What's for Dinner #197 - Winter Ain't Over Yet [OLD]

[steve h.]

Chicago's getting hit with snow. Old Man Winter has D.C. and Baltimore in the cross hairs. Massachusetts, too.

Deb and I are looking forward to paneed veal tonight with a side of Fettuccine Alfredo. House red to wash it all down.

Stay warm, my friends.

[mariacarmen]

oops, i posted my foie dinner on this old thread. reposted on #198. can't get rid of the pics here tho....

[roxlet]

Let's continue our discussion, replete with recommends, here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893372

[Musie]

Chicken tikka tonight. Got my chicken marinading and a batch of garlic and cilantro naan slowly rising in the fridge whilst I'm at work. Tempted to make a play on onion bhajis too and turn it into a mini indian dipping feast.

[LMAshton]

If your onion bhajis work out, please let me know the recipe. I've tried and failed at making them. :(

[Berheenia]

I guess the powers that be are as sick of snow as the rest of us so they're ignoring what's going on outside my window! Everything is open as usual- schools, the office, ugh! Denial hurts! It's been coming down all day yesterday and last night- we can attest to that with plows and back hoes beeping all night but not getting much done, just keeping folks awake. The TV gurus say it will snow most of today. I'm scheduled to bring a meaty soup to a book group tonight so in the spirit that nothing gets canceled I'm going to make an easy peasy red bean and rice soup off the Zatarain's website, and add polish sausage, extra canned beans and stock. There will be TJ's corn bread, doctored with cheese and scallions. No way I'm going near a grocery store today.

[Harters]

Upcoming.......beef pie.

And now you know as much about my dinner as I do. This is, apparently, a recipe from herself's baking bible. As such, it is akin to witchcraft and I am not allowed to know the secrets and, certainly, not allowed to assist.

That said, I do know there's a pound of mince defrosting in the fridge. And I do know there's a pie dish been taken from the cupboard. The latter probably means it's going to be shortcrust pastry, under and over the filling.

What's not to like? I am northern. I am a man. I eat pie.

[LMAshton]

Goat tikka masala. The link and details to what I actually did are in the tikka masala thread.

We're still broken, still can't taste a lot, still can't tell if the taste levels are fine - everything still tastes mostly bland and boring. But we're starting to taste a bit of the spices, so all is not lost, although it *is* taking forever to get back to normal.

From what we could tell, the goat tikka masala was good. :)

[mariacarmen]

The BF came through on my request for a peanuty/asiany prep on the chicken thighs i purchased yesterday. Satay! jasmine rice, salad, kimchi, and blistered green beans on the side. totally hit the spot.

[hannaone]

Your pics just gave me a flashback to the Philippines.

I often enjoyed the Philippine version sold by the street vendors. Sitting outside a bar, drinking San Miguel, and chowing down on a dozen or so skewers of assorted meats, meanwhile trying to keep the monkey from stealing my beer.

[fldhkybnva]

Do share? I'd love to try this with shrimp.

[JungMann]

Your wizardry with chicken thighs is one of the things I always remember when I am at the butcher. I need to do more with boneless, skinless thighs than stir fries and paprikash. How did you season your satay? There's a Filipino analogue (by way of Indonesia) called sate babi that I might make with half a filet of pork loin I've got. Satay would be a good way to round out and do some comparison.

[suzigirl]

Wow. Can I have a recipe?

[mariacarmen]

ok, thanks to all of the above - but first, i can't take credit for this one, the BF made it. JM, we do get a lot of use from b/s chicken thighs because they're so flavorful and even without the skin seem to have enough fat on them. and they have a nice, chewy texture, and cook up super fast, making for easy quick last minute meals.

the peanut sauce was creamy peanut butter, minced garlic, curry powder, salt, little sugar, lime juice, chili paste, dark soy, fish sauce and a little water, blended all together. he grilll-pan fried the chicken, which he had rubbed with/marinated in curry powder, turmeric, milk, oil, soy, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, shallots, a little cayenne, s&p, sesame oil. then we used the sauce as a dip at the table.

it was all really tasty, but personally i may not have used curry powder in the peanut sauce, myself.

[LindaWhit]

Interesting, my dad's totally non-traditional satay sauce does use curry powder. I like the idea of lime juice in it as well.

[ChristinaMason]

At least in Thai preps, some curry paste is common.

[LindaWhit]

OK, that makes sense. My Dad first tried satay in Singapore back in the 1970s.

[steve h.]

Deb and I are big fans of Singapore. Maybe the most food-obsessed place on the planet.

[mariacarmen]

it's true, the BF said he used it because most of the recipes he looked at called for curry paste. i wouldn't have intuitively thought of adding a prepared curry itself, but maybe some turmeric.

[roxlet]

I've been thinking about making satay, and this convinces me I should! Did you use a particular recipe that you can recommend?

[mariacarmen]

no, i wrote the ingredients above, all just to taste. i might have made it a little spicier, by adding more chili paste (sambal olek is what he used.)

[hannaone]

Joint cooking tonight - she directed, I did.

Jajangmyeon, a Korean version of the Chinese zhajiangmian (炸醬麵). Sometimes called Korean Spaghetti - Noodles in black bean sauce.

Cabbage, carrots, onion, potato, pork, and green onion stir fried then simmered in the black bean sauce. Topped with boiled egg and cucumber.

[mariacarmen]

that's just gorgeous. is that ground pork in the sauce? i need to get some more fermented black beans...

[hannaone]

Pork blade roast cut into chunks.

[MAH]

Tonight I made some roasted chicken parts, which the toddler had with dinner, saved the rest for other uses. Also layered enchiladas with chicken, spinach and black beans.

Then thinking ahead, I scrambled some eggs with bacon and onions, which I turned into breakfast quesadillas with multigrain tortillas to have on hand for breakfast in a hurry.

[mariacarmen]

how are you wrapping up those quesadillas to keep for morning, mah? and then do you just nuke in the a.m.?

[MAH]

I let them cool on a rack and then cut them in wedges, then put them in a ziploc bag til morning, when I topped them in the toaster oven. they hit the spot.

[Frizzle]

Tonight it's a Melissa Clark recipe for braised pork shoulder with tomatoes and cinnamon. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10...

I cooked it yesterday so it has sat overnight. I had a quick taste and I think the tomato taste is a tad overwhelming and acidic (is that the right term?) so I might have to attempt a fix somehow. Suggestions welcome please.

We'll do the recommended polenta with it which should mellow it out anyway and a simple green salad as well I think.

[juster]

I didn't look at the recipe, so use your judgement, but a bit of sugar can help with the acidity from tomatoes.

[weezieduzzit]

If you don't want to add sugar, a tiny pinch of baking soda will neutralize some of the acid. Tiny pinch, seriously, it doesn't take much. Maybe 1/8 teaspoon to start.

[juster]

That makes sense! Thanks for the tip.

[Frizzle]

Thank you! I tried sugar in a test portion and it improved it a bit but not as much as I liked. I'll give the baking soda a whirl too on the test portion. I've never heard of that so many thanks for the tip.

I am thinking about adding another anchovy or two as well to give it a bit more depth but I'm worried that the flavour will come across too strongly given I'm at the reheat stage and it won't have time to cook down.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Cook it down in a pan with some oil by itself before adding it to the sauce......

[JungMann]

The bicarbonate of soda will definitely neutralize the acid, you'll notice it foams as the reaction with acid produces carbon dioxide. Just be careful not to add too much bicarbonate as it increases the sodium level, which can be another problem entirely. I've also found myself with overly sour tomato sauces and found this trick very helpful when it was recommended on WFD.

[Frizzle]

Many, many thanks for all suggestions. I ended up doing a combo of everything. Some sugar, a bit of bicarbonate and I fried some anchovy fillets down. These were added sparingly by the fish-eaters at the table and did add to the depth nicely. I made the polenta with stock, a bit of cream and some parmesan. It all balanced well in the end and the acidity was tamed. A turnaround as far as I am concerned thanks to you all, I really wasn't happy with the dish at all this morning.

[twodales]

Last night I braised. Short ribs in bourbon to be thrown on the grill tonight with a Bourbon enchanced and Beef stock reduction BBQ sauce. Mashed or Baked with a nice green veg on the side.
I also took the remnants of a pork roast and braised it with 5 spice powder, soy ginger etc. Might throw it over rice with scallions or snow peas or make a sort of MooShoo out of it.

Guess it's the ten inches of snow we had that makes me want to comfort-food our evenings.

[steve h.]

That sounds mighty tasty. Cooking with Bourbon is now on my stack. Thanks!

[gingershelley]

twodales, I like it that snow makes you use the grill!

[Bacardi1]

Thanks to "Snowquester", which ended up blanketing us with a foot of snow, gusty winds, & loss of electricity from 5 a.m. yesterday morning to 6 p.m. last night - along with a power loss repeat this morning - I'm a little behind in dinner reporting.

Tuesday night we enjoyed Turkey Ham steaks along with whole buttered baked Sweet Potatoes, & a Chow recipe - "Collards with Pimiento Cheese".
http://www.chow.com/recipes/30530-col...

The collards were delicious, but I did change the recipe a bit. For starters, I used one leftover locally-produced/sourced "Red Wine & Garlic" chicken sausage in place of the Andouille; then I only used about a 1-1/2 lbs. of Collards instead of the 3 lbs. called for in the recipe, BUT kept all other ingredient quantities as-is. Worked out just fine. (Oh, & the leftovers make a great omelet filling.

