigirl]

I want some of those. They look so good.

[GretchenS]

Gorgeous!

[gingershelley]

Yes... yum to W-i-n-g-s... so what makes them Korean?

[hannaone]

It's a recipe from my former Korean restaurant.
The name of the dish is Maeun Daknalgae (매운 닭 날개)

Ingredients for the seasoning sauce are:
fine red chili pepper powder
soy sauce
honey
Bae (Korean pear)
Mullyeot (Korean malt syrup)
rice wine
garlic
fresh ginger
Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

This is a sweet spicy wing, nothing at all like the vinegary buffalo style hot wings.

[mariacarmen]

i wonder what would be a good sub for the Mullyeot...

[ChristinaMason]

Me, too. Maybe Lyle's Golden syrup?

[hannaone]

more honey
brown sugar
Corn syrup

[hannaone]

A better translation may be malted grain syrup or just grain syrup.

Right now I have this rice syrup

[mariacarmen]

thanks for the visual - i do have Asian products stores near me, so it'll be easier to find this way. tho the BF may move out if i bring home yet another condiment.... hah- he may have to, as we run out of room....

[weezieduzzit]

The lamb chops at the store today were irresistible so that is WFD tonight. They'll be seared in a cast iron pan and briefly oven finished if they need it. They've been marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and za' atar. Sides are green beans and roasted cauliflower.

[LindaWhit]

Sounds great, weezie!

[ChristinaMason]

Yum. Can't go wrong with that menu.

[weezieduzzit]

The chops were delicious, we both woke up wishing their were leftovers.

Now I have to figure out what to make for breakfast (we're not really fans of breakfast food.)

[linguafood]

A 9 lb. pork shoulder is taking a long bath in brine. At some point tomorrow eve (likely before a late night show we're playing), that shoulder will get a nice rub-down and spend anywhere between 15-18 hours roasting away at 225°, to be served on Saturday for another porkapalooza at casa lingua.

Sides will be butter lettuce with April Bloomfield's lemon & caper dressing (FINALLY I'm making this -- been wanting to do so for a while now, and it's the perfect occasion), plus another side. My man asked for my cole slaw, which he loves, so that would be a good candidate.

A friend is bringing her delicious key lime π.

Tonight we're off to a local watering hole with excellent sashimi, some very good Shanghainese dishes, and fabulous cocktails.

For tomorrow, pre-show, I have a few chicken drumsticks, cooking method TBD, and a baby romaine mix.

[steve h.]

That shoulder sounds great. Your guests will be happy.

[linguafood]

I finally found a recipe I really like, although I think the biggest key is the brining and the slooooooow roast. It just sucks that the oven turns itself off after 10 hours.

Thankfully, my man rises earlier than I do. But I did decide, just to be on the safe side, to put the shoulder in before the gig. I could get home as late as 2:30 am, and that would be pushing it a bit.

The pork can wait for us, but we can't wait for the pork :-D

[suzigirl]

Jealous. Mmm

[ChristinaMason]

Porkapalooza!

[Frizzle]

Ah the famous pork! It sounds fab :)

[PHREDDY]

LF....with shoulder, which we eat about ever two months or so, the brine, slow cook is like air to breathe...a must....We like simple lemon potaotes to serve alongside to balance out the richness of the juicy shoulder....The cole slaw sounds like a great palate cleanser....Elements of your coleslaw?

[linguafood]

The cole slaw is fairly straightforward... shredded cabbages, carrots, sometimes shredded broccoli, but *always* very thinly sliced red onion (a roxlet secret that gives the slaw a certain 'je ne sais quoi') are tossed with a dressing consisting of Duke's, apple cider vinegar, salt, a squeeze of mustard, and lots of fresh ground pepper.

Those lemon potatoes sounds lovely, but we're "no-starching" it these days, so hopefully the April Bloomfield dressing will have us covered on the acidity front.

A friend of ours might also be bothered to bring his ginger-scallion-sauce, one of the accompaniments for bo ssam (which this shoulder really isn't, at all, but it would be tasty nonetheless).