)

For last night, after our electricity came back on & the house warmed up some, I heated up some Fred Flintstone Pterodactyl-size smoked turkey drumsticks ("Edy" brand), & served them with cooked, halved, & buttered fresh-off-the-stalk Brussels Sprouts, & buttered whole-grain egg noodles.

[gingershelley]

Bacardi, thanks for the report on the 'collards with pimiento cheese' recipe - that sounds super. I think it would be great made with a little extra sausage, and served over grits or polenta as a main in it's own right.

[steve h.]

The weather has been wet, cold and crummy all day. The rain morphed to sleet and now it's snowing. Winter in March can be annoying.

Supper will be veal parm washed down with house red. Maybe a little green salad to finish things up. I'll dig something out of the film library, maybe Ratatouille, to brighten things up a bit.

[gingershelley]

Sorry you all are still living in heavy winter back there -but dinner sounds good!

I need to re-visit that Ratatouille movie, I remember enjoying it alot (tho the idea of a rat in the kitchen is still unsettling...).

Word is out that Disneyland France is doing a Ratatouille ride/attraction.

[roxlet]

I was going to make Minestrone today, but then the power went out, and I had to do baking for a cake sale tomorrow, which took prority when the power went back on. So tonight's dinner might be from the new dumpling and noodle joint in town. At the very least, there will be a salad...

[suzigirl]

I was going to make chicken croquettes tonight but i am home to late for them to firm up properly so I am making a chicken and noodles dish. Sliced button mushrooms,broccoli, chicken chunks, pimento cream cheese thinned by half and half with some garlic and badia complete seasoning served mixed into angel hair pasta. Spinach and iceberg lettuce with cherry tomatoes and raw green beans and cukes with lemon caper viniagrette.

[Cherylptw]

I didn't end up making a complete meal as planned either; I went out and got back late so I toasted some french bread, spread it with some of my roasted mirepoix and mayo/olive oil blend and topped with slices of roasted chicken breast.

T'was satisfying....

[suzigirl]

It sounds good. Although I did do a complete meal. I just implimented leftovers like you.

[JerryMe]

Dinner tonite is reservations. A brewery is opening up nearby and we've been awaiting their doors to open since September!

I know that construction and permits are difficult (I work in the field) but I've felt like that old Mervyn's commercial where the lady stands on the outside of the glass doors saying "Open, open, open"!

[ItalianNana]

Just finished beating up a batch of masa and soaking some corn husks. DH has requested his "pretend tamales." The filling is so easy that one person can do a bunch of them and freeze for another time. Spread masa on husks, lay some mild roasted chilies in the middle, top with a chunk of pepper jack, roll, fold and steam! They are a comfort food that we have once a month from Oct-March at least.

[Cherylptw]

I adore tamales; yours sound great! Anything with roasted chiles... I have masa flour in the fridge....

[juster]

Thai green curry with eggplant and yellow bell pepper, rice. I made extra at lunchtime, and I do't really feel like cooking again today.

[juster]

I think I'm switching to (store-bought, but tasty) bread pudding. I'm feeling kinda bummy and slow today, and it sounds comforting.

[kirikara]

Homemade swedish meatballs and slow cooker chicken tikka masala cooking for tomorrow..

[juster]

Ohhhhhhhhh. I thought that was a really strange combination until I expanded your post and saw that one is for tomorrow. Much better.

[gingershelley]

Last night was old-school beef tacos; fried corn tortillas, some chopped up left-over rare RB roast sautéed with taco seasoning and little simmer with some water till thickened. Taco cheese blend, chopped romaine, tomato, and some killler red salsa made at the fabulous Guadaloupe Mexi-market where I get all my south of the border ingredients. Some ordinary refries on the side.

A friend is coming for dinner tonight, and I will be grilling some lamb leg steaks that are currently marinating in leftover red wine, dijon, orange peel, rosemary, onion, garlic.

I think I will roast some cauliflower, and do a spinach salad; I may go wild and do that lemon-caper dressing discussed recently on the spinach; will that be too tart? Toasted almonds, baby tomatoes, and crumbled goat cheese garnishes I am thinking....

Custard and blueberries for dessert. I might put the custard in my creme brulee dishes and make a crunchy crust with my little blow torch. Any excuse to fire up that little tool!

[mariacarmen]

haven't tried that lemon dressing yet, but i think it would go wonderfully with the richness of the lamb.

[suzigirl]

I hope it is good on spinach. That is what I am serving it on

[Dirtywextraolives]

Try it, the dressing, that is. It is wicked tart, but in a real savory way, not a puckering way, guess the mustard helps that. Usually used on more sturdy greens, but it just may work well. I know I like a mustardy vinaigrette on butter lettuce......

[MidwesternerTT]

I made the lemon caper dressing tonight, very nice on on butter luttuce. The strong flavors were a good complement to tonight's maindish - chicken liver & onions with mushrooms in wine sauce, served over rice.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Nice!! It's great on the butter lettuce, isn't it?

[roxlet]

I adore that dressing! I think linguafood had it on butter lettuce as well. The only thing I've used it on is string beans, and they get better and better when they become leftovers, though the supremes do melt into the dressing after a bit.

[linguafood]

I could see it on steamed asparagus, string beans, maybe even brocc (?).

But you do need some rich & fatty protein for the dressing to really shine. Says I '-)

[gingershelley]

It was really good on the spinach salad - but the salad wilted SUPER fast. It was a puddle in the bowl long before we finished dinner - salad served WITH lamb and cauliflower/ not after.

I saved it, and will sauté it up for lunch today, topped with a bit of leftover sliced cooked lamb.

I must try the lemon/caper stuff on roasted asparagus!

[Dirtywextraolives]

Probably due to all of the acid in the lemon juice & pieces. Also why it probably goes better to sturdier greens that can stand up to it a bit longer.

[JungMann]

Ginger, how long do capers keep when they're stored outside brine? So many people have been tempting me with their caper love (I'm looking at you linguafood) so I bought a tub from the pickle store, but they are no longer in the liquid that I would imagine otherwise preserves it.

[ChristinaMason]

I don't know the answer to this question, but you might cover them with some salt water or diluted white wine vinegar to save them!

[gingershelley]

I think they will be fine for a week or so, but the flavor will fade I would think without the brine.

When I buy olives from one of my favorite sources, I request them to weigh my purchase, THEN add in some brine from the barrel so they keep better, but I am not paying for brine weight. You might try that at your pickle store too:)

One solution is to buy salted capers, which IMO are usually a better product, but you must rinse then well before using, which adds a step. Sometimes salted capers are hard to find as well.

[roxlet]

Just throw in some brine. They'll last for a long, long time.

[ChristinaMason]

I'll be joining my oldest friend for tapas at one of Jose Adres' joints (a bit overrated, but at happy hour it's worth it). My DH has his choice of last night's curried kofte w/ slaw or the chicken tajine soup/stew (I refuse to use that Rachel Ray hybrid abomination of a word!) from the other night. I suspect he'll do both :)

I'm thinking forward to tomorrow's dinner and considering using some of last night's leftover coconut milk in a small batch of chicken adobo (NYT recipe). I have everything on hand, including sugarcane vinegar--not sure if that's an even swap with the rice vinegar called for (have to check the acidity level). http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/mag...

[Dirtywextraolives]

I used cane vinegar last month when I made pork adobo, came out delicious. It has 4% acidity, I don't know if that's more or less than rice vinegar. But my Filipina friend says they use cane vinegar more frequently than rice.

[LindaWhit]

Have never gotten around to eating that grapefruit I bought last week. Hmmm...wonder how I might use it for dinner tonight? I'm thinking about juicing it (maybe only half of it?) and make a quick marinade of the juice, some honey, grated ginger and salt and Aleppo pepper. I'll bake the chicken until it's done, but use the marinade for a "sauce" of some sort.

I'll sauté some minced shallots in olive oil, then add the marinade to simmer and reduce to pour over the baked chicken.

Sides - steamed green beans and leftover Israeli couscous.

[ChristinaMason]

Linda, if you decide not to cook with that grapefruit, I have several cocktail recipes involving freshly squeezed grapefruit juice I'd be happy to share ;)

[LindaWhit]

Well, that *was* another thought I had, Christina...and there *are* more grapefruit in the supermarket. :-) But I think for this one, I'll be using at least half in the dish I mentioned above.

[gingershelley]

Be a bit cautious of grapefruit juice in a marinade LW; it has an enzyme in it that makes meat mushy FAST. It is the same one that prevents gelatin from setting up with fresh grapefruit or pineapple in it...

[LindaWhit]

Thanks, gingershel. Hadn't thought about that, but I'll marinate for maybe a half hour, max, when I get home. (Glad I didn't mix up the marinade and do it this morning!)

[roxlet]

My husband recently made a delicious grapefruit vinaigrette...

[fldhkybnva]

I am on a recent homemade vinaigrette kick and love grapefruit, do tell?

[LindaWhit]

I like this idea as well....was this the Top Chef recipe, rox?

[roxlet]

I think it was my husband's riff on it. I'm not sure if they used grapefruit in the vinaigrette on TC...

[juliejulez]

Picking up the SO from the airport after work. He got to come home a day early so he could go in for his treatment for his Crohn's tomorrow. So tonight I'm making a baked chicken parmesan, with simple roasted broccoli on the side. He can have some garlic bread I have in the freezer if he wants, but I'm saving room for more of my trashy Pistachio Pie.

Question though, why is it called chicken parmesan? There's hardly any parmesan in it. Cause it sounds better than chicken mozzarella? :)

[gingershelley]

I have always wondered the same about chix, eggplant parm, etc.

[fldhkybnva]

Yup, my version of chicken parmesan has none in it either although we often top it with some. I usually use a combination of mozzarella and provolone then sprinkle Parmesan when plating if I'm in the mood. I read about this once but can't seem to remember why we refer to it as "blank" parmesan.

I couldn't resist...a quick search showed this "Ironically, chicken parmesan may not contain that much parmesan cheese, but is instead named after the Italian region of Parma, where it said the dish originates" and "While Parmigiana means “from Parma,” a small city in Northern Italy, Chicken Parmesan is not a dish that is made there. Instead, it is a Southern Italian dish developed by immigrant cooks from Campania (the area around Naples) and Sicily who popularized this tasty assemblage of breaded chicken, tomato sauce, and melted cheeses in the United States and Canada, where it is called simply Chicken Parmesan and commonly served with a side of pasta. In Argentina it’s called “Milanesa de Pollo” and served with French fries. It’s served the same way in Australia, where it is called simply a “Parma”."

[juliejulez]

Hmmm, good info to know. I was always wondering, and I guess I could have googled it myself :)

I like that french fry idea haha... of course I like french fries with anything.

[mariacarmen]

hmmm, milanesa de pollo is just the breaded chicken, usually, throughout latin america, without the tomato sauce and cheese... then again, there are a lot of italians in Argentina...

[Dirtywextraolives]

Always thought "parmigiana" was the Italian version of the French au gratin, implying cheese baked on the top. And yes, I realize a gratin does not have to have cheese. Probably another American bastardization.

[fldhkybnva]

So much for the atmospheric scientists, no snow in Baltimore City. I am planning a lot of cooking this weekend to de-stress from a long week at work so tonight will probably be a simple throw together of my favorite Frank's Hot Sauce beef, mushroom, blue cheese bowl.

[iowagirl]

A quick and easy dinner tonight, as we have to be at stepdaughter's choir concert (in another town) at 7:00. So, hubby will fry up a couple of eggs, toast the bagels and thaw the lox we brought back from our last trip to Chicago and cut up a grapefruit for the side. Simple, but satisfying. Then when we get home, some cheese, crackers, and a dirty martini!

[catface1]

Cooking a turkey today with all the trimings, for no reason at all. Sometimes its nice just to treat yourself.

[mariacarmen]

it sure is. love your moniker!

[Musie]

I'm in work from 2 til 8 today, so I'm thinking I will make up a cod and wild rice gratin, then just have the husband do the final bake so it's nice and hot when I get home.

Tomorrow night will be tikka masala for dish of the month.

[mariacarmen]

damn i have to get on that tikka masala train, stat!

[Harters]

It's a two courser for us tonight.

Kicking off with celeriac & porcini soup. Mushrooms rehydrated; simmered with celeriac in veggie stock and chopped sage. Topped with croutons, swirl of cream, chopped parsley.

Followed by a very old favourite - crunchy topped chicken. Breasts cut in half horizontally; smeared with mustard, topped with breadcrumbs, and baked. Alongside, whatever veg looks good when we go to the supermarket later.

[Frizzle]

I'm trying to imagine celeriac and porcini together and can't. It sounds lovely so I'm adding it to my growing 'must try' list.

[Harters]

Maybe wait till I've tried it before adding it to the list :-)

[Frizzle]

Is there a verdict on it? Yay or nay as a combination?

[Harters]

Apologies for not coming back sooner - I'd forgotten you'd wanted a report-back.

It was pleasant enough. The porcini added an earthy backnote which worked OK with the sweetness of the celeriac. But this was really nothing more than a nice root vegetable soup. I made enough for leftovers and I've frozen it away. But the recipe isn't a keeper - there's stuff I'd much rather do with the ingredients.

[mariacarmen]

at the Oldster's, i heated up the tortilla de papa, and sauteed some chicken thighs i'd chopped up into bite sized chunks and rolled in seasoned flour. made a little gravy for them too. tomato salad on the side. very plain, pedestrian dinner, but he ate it. to say he liked it would be assuming facts not in evidence.

[Breadcrumbs]

Love "tortilla di papa" mc, so cute. You're such a good and thoughtful daughter.

[roxlet]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but "tortilla di papa" has nothing to do with one's father. I think it's the name for a Spanish potato omelet.

[mariacarmen]

roxlet = you are right, but i did make it for el "papa".
it can also be called "tortilla de patata"

[Harters]

You'll usually see it on menus in Spain simply as "tortilla espanola".

[mariacarmen]

funny, that - like saying french fries in France, which they don't do...

when i lived in Spain (a long time ago) it was the "patatas" that we saw all the time.

[grayelf]

I often make tortilla de papa a la mexicana for dinner :-).

[mariacarmen]

ooh, what makes it ala mexicana? do you add chiles, or something?

i guess this one was a tortilla de papa al italiano, because of the pancetta....

[grayelf]

Crushed, dried tiny ones, yup (can't think of the name, drat it), and also lots of cilantro. Otherwise it's eggs, spuds and onions.

[Frizzle]

That sounds good to me. I agree, you're a lovely person taking such good care of him.

[mariacarmen]

aw thanks. i really don't do as much as my sister does, she cooks for him 5 days a week.

[hannaone]

Snow, rain, sleet, hail, thunder, and lightning - truly, changing weather is upon us.
My turn to cook tonight.
Pork steaks basted with a vaguely Korean sauce (garlic, onion, soy sauce, dried red chile peppers, ground chile powder, condensed beef broth, sugar, and sesame oil) then grilled on our little Japanese fish griller. Served with red top lettuce, white rice, ssamjang, and spicy bean sprouts.

[mariacarmen]

wow... is your fish griller something you use indoors? i see pork steaks on sale all the time. i bet they'd be ok on a grill pan too.....

[hannaone]

It's an electric two sided grill (heating elements on top and bottom), Fujitronic brand. Sits on counter top or table.

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImag...

Does a good job with anything that's not too thick.

[mariacarmen]

thanks. is it easy to keep clean? we have very limited space on the kitchen counter, and our table is a fold-up card table...

[hannaone]

It is fairly easy to clean as long as you clean it after each use. The drip pan slides out. The filter and the shield between the upper heating element and the lid comes out also.
The only draw back is the wire rack, it needs to be replaced every so often (at least with the heavy use we put it to).

[fldhkybnva]

Wow, I'm seriously drooling as I look at these pictures. I had planned to pick up some kimchi this afternoon as I've been having a serious craving for it but didn't have anything as lovely planned for it as you did.

[JungMann]

I always have leftover bean sprouts and have never thought to turn them into banchan. How do you make yours?

[hannaone]

It's a really simple dish with about a thousand variations

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add bean sprouts and par boil (one to two minutes).
Drain and rinse immediately in cold water.

Add green onion, chopped, garlic, toasted sesame seed, salt, coarse ground red chili pepper, rice wine or rice wine vinegar, all to taste, and mix well.

Chill and serve.

You can also add:
some shredded carrot
a splash or two sesame oil
slivered garlic
slivered green and/or red chile pepper

Bean sprouts will only last a couple of days, so you need to eat them soon after prepping

[JungMann]

<<Bean sprouts will only last a couple of days, so you need to eat them soon after prepping>>

This is why I always have an odd bit of bean sprouts often times left over from another recipe. Not enough to make another serving, but just enough for a side dish like this. I assume this is a garlic-light dish. One clove for say 8 oz of sprouts?

As an aside, while we're talking spicy foods, how long do you think gochugaru keeps? I've had mine in the cupboard for probably a year now and I still use it to make kimchi but wonder if I should replenish it now. I wish they would just sell it to me in quantities smaller than the satchels at H-Mart!

[hannaone]

The amount of garlic depends on how well you like garlic.
One or two cloves for crushed or minced sounds about right, 4 to 6 if slivered since the garlic won't spread as evenly through the dish.

As far as the gochugaru goes i'd say a year old may be just a little old - but it is dried chile so......
The large bags from H-Mart last us about 1 to 1 1/2 months, so I can't teally say what a year would do to the flavor/strength of the pepper.

[JungMann]

I hope you've got more recipes to provide then, because I'm going to get another of their "small" 2 lb. bags that lasts me a year.

[hannaone]

LoL

We use it in almost anything and everything

Meat seasoning, sauces, marinades, BBQ sauces & bastes, dipping sauces, a lot of banchan dishes, ssamjang, stir fry, salads, salad dressing, fish seasoning, "shake & bake" chicken or pork coating, in meat balls ...........

[ChristinaMason]

Now's my chance to chime in here and ask hannaone if he has a recipe for a banchan that seems to be some type of shredded tuber---I don't think it's daikon, because it seems starchier, almost potato-like. Perhaps it's a turnip or something? Anyway, it's shredded and served in a sauce similar to the one you described for the sprouts above. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about? It's always our favorite item in the banchan spread (although it's been a while since I've had it...hence my struggles to describe it!).

Thanks in advance for any help :)

[linguafood]

lotus root?

[hannaone]

It's possibly Doragi (Korean Bellflower Root)

Doraji Muchim - Spicy Bellflower Root

도라지 무침
Doragi is the root of the Chinese Bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorus) plant, and is a delicious addition to Korean and other Asian meals. The flavor has been compared by some to a very mild celery with earthy undertones.
Doraij Muchim can be served as one dish of a ban chan array, or used as a component of bibimbap.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

6 ounces Dried Bellflower Roots
1 small Cucumber
2 ½ tablespoon Ground dried red chili pepper
3 tablespoons Sugar
3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 cloves Fresh Garlic
½ tablespoon Chopped Green Onions
½ to ¾ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

Procedure
Preparation

Doragi (bellflower root)
Soak doragi overnight.
Drain doragi, then rinse in cold water.
If the doragi pieces are large, cut into smaller strips.
Bring a pot of water to a full boil
Drop doragi in boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, drain, cool, and squeeze out excess water.