[gingershelley]

Nice Pie symbol, Lingua... and wow to another GIANT roast pork-a-pallooza!

[HillJ]

Meatloaf sandwiches with a side salad.

Inside two slices of lighted toasted pumpernickel bread goes:
Warmed Brown gravy
Slice of warmed meatloaf
Slice of provolone cheese which gets melted from the gravy
A few crispy home fries

Gooey, rich and oh so good! Simple salad, some mixed greens with beets.

[suzigirl]

That sounds so good. I wouldn't even mess that up with ketchup. I have never put gravy on a meatloaf but that sounds really good.

[HillJ]

suzigirl, i hope you'll give it a go. I started out a ketchup on meatloaf gal and made the switch some time back. but, it's the crisp home fries that knocks it out of the park!

[suzigirl]

I usually like leftover meatloaf cold on toast with mustard and ketchup. But frankly, hot with potatoes and cheese and gravy really sounds tasty.

[ChristinaMason]

I'm with you. Cold on Wonderbread w/ mayo and maybe a little ketchup for dunking.

[Breadcrumbs]

Sounds wonderful HillJ, can I have mine on white? We don't use much of it any more but it's kind of a tradition for meatloaf and turkey sandwiches! Let me know what I can bring!! ; )

[HillJ]

bring wine! i'm only two bites in!

[Njchicaa]

Yum!

[PHREDDY]

HJ....saw this yesterday and told you that I love it that way too...but never tried it with cheese....but , I guess every meatloaves' day will come!...Maybe those homefries on the sandwhich....

[HillJ]

Hi Phreddy! Gotta have the cheese & homefries! Takes the meatloaf to another sandwich level. :)

[gingershelley]

Ahhh.... must make meatloaf before it warms up. Hot with ketchup. Leftover's with gravy and mash.

I also envision a cold meatloaf day-after 'butty' (thank you Harter's for the term), eaten in the garden with grubby fingers from the nearly warm soil.....

[suzigirl]

I am getting several red peppers in the garden so to use them up I am making polish sausagesmade fresh by my local butcher. Just a simple peppers, onions and the sausage all fried up and served with a big salad with all kinds of veggies like yellow pear tomatoes, green beans, sugar snap peas, Mexican zuchinni,peppers,carrots and celery. I will be getting fresh tomatoes in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait.

[roxlet]

So, where is it you live exactly? And can I come there?

[suzigirl]

Sunny Sarasota, Florida, five minutes from the prettiest beach in the states(Siesta Key). And sure, my door is always open.

[roxlet]

:)

[suzigirl]

Bring the hubs and his recipe for turkey pot pie and biscuits. I am I believe the only southern girl who doesn't have biscuits in her DNA. Its a travesty.

[roxlet]

Well, he's a southern boy, and he's got DNA enough for everyone!

[suzigirl]

I would love his method or his recipe if he cares to share. I loved my grandma's biscuits but she never, ever let you in the kitchen. I inherited her love for cooking but lack her baking skills.

[roxlet]

I'm not sure he actually has a recipe. You know, it's like that: flour (mix of AP and pastry, or White Lily when we can get it), mix of butter and Crisco, salt and buttermilk. That's it, as far as I know, but I will ask him if there is anything more specific for you.

[gingershelley]

Well, when you live on the prettiest beach in South FL, you can pine away for biscuit genetics in fine style. Kudos.

[suzigirl]

Not on the beach, but close enough to enjoy it often :-)

[juliejulez]

Yum sausage peppers and onions...one of my favorites!

[suzigirl]

Me too. And my bf is pretty jazzed about everything but the smell. The peppers and onions tend to stink up the place for a day. I can deal...it tastes to yummy to worry about the stink, I can open a few windows.

[steve h.]

That's perfume to me.

[suzigirl]

So it's not just me. If I were to come home to that smell it would be a "had me at hello moment".

[juliejulez]

Same here!

[boyzoma]

I would love that smell too! I agree with the "had me at hello moment". Yum. :-D

[ChristinaMason]

I'd eat that! How was it? So jealous of your fresh produce.