Cucumber
Slice cucumber lengthwise into roughly 1/8 inch thick slices.
Cut each slice into strips about 1/8 inch thick.

Garlic and Green Onion
Mince the garlic.
Fine chop the green onion.

Final
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.

Chill and serve as part of a banchan array.

[hannaone]

And here is another way

Doragi Namul(Seasoned Balloon flower/Korean Bellflower)

A side dish of bellflower roots cooked in water, drained, then sauteed with chopped green onions, garlic, and sesame salt.
Doragi is the root of the Chinese Bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorus) plant, and is a delicious addition to Korean and other Asian meals. The flavor has been compared by some to a very mild celery with earthy undertones.
Doragi Namul can be served as part of a banchan array, or used as a component in BiBimBap

Degree of Difficulty

Degree of Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Cooking Times

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Ingredients

12 ounces doragi (Bellflower root) 도라지
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon kkaesoogeum (sesame salt) 깨소금
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium Green or Spring onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Optional

1 medium red chili pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Procedure

Prepare Doragi

Dried

Soak dried doragi overnight in lightly salted water.
Rinse soaked doragi in cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Repeat a couple of times.
If whole dried root cut on a diagonal into slices about 1/4 inch thick, then cut the slices into pieces about 1 1/2 inches long by 1/4 in wide.
Place into a pot of boiling water and cook for about three minutes.
Drain and rinse in cold water, then squeeze out excess moisture.

Fresh
Wash the fresh root in cold water, then rub well with coarse salt.
Soak the fresh doragi overnight in lightly salted water. Cut a very small piece off and taste, if the root is still bitter repeat this step.
Cut the doragi on a diagonal into slices about 1/4 inch thick, then cut the slices into pieces roughly 1 1/2 inches long by about 1/4 wide.
Place into a pot of boiling water and cook for about three minutes.
Drain and rinse in cold water, then squeeze out excess moisture.

Cook
Place oil into a pan over medium to high heat, heat for thirty seconds.
Add the minced garlic and cook about thirty seconds, then add doragi and stir fry three to four minutes.
Add broth and simmer until doragi is softened, three to eight minutes.
Add cut green onion and stir fry thirty(30) seconds.
Remove from heat, sprinkle with sesame salt, pepper, and chili pepper strips, mix and cool.
Serve as part of a ban chan array

Variation
Place oil into a pan over medium to high heat, heat for thirty seconds.
Add the minced garlic and cook about thirty seconds.
Add soy sauce and bring to a boil.
Add doragi and stir fry three to four minutes.
Add broth and simmer until doragi is softened, three to eight minutes.
Add cut green onion and stir fry thirty(30) seconds.
Remove from heat, sprinkle with sesame salt, pepper, and chili pepper strips, mix and cool.
Serve as part of a ban chan array

----------------------------------------------
Both recipes are from my website, so I am the copyright holder.

[ChristinaMason]

Based on photos, I think that's right! Thanks so much! I always wondered what that deliciousness was called :)

[Dirtywextraolives]

Beef brisket sliders.

[mariacarmen]

yeah, THAT'S FUN....

( :

So, beef brisket, cooked a normal BB way, on little hamburger buns? was there any sauce, accompaniments? and are there "slider buns" available at the markets? i think i would use those little Kings Hawaiian Buns for sliders .... yum.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Yes, exactly! Kings Hawaiian mini buns, honey wheat flavored. The brisket was braised for six hours with an ungodly amount of onions. So no mayo, it was wet enough to moisten the buns, but mayo & mustard would be good. And I have seen Sara Lee brand mini buns in some grocery stores, but not all. They are not as thick or sweet as KH brand, obviously, but decent for burger sliders.....

[mariacarmen]

oh man, that sounds unbelievably good.

[MAH]

Lamb kofte kebabs, Trader Joe's Palak paneer (wow, this is yummy) and samosas from the freezer. Quick and yummy. Excited about the leftover kebabs for lunch, snack etc.

[roxlet]

I have to make some kofte. In Egypt, you call someone a kofte and it's like calling them an silly person, in an affectionate way.

[weezieduzzit]

The weather is changing again, it was nice today but is cooling rapidly tonight and will be cold and rainy by noon tomorrow. I wasn't sure which direction to go for dinner so I went both. Larb and beef salad served with lettuce cups and tom kha. I think I'll make a quick cucumber salad and stir fried snow peas as well.

[roxlet]

A little late for the dish of the month, but my husband is currently at work on a langoustine risotto made with some rich lobster stock we had in the freezer. That will be garnished with some asparagus.

[grayelf]

I think this is my first post on this type of thread! Tonight I'm making scrambled eggy tacos for dinner. Just realized that the recipe calls for Swiss chard and I bought baby kale but I'm gonna go for it anyway :-). Then to continue the morning-at-night theme, we'll try the Persian breakfast bread that I picked up at the market.

Don't know if it's kosher to say what I had for dinner last night but it was so tasty I have to share. My version of pad graprow with an over easy egg and lots of steamed brocolli in a bowl, all drizzled with nampla prik and lime juice.

Tomorrow may be a nice cheesy souffle. Sensing an eggs-for-dinner theme developing...

[weezieduzzit]

I use baby kale in recipes calling for chard all the time, it works fine. (My chard always gets eaten by something, they eat the chard first so we get more kale.)

[suzigirl]

As Anthony Bourdain would say "I'm a total egg slut". Dinner sounds delicious. I think baby kale will sub just fine. Welcome from one newbie to another.

[weezieduzzit]

Can anyone that has publicly admitted to sharing Chefboyardee spaghetti and meatballs eaten on iceberg lettuce leaves like a taco with their cats still be considered a newbie?
:)

[suzigirl]

Lmao. I meant here on WFD. I still stand by my stoned teenager choices and still partake now and then( in the spaghetti and meatballs. Not the pot.)

[mariacarmen]

YAY!!! GRAYELF IS ON WFD!!!!

So glad to see you here! and yes, it's all kosher, last night's, tomorrow's, tonight's, all welcomed because it all inspires and makes us drool.

how were those eggy tacos? i do love bfast tacos....

and eggs make any dish mo bettah.

[grayelf]

Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome, mc and suzi, plus the kale reassurance, weezie. Baby kale worked well and tasted nice and green with a good "squeak" that I'm sure was the vitamins trying to escape my jaws :-). Serrano peppers were nice in there, along with the sour cream and cilantro. I'll make this again when tomatoes are in season as they were the weakest link.

Last night we enjoyed our honey garlic ribs and stir-fried bok choy with oyster sauce, continuing the greens are good campaign. Tonight will be Vietnamese chicken curry with various veg, tomorrow fish tacos with red snapper (or rockfish as it is now annoyingly being called by certain purveyors). Had to put off the souffle as I need extra large eggs and they seem to be scarce at the moment.

[Cherylptw]

Would you mind sharing the details of the risotto? It sounds fabulous

[roxlet]

It was really delicious! I think he sauteed some shallots in butter and olive oil, added the rice, and cooked that to coat all the grains. Then, he gradually added the lobster stock, and when it was just about done, he added in the langoustines and asparagus, that he had previously cooked. Let that all heat together, dish up, and garnish with some finely chopped parsley. Pretty straightforward and no truly exotic ingredients.

[Cherylptw]

My mouth is watering...I have to make this.....

[mariacarmen]

mouthwatering.

[rjbh20]

Langostino & asparagus risotto, roasted lobster broth

[gingershelley]

Now that risotto would be worthy of the carb action!

[mariacarmen]

instantly drooling.

[steve h.]

Leftovers tonight: the last of the Valley-Style Arroz con Pollo. House red to wash it down. Maybe some Clint Eastwood on the plasma.

[Cherylptw]

I'm roasting a whole chicken which is seasoned with a garlic blend, seasoning salt, onion powder and pepper...that's as far as I've gotten so far...the bf called & said he had a late lunch on the road so he won't be wanting a complete meal just chicken so for myself, I'll be having another spinach/baby greens salad similar to the other day with roasted chicken and some shredded smoked gouda.

Tomorrow will be leftovers...

[suzigirl]

I am also having roast chicken. What will you do with the leftovers? I am not sure what I am doing yet. But i need to transform them because the bf will have what we are having tonight for his lunchbox.

[Cherylptw]

Well, I'm thinking we'll have the same chicken tomorrow with a jus or gravy; I have a ton of sweet potatoes I need to use so it'll be a side and don't know what else yet....the frame will be used in soup

[suzigirl]

I was thinking about making croquettes. I know it screams seventies but it is when i grew up.

[Cherylptw]

Now that sounds good...I may have to reconsider mine for tomorrow....

[suzigirl]

I can use up the leftover gravy and mashed potatoes in the same dish. One to moisten and one to thicken. And the bones for broth. I just need to process the plucked meat and add the leftovers of mashed and gravy and an egg and flour and let that set up. Panko breading and either freezer or dinner

[suzigirl]

It is chilly here in FL so I am wanting something homey and comforting. Roast chicken with celery, onion and a lemon stuffed in the cavity and lemon pepper and olive oil on the skin. Red potato mashed and stewed tomato and zucchinis. That is WFD

[PHREDDY]

SG...I am cold here in NY...but had creamed butter nut squash soup before dinner!!! Them chicken fricases with rice tainted with red beans....not too shabby

[suzigirl]

I love butternut squash. What did you use to make the soup?

[juster]

Porterhouse with horseradish sauce (was supposed to be green pepercorn sauce, but it seems all the stores have stopped carrying them. I'll have to call around, but I already tried six places. This is the same sauce, pretty much, except with horseradish.) Got the steak in the reduced-price section (love that!), so it's an exception to our current use-what-we-have strategy. Baked potatoes with butter, parmesan, green onions, bacon. Don't know what vegetable. Maybe salad or cooked spinach.

[PHREDDY]

I dream about Porterhouse ......

[alliegator]

A friend is saving me from my take out rut tonight by inviting me over. Pasta with meat sauce never sounded so good!!! I'm going to grab a loaf of bread, slice, then fill it with some herbs and italian cheeses, and just throw it in the oven when I arrive. It's just a casual dinner, none of the usual rules apply :)

[iowagirl]

Last night was an unfortunately bland turkey sausage and spinach lasagna. I was hoping for ooey gooey with a spark heat from the sausage, but it really was just bland. Too much bechamel and ricotta and not enough seasoning. Bummer. But hubby will eat the leftovers this weekend while my mom and I are celebrating our respective birthdays out of town.

Tonight I will try to redeem myself with tofu red curry, with onion, pepper and green beans (trying to clean out the veggie drawer!) over brown rice.

[alliegator]

like (the redemption plan, not the dinner let down)

[iowagirl]

They curry was a hit, thank goodness! Just enough heat and flavor, without being too much. And I restrained myself from adding all the veggies that I wanted to add, because (as I keep telling myself!) more is not always better. Just green beans, onion and red pepper, along with the sauteed tofu was the perfect amount of texture and flavor. Whew. Hubby was happy! And he has leftovers for the weekend, while I'm playing with my mom!

[tonifi]

My girl child had cheese blintzes (blini?) for the first time this week (Sunday Brunch) and loved them...leading to a request for breakfast-for-dinner. ("Why don't we do that anymore, Mom?") ('Anymore' apparently means 'this month' to her). Cheese blini, blueberry compote from a bag of frozen blueberries, maybe eggs in ham 'cups' to go with. Last night was shepherd's pie. The culinary high point of the week has been the Italian-seasoned pork loin roast with fettucine noodles and rapini dressed with lemon juice and pork roast pan drippings. It is getting to the time of year when I crave greens. I tried the rapini because it is pretty mild in comparison to more bitter greens, like collard or turnip greens. No one ate them, anyway. Oh well, more for me.

[mariacarmen]

the rapini sounds awesome - sauteed, or boiled? and then with the drippings and juice....

[tonifi]

I trimmed the bottoms from a HUGE bunch that was in the 'reduced for quick sale' bin at the grocery store, boiled 'em and blanched 'em, and then after the roast came out of the oven I dropped them into a hot skillet, poured a ladle full of the pork dripping on top and threw in a splash of bottled lemon juice. I'd have shaved some parm on top if I'd had any. Tonight we're doing cubanos with the last of the roast, with, I think, chicken noodle soup. I'd have chosen cream of tomato (roasted canned tomatoes, dehydrated onion & garlic, with chicken stock & light cream, put through the blender just before serving) but we're having a sleepover with my daughter's buddy, and she said the chicken noodle was her favorite.

[ChristinaMason]

I was struggling to find a vegetable side for a dinner party I'm planning for Saturday. Rapini was the perfect answer, and one I had not thought of. I picked some up today. Thanks!

[ChristinaMason]

In light of some of the discussion in the previous threads about thread length and conversation topics growing out of hand, I'm going to conduct a little experiment in self control for the next few threads. I'll read along but try to hold back on superfluous comments (especially of the "wow, that looks great!" type) unless I have either 1) a burning question or 2) something original (hah!) to contribute other than a compliment. Maybe this will help streamline the thread a bit. I think WFD used to be more in this concise style, but when accusations about being unfriendly or cliquey were tossed around a while ago, I think most of us thread regulars began making more of an effort to be sure contributors felt "heard" and appreciated.

Anyhoo, let's see how it goes. I won't be commenting as much, but I'll still be silently appreciating the delicious things coming out of your kitchens.

[juliejulez]

I've been trying to do that too :) I really do wish they had a "like" button though.

[suzigirl]

But if you responded with "like" it is still counting as a post. It wouldn't change things. This whole scenario has me in a bunch. I like this thread as it is. When I was sick and behind, I chose to catch up as I could. I don't want to get into this but....

[juliejulez]

The "like" button of my dreams would work like Facebook... it just adds to the "liked" counter on the post, not a new post. Craigslist forums also used to have an option where you could +1 or -1, and it would just show up as a counter on the post, not as an actual post. Not sure if they still do that, I haven't visited those forums in years. I guess I'm a people pleaser and am just trying to figure out a happy medium :)

I personally don't mind the long threads, and I like "getting to know" everyone here. I don't have a lot of friends that I can chat with where I live (making friends is hard when you're a shy grown up!) but it's nice to have people to "chat" with here. If I can't read for a few days, no big deal, I just skip to the newest one if I don't care to read through the ones I missed. But I can see how it's frustrating for some people.

[suzigirl]

Point taken. Since I have never been on Facebook I didn't realise that is how it works. That would be ideal. I am the same as you. I like how te turnover is but can see the frustration too.

[The Chowhound Team]

Something similar is coming! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8928...

[alliegator]

Thanks for letting us know!

[roxlet]

Good news!

[mariacarmen]

yay!

[juliejulez]

Excellent

[gingershelley]

Another yeah!!!!!

[mariacarmen]

whoa whoa whoa - is that Recommend button new?? never noticed it before... i was just on the Chicago board and thought it had maybe been introduced there first, but now i see it's here too... is that the like "like" button? if not, what is it please?

[juliejulez]

The button just started this afternoon. I think it will work sort of like the "like" button. So like in these threads, if you just think a dish sounds good, instead of making a post that just says "that sounds delicious!" You can just click on the recommend button.

[mariacarmen]

just figured that out, thanks. won't go on about it here, as there is a thread on Site Talk about it already.

[Harters]

I like the "recommend" - just tried it on MC's post.

Hopefully, it'll help the discussion flow, but I hope it doesnt completely take the place of discussion

[Harters]

Certainly we seem to be whizzing through threads at a rate of knots in recent weeks. I wonder if that's because there are more "strictly food" posts or an upsurge in "general comments". I'm not sure and I'm not sufficiently arsed one way or another to do any analysis :-)

[mariacarmen]

thank god for your non-arsedness.

[linguafood]

It would be pretty easy to simply count the "substantive posts" about what's been cooked, and then to count the "celebratory/mere commentary posts".

As of now, 51 posts are "substantive", i.e. about meals and follow-up questions.

That 51 out of 99. You do the math, Harters, as I suck at it :-D

[steve h.]

The discourse on this board is both civil and informative.

I wouldn't change a thing.

Lots of newbies. That's a good thing.

[fldhkybnva]

Me neither! It's fabulous. I am a relative newbie but feel right at home now.

[alliegator]

Same here, as a relative newbie. It's good to know a little bit about someone and why they chose whatever meal they made. I will try to be slightly less wordy. But that might be tough, because I'm completely unable to shut up IRL (unless I'm eating).

[steve h.]

I agree. Lots of really smart folk here.

Long posts are good.

[alliegator]

If you see above they are going to introduce something similar to a "like" button. I do think it's cool because we can send a compliment just by clicking it.
Another option would just be to have a WFD meetup so we can blab until we're blue in the face, and then return to out respective computers :p

[mariacarmen]

please don't. i hate that people will self-censor.

[LMAshton]

That's how I feel, too.

[steve h.]

I enjoy your posts. New voices are key to the attraction of this forum.

[weezieduzzit]

I really hope they don't try to replace real conversation with some silly "like" button. Some of us don't FB or Twitter or Pinterest or have any desire to replace real interaction with "like" buttons.

Having people click buttons instead of saying what they really mean would be really sad.

[fldhkybnva]

I think it would be useful in some circumstances but definitely should not replace the real conversation but could be used an efficient add-on if you don't have much to say other than "me too!"

[juliejulez]

^^^ This. A lot of times I just want to say "That sounds yummy!" or something like that.... so a "like" button or something similar is all that's really needed. Of course if I had more to say then I'd say it.

[mariacarmen]

exactly.

[suzigirl]

I posted on roxlet's thread just minutes ago(the plea for a like button) that is how I feel. I like the way it is here. It took getting used to because it does go fast. But a like button would only be good part of the time. I would still adapt and would love to stay. I love to hear about what is going on in my new community's lives.

[PHREDDY]

1+...I wish I could say icould say it different...but concurr

[gingershelley]

We are having a couple of rainy, chilly days again after a glorious sunny Sunday and Monday here - but they say we are past nearly any threat of snow, and mostly past threat of frost - so this will go down as the mildest winter in years here in SEA. Fine by me!

Dinner last night was a small sirloin tip roast (on sale) which I did the sear, then low & slow method, cooked to just past very rare, with lot's of garlic inserted into little slits. Could have used a couple more minutes, as it is rare enough to be hard to slice for the French Dips I was hankering for later in the week.
Last night was with some roasted asparagus on the side, and a little horsey crema on the side. No starch desired.

I also made a lovely batch of thick vanilla custard as I had an old tired bean that came out of some vanilla sugar I used up on grapefruits lately. The custard, when cooled was very nicely perfumed with the vanilla, and I had a little puddle of it with some frozen tiny wild blueberries. YUM!