[suzigirl]

It was the first time trying the sausages and i was pleased. I have tried sausages there before but not polish. I will get them again.

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight's meal is a bit out of the ordinary because we have two homebrewer friends joining my hubby for a head-to-head blind tasting of Belgian v. American Belgian-style beers. I've made carbonnade (using my DH's own Belgian quadruple), which we'll serve up with some frites purchased from the local "Amsterdam Falafel" joint. There'll also be tarte flambe topped with red onion, chunky bacon, creme fraiche, and a bit of Gruyere, based loosely on a recipe from Delicious Days. I think a simple green salad with some Belgian endive is also in the works. We'll probably put out some of the numerous cheese in our fridge to start.

And DH doesn't know it, but I'm planning a chocolate stout cake using one of his homebrews, which I'll serve with malted whipped cream in a nod to all things beer. I might also make myself a rutabaga gratin, since I'm skipping the fries, the tarte, and the cake!

[roxlet]

Sounds like a wonderful meal!

[suzigirl]

That meal sounds so good. Yum

[mariacarmen]

the willpower at work here!

[ChristinaMason]

There's Lebkuchen (or German gingerbread) in the carbonnade, so I'm not being too angelic, but I wasn't going to screw up my recipe just for the sake of a silly ol' diet! :)

[linguafood]

Lemme know how the tarte came out! You should at least try a piece :-)

[ChristinaMason]

I did take a bite. It was very good! We added cheese as you suggested. I burned one of the edges slightly when I threw it under the broiler, but it was still great.

The American beers won! And that was in a head-to-head with Westvletern 12 (rated the "best beer in the world"). Booyah.

And the cake w/ malted whipped cream was a winner. I'll do that again :) I had some of the cream on berries w/ chocolate shavings. Mmm.

[PHREDDY]

C mas....I think you are tied with Mariacarmen's BF to wear this months crown of the WFD discussion....Fantastic, creative accompaniments!

[ChristinaMason]

Blush. This was his breakfast (creamy spinach, egg, bacon, tomato, cheese, herbed creme fraiche).

[roxlet]

That looks super!

[LindaWhit]

DAMN, girl!

[ChristinaMason]

I had an omelette filled with creamed spinach and crumbled goat cheese and tried to pretend I wasn't jealous.

[LindaWhit]

Well, yours sounds very good, too, but.....

DAMN, girl!

[mariacarmen]

oh, wonderful!

[GretchenS]

Fabulous CM, and your willpower is truly awe-inspiring!!!

[ChristinaMason]

My desire not to have heartburn and not to be bloated/have a muffintop is ever so slightly stronger than my desire to eat delicious carby things. But just barely. Thanks for the vote of confidence :)

[suzigirl]

I can relate. But all those things sound so good it would have been hard not to partake. Good for you

[mariacarmen]

even with burnt edges that looks really delicious.

[ChristinaMason]

Thank you. High praise coming from the lady with the mouth-watering dinner photos. The breakfast one, luckily, didn't get burned at all :)

[mariacarmen]

oh, gee, thanks! i think my pics are just ok, but i love doing it.
that bfast one looks amazing. did you already post the recipe for the original? would you mind linking me to it again? i know lingua had one too..... thanks!

[ChristinaMason]

Like lingua and her man, we used the one from Delicious Days: deliciousdays.com/archives/2010/07/24/welcoming-dear-friends-flammkuchen-with-red-onions/

BTW, let me save you the conversion from metric. These are approximate, of course:

-2 c. AP flour
-1/2 c. rye flour
-1/2 tsp. salt (but we used more)
-2 envelopes of yeast
-I forget how much water that works out to be (I want to say 3/4 c.?), but we had to add more

Like lingua, we added some finely shredded Gruyere/Swiss cheese on top. I added granulated garlic and toasted onion powder to the creme fraiche as well for extra oomph.

This morning's breakfast pizza had fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley stirred into the creme fraiche. Tartes flambee seem like pretty nice blank canvases for experimentation :)

[mariacarmen]

thanks - and especially for the conversion!