[iowagirl]

That dinner sounds so so good to me, but the dessert really put me over the edge. Vanilla custard and blueberries - mmmmmmm!!

[juliejulez]

Tonight is Molasses Pork Chop, Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potato, and Sauteed Green beans, Part Deux. Even though it's the same as last night, I'm thinking it won't feel like eating leftovers since I'll be cooking still. I think this sort of thing will work out well for me in the future.

[Musie]

Ooo, molasses pork chops..... Do you have a recipe?

[juliejulez]

Here you go, it's a Bobby Flay recipe but I got it off of this blog: http://traceysculinaryadventures.blog...

It's written for pork tenderloin medallions but works just fine for thinner boneless pork chops. I didn't grill either, I seared on the stove, then added the glaze, and finished in the oven. It's super easy and grilling would make it even easier. It would be good on chicken too.

[ChristinaMason]

Budget dining continues. I went through my cupboards, fridge, and freezer to see what disparate ingredients we can pull together into meals. I have ground beef, red and spring onions, red curry paste, natural peanut butter, and assorted chili sauces. So I think WFD will be broiled red-curry spiced ground beef kebabs w/ two kinds of onion in the mix and peanut dipping sauce. I'll run out for some cilantro, limes, and Jasmine rice later today, and perhaps a little cabbage for slaw. I wish my store carried a decent fish sauce.

[mariacarmen]

that sounds great - do you have the flat skewers to make the kebabs?

[ChristinaMason]

I think there are some in our grill implement/utensil kit. Whether they'll fit under our broiler is the question---they're quite long. Fingers crossed. Otherwise, we'll have Thai-spiced patties. I'm a little worried about setting the broiler drawer on fire, because this beef has a high % of fat. Luckily (or unluckily), our smoke detector was just replaced.

[ChristinaMason]

This turned out great, and I managed to avoid conflagration. I mixed the beef well with penang curry paste, grated shallot, chopped cilantro, lime zest, black pepper, fresh garlic, and (a touch too much) salt. The skewers idea was abandoned because the handles were wood, so I just formed the mix into kofte-like sausages and broiled them. Served with homemade satay sauce. On the side we had a slaw of cabbage, carrot, poblano pepper, shallot, green onion, chili-garlic sauce, and nuoc cham dressing.

[weezieduzzit]

That sounds fantastic and you've inspired me to whip up some peanut sauce for tonight. The man loves it.

[ChristinaMason]

Really a very good return for not too much effort./Pats self on back.

Maybe I have that oversalting illness others here are suffering from. Seems to be a recurring theme in my cooking lately! Blech.

[suzigirl]

Wow that sounds very good. And avoiding burning down the house, just a plus. Was the penang curry Miaseri or another? Or homemade? Curious

[ChristinaMason]

Mae ploy. I'm going to try this with green curry and ground pork or chicken soon!

[mariacarmen]

yeah, that sounds amazing. i'm going to ask the BF to whip up some peanut sauce-thingy for tomorrow night's dinner with some b/s chicken thighs i picked up tonight.

[aching]

Last night I made a quick meal of roasted cauliflower masala (the sauce was from Trader Joe's, not homemade, sadly) over brown basmati rice. It was very easy and very good! I would like to try it again with homemade masala sauce.

Tonight I think it's going to be mudjadara...

[Harters]

It's a no-cook evening for Harters and Hartess as we're off to the city for dinner. Nice looking newish brasserie type place.

The day has been quite nice - a bit of sun and temperature around 8. I've been pottering round the garden relaying a bit of paving and other "stuff". A good array of spring flowers - snowdrops still flowering and crocus and daffodils in full swing.

[gingershelley]

Enjoy your dinner out tonight, Harters..... your post of garden puttering has me hopeful - only a week I think until the daffodils and crocus start to pop - and I see signs of life in my chive hillock, my oregano is stirring, and I hope the dandelions and nettles are not far off either!

[Harters]

Yep, there's chive stirrings here also. Although no sign of the garlic chives yet. The bay has survived our relatively mild winter pretty much unscathed.

[gini]

I am psyched for more snow. I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority here, but I just love the cold weather and snow specifically. Especially in March which has a tendency to be muddy and leafless where I am.

If I can manage to get myself together, I plan to make a pot of beef or lamb curry with coriander, cumin and some type of vegetable.

[ChristinaMason]

Curry's a nice meal for cold weather, even. Warms you from the inside out! Although I suppose in some climates it has the opposite effect by making you sweat and thereby cooling you off? :)

[LMAshton]

I miss the cold and snow. It's probably from living in a tropical climate for the last decade and never cooling down. Make some snow angels for me?

And as far as I'm concerned, curries are always a good idea. :)

[gini]

Curry is for all weathers & moods! In the cold it warms you, in the hot it cools you, and it's always delicious in between.

Here's a terrible picture of a beef curry with turnip & kale in a cumin-coriander-coconut cream.

[Berheenia]

Love this title- it sure ain't over here! Tonight WFD will be the last of the Italian sausage with pantry and fridge ingredients for what my husband calls Prince Spaghetti night, only we use penne. Crusty french rolls and some zuke will be on the side.

[LindaWhit]

Well, it *is* Wednesday! So of course it's Prince Spaghetti Day! :-)

And that's actually sounding pretty good for myself, especially since I didn't take anything else out to make. Hmmm.....

[LindaWhit]

My hmmm....is turning into "Yup, that's for dinner!" Took out a small container of meat sauce from the freezer; it's defrosting on the stovetop now. Spaghetti will be cooked; some crusty rolls will be baked in the convection oven, and a salad will be made.

Voila. Price Spaghetti Day. Even though I'm using Barilla pasta. :-)

[juster]

Okay, is "Prince Spaghetti" a thing? Do tell.

[mariacarmen]

yeah, is that a local-to-you commercial or somthing?

[LindaWhit]

Yes, I guess it's a northeastern thing. I grew up in northern New Jersey, and the "Anthony / Prince Spaghetti Day" commercial was always on TV. I believe a national brand, Prince Spaghetti was started in Boston's North End on Prince Street. The commercial with Anthony from the North End of Boston is iconic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP0dy3qvl6g

Forty years later, Boston.com did an update the boy in the commercial, Anthony Martignetti:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/brea...

[juster]

Fun! Yeah, i'm from CA (70s to 80s) then NM since then, with some NE in between (92-96) and have never ever heard of this. So cute! I have not seen this brand in stores.

[mariacarmen]

oh, love that! never heard of the brand, but i'm a CA gal since i was 3.

[LindaWhit]

Interesting - so I guess it remains an East Coast or Northeast brand!

[Berheenia]

I forgot that Wednesday was the day- at our house it's my late day, hence Prince Spaghetti Day! The way the snow is coming down here Thursday may be a encore. I have meatballs and sauce in the freezer. It's supposed to keep coming down until tomorrow morning.

[ChrisOfStumptown]

Smitten Kitchen's braised short ribs (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/1...) and oven polenta ala Paula Wolfert.

I am pleased to report Wolfert's polenta is very good, although not quite as good as stovetop. But quite good and extremely easy.

The ribs were a disappointment though. I was skeptical of the technique from the start. What I have done in the past is braise in a modest amount of liquid - perhaps a third of the height of the ribs, with the last half being uncovered. Her recipe calls for liquid to the full height of the ribs in a sealed pan. The end product to me had a taste like most of the beef flavor had escaped, which I am sure it did. It was almost like eating meat which had been used to make stock. Thing is though, her recipe calls for a stovetop reduction of the braising liquid which seems like an extra step versus simply cooking uncovered. I guess I go back to my original method....

[ChristinaMason]

Chris,

I'm making short ribs for the first time on Saturday, and I'd love to have your old favored recipe. Could you please share? I was planning on using Tim Colicchio's recipe from F&W, but yours sounds much less fussy. http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/br...

[ChrisOfStumptown]

If I had such a thing I would definitely share. I learned from a similar recipe to the one you are using. It used less liquid and did not skim fat but quite similar. It was more akin to this, but with more browning:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-CObG00ck8

I think he makes a good general tip on celery in mirepoix: add at the end so the onion and carrot caramelize.

I would say the easiest way to simplify your recipe is to either:

cook the ribs ahead of time and chill to extract the fat rather than use a fat strainer, and/or skip the broiling step. Very few things refrigerate and reheat as well as they do.

[ChristinaMason]

Thanks, I appreciate the tips!

[ChrisOfStumptown]

You're welcome. It's stressful when you want to do well, but I wanted to mention that short ribs are pretty forgiving. And although the recipe may have a number of steps, you may find that they are simple as you go through the cooking process. I think your guests will be pleased and it won't be a lot of work either.

[ChristinaMason]

You're right, they're kind of hard to screw up, and I make braises pretty often. I just haven't used this cut before. So, for my maiden voyage I combined Colecchio's recipe and the one from Le Cordon Bleu, which basically means I seasoned and browned the ribs well on all sides, removed, made my chunky mirepoix (leaving celery until toward the end as suggested, and adding sliced garlic and shallot), added both wine and a mixture of chicken and beef stocks, and marinated the meat in that with thyme and bay leaves overnight. Tomorrow I'll braise them, making sure my pot is not more than 1/3 full of liquid and the pieces are not entirely submerged, and I'll remove the lid halfway through braising, covering again for a short while toward the end. I'll chill overnight and remove the excess fat on top. Then I'll make a reduction with the strained sauce, adjust seasoning with herbs and s&p, and mount with butter before serving on Saturday. Hope it'll be good!

By the way, at what temperature do you braise the ribs? I was thinking 300F, no higher than 325F? Approximately how long might 8 meaty English-cut short ribs take to become tender but not overcooked? Thanks again.

[gingershelley]

Chris,

Sorry about the short ribs. That is a disappointment as they are such a flavorful cut!

Just got a Food52 email today about a no-fuss polenta made in a double boiler that you don't have to stir constantly, and cook for a couple of HOURS - sounds very creamy and delish' I am trying it next time I make polenta, which will be soon as that sounds so good....

http://food52.com/blog/5987-carlo-mid...

[mariacarmen]

Alright - i'm in the camp that LOVES the Trader Joe's Tarte d'Alsace. the BF made it on our pizza stone, and it came out super crisp yet creamy, and light. i will attempt to make lingua's one of these days (and i know it's not the same animal) but i don't know if i could get a crust so ethereally thin. it's not really enough for a meal, for us anyway; more like an appetizer. I'd definitely buy it again. and the BF was right: an egg would have weighed it down too much, and it didn't need it.

On the side, he took the last of the iceberg and did iceberg wedges with homemade blue cheese, hard boiled eggs, shallots and sliced almonds. He also took the last burger from last night and made a really delicious tomato mushroom sauce with cumin and paprika for it - because the ham on the tart was never going to be enough meat for him (not pictured, it was too dark). such a mish-mash for dinner, but it was All Really. Good.

the last pic is a tortilla de papa with pancetta i made to take to the Oldster for his dinner tomorrow night.

[Berheenia]

I can't stand it! I'm picking up a Trader Joe's Tarte d'Alsace today although it may be WFL this weekend.

[suzigirl]

Lucky girl. I want.

[juster]

I'm gonna have to try that tarte d'alsace now that I've heard about it a few times. You made it sound so good. That tortilla looks nummy. How did you make it?

[mariacarmen]

super easy, juster. saute a large chopped onion until just starting to brown (add some salt, pepper), i then added pancetta - not typical - until it crisped up a bit. remove onion/pancetta mixture from oil, add a little more oil, saute diced or sliced peeled potatoes (salt), about 5 medium (i like using new potatoes) until golden brown and tender but not mushy - about 20 minutes, stirring so that all sides get browned. whisk 6 eggs, then add slightly cooled onion mixture to eggs. poor onion/egg mixture over potatoes and move around til all are covered. start lifting edges, rotating so that soupy egg goes over edges of omelet to the pan below.

now, you're supposed to, when it's almost set, put a plate over the pan, flip the pan, leaving the tortilla on the plate, and then flip it BACK into the pan to cook the other side. i've had a couple accidents that way, so now i undercook the tortilla by a couple minutes, and stick it under the broiler for maybe 5 mins, always checking to see if the top is done. then you just have to flip it once onto a plate.

the one in the pic was a smaller version (which is why it looks kind of flat) - only used a quarter of an onion, 3 potatoes and 4 eggs.

[juster]

Thanks! Maybe lunch later this week.

[mariacarmen]

it's good hot or cold, and with a little aioli? yum!

[alliegator]

Hehehe... Once you start, you'll never stop. The tortilla looks quite tasty, I'd also be interested in hearing how you made it.

[mariacarmen]

it's really wonderful!

[LindaWhit]

Told ya. :-D

[mariacarmen]

you did!

[ChristinaMason]

I'm not sure about this, but I think the rye flour in the Delicious Days recipe makes it much easier to roll out thinly (less gluten?). It's not too difficult, so don't write it off yet! :)

We also skipped the second rise (post roll), which I think made for a nice crackery, non-bready, shatteringly crisp crust. It helps to have a pizza stone and an oven that gets up to 550F, too.

[mariacarmen]

ok, good tips! i'm not writing it off, just postponing. thanks.

[juliejulez]

I'm counting down the days until they open the Trader Joe's here.... they haven't given an opening date other than "2013". I need to try that Tart.

[gingershelley]

You will be SO happy to have a TJ's - I don't think I could move to an area without one now.

[juliejulez]

I know... I've had one in my past two cities so it's been hard to not have one since I moved out here in May. My friend was in Salt Lake City and said she'd go to the one there for me to pick up non-perishables (like their tomato paste in a tube that's only $1) but then she forgot and didn't remember until she was halfway back to Colorado.

[gingershelley]

Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later in '13!

[gingershelley]

Looks good, per usual at your casa. Nice job MC and BF!

[mariacarmen]

thanks!

[iowagirl]

Ok, that's it. I'll actually be near a Trader Joe's this weekend and must grab one of these famous tarts. It does look (and sound) like something hubby would love - even with the ham!!!

[alliegator]

Grab several ;)

[LindaWhit]

Bring a cooler. A large one. :-)

[LMAshton]

I made fried spicy chicken. I know we've still not recovered since neither of us could taste the chilli powder or salt. This fried chicken is usually massively addictive, but no, to us, it's just bland bland bland.

I want my taste buds back!

[mariacarmen]

aw, sad!

[LMAshton]

Yeah. But what can we do? It could be worse - the food could be repulsive... :)

[suzigirl]

You said a mouthful. When i am down it is truly repugnant. Can't even smell it. Sorry your dish didn't taste up to snuff. Get better as soon as this illness allows.

[LMAshton]

It's been three weeks. Believe me, I'm ready. :)

[suzigirl]

I understand. I bet you are.

[MAH]

Roasted beef tenderloin with horseradish cream, creamed spinach and asparagus.

[suzigirl]

Mmm- my tummy just growled

[mariacarmen]

oh yum....

[hannaone]

Lot's of good meals tonight.

It's spitting snow and ice right now so this beef & radish soup was perfect for us tonight.

[steve h.]

That's a fine looking dish.

[Frizzle]

That looks wonderful.

[LindaWhit]

That looks great! ::::Wondering if the radishes in my veggie drawer are still good!::::

[gingershelley]

That is an interesting idea - radishes in soup. The bite would be lovely. Can you share a recipe or paraphrase of the dish?

[hannaone]

Amounts are approximate as we didn't follow a written recipe

For 4 servings:
1 small Korean or Daikon radish (about 1/2 lb)
8 ounces Beef (we trimmed the meat off some really meaty soup bones)
4 to 6 Soup bones (about 1 1/2 lbs)
3 oz soy or mung bean sprouts
1 medium or large green onion
1 dried red chile pepper, rough chopped

Cut the radish into bite sized pieces.
Cut the green onion into 1/2 inch pieces.
Cut the beef into small strips or chunks.
Boil the soup bones in about 1 to 1 1/2 quarts water over medium heat for one hour.
Add the meat and cook about 15 minutes.
Add radish and cook until tender (if you like firmer radish, cook the meat a bit longer then add the radish).
Add the bean sprouts and cook for a couple minutes.
Add chopped pepper and green onion, and cook for another few minutes.
Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Some other things that can be added are shredded carrot, coarse ground chile (chile flakes), enoki mushrooms

Note that the timing for adding radish is flexible depending on whether you want soft or firm. The radish does cook fairly quickly so don't put it in too early.

[iowagirl]

That looks so comforting - warm and brothy and full of good stuff.

[foodieX2]

Yup cold and damp here is Mass.

Dinner was simple burgers and salad with friend tonight. Planning our big Disney excursion and deciding where/when we are going to eat out and when we will cook at the rental. Woot! Now if only Florida would warm up….

[suzigirl]

The cold is not our fault. Someone from up north left the door open. Can you close it when you come down, please?

[LindaWhit]

Hey - it's air conditioning for the country, suzigirl!

[suzigirl]

Free air conditioning. I like it. Now I feel better. ;-D

[Njchicaa]

Made Ina Garten's Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup tonight along with a big pot of chicken stock.

Dinner tomorrow is some kind of mahi mahi. I'm thinking fish tacos.

[fldhkybnva]

Sounds great, I love mushrooms!

[Frizzle]

Tonight it's going to be the mother in-law's ratatouille recipe. Her version omits zucchini as she finds it makes the dish watery. She uses a layered approach on the stove top. It's simple to whip up and tasty as long as your tomatoes are flavourful. There seem to be many of different ways of making ratatouille, I wonder if it would make for an interesting DOTM at some future point.

I'm still on a bruschetta buzz so we'll start the evening with one topped with goats' cheese and radish.

[Frizzle]

The photos. We ended up overcooking the ratatouille a bit. The mother in-law would not have been happy.

[roxlet]

I like to bake my ratatouille. I find that it comes out a lot less soupy that way. I also like to put in a serrano or other hot chile pepper, so I guess I'm pretty untraditional anyway!

[LMAshton]

I prefer roasted ratatouille as well. I also tend to add chicken.

[Frizzle]

This is why I think it would make a great DOTM. We could pool recipes and between us come up with a handful of outstanding versions. I like the MIL's as I can do it on a week night but it would also be good to have a richer, special occasion recipe under my belt.

Once late summer hits the US I'll be nominating it.

[mariacarmen]

you should suggest that on that next DOTM thread!

[LindaWhit]

I now need to watch the movie "Ratatouille" again. ;-)

[roxlet]

I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing!

[mariacarmen]

the bruschetta sounds wonderful. did you mince up the radish into the goat cheese?

[Frizzle]

Thanks MC. I cut it into small chunks rather than mince as I like the texture of the radish. That gets mixed through with soft goats' cheese (I let it sit on the counter and warm up a bit). Then in goes some lime zest, juice and some olive oil.