[ChristinaMason]

No problem! I did that from memory, but I think it's correct. Double-check any amounts if they strike you as strange :)

[suzigirl]

Its funny, but i seek out the well done crust.

[Breadcrumbs]

What a thoughtfully planned, delicious-sounding meal you've planned mc. DH is very lucky!! Lovely.

[ChristinaMason]

Shucks...thanks.

[Cherylptw]

That cake sounds delicious!

[ChristinaMason]

Thanks! It's a recipe I cribbed from kattyeyes...then added my own twist on the topping.

[JungMann]

Your get-togethers sound like the highlight of District life! I would love to try homebrew carbonnade!

[ChristinaMason]

Unemployment has its marginal benefits ;)

Not to worry, I'll have much less free time for cooking adventures come mid-March. Expect fewer parties replaced by more office drudgery. I'm not really looking forward to it. Fortunately, this particular gig also has an expiration date!

[gingershelley]

Awesome, MC - here's to your 'all things beer' menu!

[Njchicaa]

Roasted chicken (rubbed with rosemary, lemon zest, kosher salt, and olive oil), rice, and roasted carrots here.

[ChristinaMason]

Sounds good, nice and homey.

[mariacarmen]

love the title, LW.

[LindaWhit]

A play on Berheenia's suggestion in the last thread. :-)

[mariacarmen]

oh yes!

[gingershelley]

+1!

[LindaWhit]

As for me, marinated lamb tips will be thinly sliced and quick-sauteed, perhaps adding a bit of lemon juice and wine to the pan to be reduced for a "sauce". Roasted garlic green beans alongside.

[mariacarmen]

(careful with that lemon!)
what exactly are lamb tips? i don't think i've ever seen them.... but they sound wonderful nonetheless. because they're lamb.

[LindaWhit]

I think it's just larger chunks of lamb that you'd use for kebabs, mc. I believe it's the end cuts from what a butcher trims off of larger roasts. They can be upwards of the size of my palm - sometimes triangular in shape, sometimes a flat piece. These were purchased at my local butcher, but I know that Trader Joe's has pre-marinated Burgundy & Pepper Lamb Tips.

And I've heard there's a rash of super-lemonizing going around. I won't go overly lemony. :-)

[PHREDDY]

Lemonizing in excess, should be illegal! :-}}}

[mariacarmen]

:-)
thanks for the info!

[gingershelley]

I envision a food critic, standing over my dining table giving a thumbs-down to my meal; I grab a juicy 1/2 lemon - and squeeze it in his general direction - and get him in the eye!

Hey - super lemony!

[mariacarmen]

Hey Linda, you were right! i found Burgandy and Pepper Lamb Tips at my TJs today! I'm so excited! now to pick a day to spring lamb (get it?) on the BF.....

i can't wait to try them!

[LindaWhit]

Let us know how they are, mc (I noticed on the new thread that you tucked them into the freezer for later use). I've not yet bought them.

[mariacarmen]

i will LW!

[gingershelley]

MC - we never get 'lamb tips' or 'beef tips' on the west coast... from what I understand, it is a coastal butcher's cut thing. CI has several recipes it recommends beef tips for, and never have seen them around.

[mariacarmen]

ah, i see. thanks for clearing that up!

[roxlet]

After last night's delicious, but rich, turkey pot pie, tonight I am going to make this sesame chicken recipe from slender kitchen. I'm going to throw in some broccoli as well.

http://www.slenderkitchen.com/sesame-...

[juliejulez]

I'm very excited to not be eating ANY risotto or hoisin pork today. I'm so over those leftovers.

Tonight's a hockey night, so on my lunch break, I'm going to go to Jimmy John's to grab a sandwich I can eat in the car on my way to the game tonight since I'm going straight from work. It's probably not much better nutritional wise than the arena food, but it's certainly cheaper. Now I just hope nobody sees me going into Jimmy Johns to get the sandwich, then stashing it in the car, then going into the Chipotle a few doors down to buy my lunch haha!