[mariacarmen]

mmmmm... thanks for the particulars.

[gingershelley]

Frizzle,

Ratatouille was suggested last summer as a DOTM, and a lively discussion ensued as to whether it was proper to cook the veg together, or each separately, then combine them for serving... I am in the separate veg camp, having been taught that by my past BF ' the Frenchman" 's aunt (a proper country french woman who is a GREAT cook) to do each alone then combine, as they have different cooking times.

One of my favorite dishes in the summertime!

[Harters]

Much as I am in awe of the cooking skills of Mrs Harters, her younger sister makes the best ever ratatouille (although what she cooks is its Mallorcan cousin tumbet - http://spanishfood.recipeblog.co/reci...).

Definitely a separate veg woman. Means you have absolute control over the cooking of each one, as you mention.

[Frizzle]

Many thanks GS and Harters. I'm going to have to try it the other way. It's the perfect season here to experiment.

[roxlet]

Tonight was chicken gyros made from this recipe:

http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/saucy...

They tasted really good, but I don't think I made enough!

[foodieX2]

Oh- totally bookmarking that recipe! It said it served four, do you thinks more like two and you would double it?

[roxlet]

It depends on who you are serving, I think. I used 4 rather large chicken breasts cut into strips. I was serving two young athletes and my husband and me. I wound up having only 2 stips of chicken, leaving the lions share for the guys. The two young ones had 2 servings each, and my husband and I had one, but my husband had slightly more chicken. So it essentially made 6 pitas-worth, but I could have used another 3!

[juliejulez]

I think 4 is reasonable for most folks (not high school athletes :)). It calls for 24oz of chicken, which would probably cook down to around 20-21oz, so that still leaves 5oz of chicken plus all the fixings.

Thanks for posting your findings on this roxlet. Like I mentioned elsewhere, I pinned this not too long ago, I'll have to try it soon. Looks ideal for my new "cooking for one" on weekdays. I bet it would even be good cold.

[weezieduzzit]

I've been having some nasty headaches the past few days (weather change/ allergy related, no biggie, just inconvenient,) so dinners have been pretty simple. I picked up 2 rotisserie chickens last night but don't want just chicken so I think I'll pick and chop the meat and make a down and dirty doro wat type sauce/ stew to gently reheat it in. A couple hard cooked eggs to fork smash on the plate for a side. I *think* we have some green beans for a side. I know we have something green in there....

[mariacarmen]

i think tonight we are going with the TJ Alsatian Tart. i wanted to put an egg atop it, but the BF said, shouldn't we taste it as it was intended first? grumble grumble, ok, i guess he's right. not sure what he'll do to go with yet. i think i'm going to stop by the store and get some arugula, because i'm tired of using the iceberg for salad that we bought for the burgers this week. we also have some yellowing brussels sprouts i'd like to make use of....

[mariacarmen]

what is paneed veal, pray tell?

stay inside!

[steve h.]

Veal that's been pounded thin, breaded, seasoned and pan fried. It's a common New Orleans dish. We follow Paul Prudhomme's directions. The fettuccine is pure Hazan.

Good stuff.

[mariacarmen]

oh, panee - as in breaded! very good stuff.
we call that milanesa, but it's just plain old steak or chicken, not veal.

[Cherylptw]

Sesame stir fry with white meat chicken, edamame, broccoli & whole wheat vermicelli....the bf is having a MONSTER ribeye, rice pilaf and peas/carrots mix.

[fldhkybnva]

Delicious! Any particulars on your method? Also, I'll take a monster ribeye as well.

[Cherylptw]

Are you referring to the ribeye? A brush of worcestershire & a simple sprinkle of...wait for it....McCormick Griill Mates Steakhouse Onion Burger Seasoning blend and pepper on both sides and a really hot oven

[fldhkybnva]

Oh no, I was referring to the sesame stir fry.

[Cherylptw]

oh...pretty usual. Made a sauce with a little tahini sauce, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh grated ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, s & p. Quick cooked the vermicilli; set aside. Sauted chicken breast strips in oil, added the veggies and sauce for a couple of minutes then tossed in the vermicilli. Sprinkled the whole thing with toasted sesame seeds.

[fldhkybnva]

Sounds delicious. I don't think I've ever used tahini sauce so perhaps that might add a new flavor to my usual mix which is otherwise similar to yours.

[ItalianNana]

Which brings me to a question about tahini paste used for making hummus...what else is it good for? Do you use in your sauce?

[LindaWhit]

Nana, I read your post, and thought "GOOD question!" I only use it for hummus, but there's lots of other uses. Some threads:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/832531

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/280306

I like the idea of mixing it with yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt for a dip or to drizzle on fish or chicken or thinning it even more for a salad dressing.

[mariacarmen]

yes, the BF has used it for thickening up salad dressings. very good!

[gini]

Tahini is delicious in a variety of ways! I love to substitute it for peanut butter in this pasta dressing: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo....

[fldhkybnva]

I've never had tahini, it's a sesame flavor right? I love sesame oil so would probably fit right in

[gini]

Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds. If you like hummus, babaganooj, and halva, you've had tahini.

[Jay F]

Do you like *dark* sesame oil, or sesame oil of all kinds? I ask because tahini doesn't really taste much like dark sesame oil. It just adds a kind of earthy flavor, and as gini suggests, a peanut buttery texture (a little drier, really).

[Harters]

Assuming you can find it where you, mixing it with date syrup is good with bread. You'd want about equal portions

[pagesinthesun]

We've had our one long cold DAY of winter here in AZ. So, tonight is grilled salmon. On the side, I'm marinating farmer's market swiss chard in coconut milk and will grill it as well. This idea has been posted on a few home cooking threads. I'm giving it a whirl!

Cheers....and you all are more than welcome to give me a hard time when we are stuck inside because it's 110 degrees here this summer while you're on you patios enjoying cocktails! ;-)

[mariacarmen]

oh and we will!

[MidwesternerTT]

A skillet dish - quick bacon & spaghetti -- along with green beans almondine, and naan bread. Plenty of leftovers now for meals later this week.

I count tonight's dinner a success towards the goal of pantry and freezer stockpiles reduction. I used the last of the frozen bacon, last of the frozen green pepper slices, last package of spaghetti (now onward to find recipes for the 3 pounds of rotini...), and two cans of diced tomatoes. I'll replenish the green pepper and the canned tomatoes.

[suzigirl]

i already posted on the last board but i want to repost here to join this thread.
Tonight is taco night. I have three pork loin chops from last night and was debating tacos or burritos. The bf wants crunchy taco, so I am dicing the meat and making crunchy pork tacos a salad with lemon and caper dressing I nicked from lingua and Spanish style rice.

[fldhkybnva]

Taco night here as well! The pork tacos sound fabulous, I've never tried it. We are having ground turkey tacos.

[suzigirl]

This taco night was planned. The last taco night came from bad meat and a good save. I have never tried pork loin chops, but I am diving in head first. :-)

[juster]

Tacos here, too. From leftover beef pot roast (dinner yesterday). Green chile miced into half of the meat. SO has been green chile-resistant (we're in New Mexico, where you can get green chile in every McDonald's) for so long, but all of a sudden it's taken his fancy, which is AWESOME! On the side, whole black beans with extra sharp white cheddar, and sliced avocados. I had an idea for the beans and was going to take charge of those, but he WANTS to do the whole thing, and I'm lucky for this, so have at it! I think he's frying the tortillas now...yay!

[ChristinaMason]

I keep praying that my hubby will have a similar eureka! moment when it comes to salmon :)

[LMAshton]

My husband finally loved salmon when I fried it in butter until it was crispy and served it with pickled ginger. He still doesn't like the skin, but I'm okay with that - more for me. :)

[fldhkybnva]

Wow, so interesting. I never use any additional oil and if there is too much seasoning and it doesn't taste like salmon then I'm not into, love that flavor though this reminds me of my friend who claimed my asparagus didn't have enough Old Bay which is required because it tastes like nothing whereas I think asparagus on its own has plenty of flavor.

[LMAshton]

My husband is Sri Lankan, and Sri Lankan cuisine is full of big big flavours, and anything less is bland to him. It's all in what you're used to, you know?

[suzigirl]

Weee. A night off. Let him run with it. Lucky you

[mariacarmen]

mmmm i love fried tortilla tacos.

[fldhkybnva]

I am in Baltimore and have fingers crossed that the atmospheric scientists overestimated. I just find snow so inconvenient when you have little things like work and life. I am very excited to cook up a storm (no pun intended) this weekend so my only hope is that my lovely ingredients on the shopping list will be where I need them to be in the stores on Friday.

As for tonight, it will be a turkey taco salad.

[LindaWhit]

Dinner is still leftovers, but I'm working on WFL tomorrow - I'm thinking roasted chicken, bacon and tomato sandwiches. We'll see if I cook up some bacon.

[GretchenS]

OK, I am in clean-out mode, so I have a big pot of slivered lightly caramelized leeks, escarole, fresh ginger and garlic, and coconut milk almost finished, along with coconut rice and sliced leftover slightly pink grilled pork steak. Pretty much ready to go but the greens need something, some oomph, and we are not in my normal flavor zone. A squirt of fish sauce and squeeze of lime? Does it matter that said fish sauce has been open on my back shelf for maybe 10 years? Other ideas???

[LindaWhit]

Oh lord, Gretchen - I have to admit I've still *not* bought fish sauce! LOL I LOVE the idea of lime juice; I just don't know the flavor of fish sauce.

What about sriracha?

[GretchenS]

Well, that certainly is not where I meant that post to go. ;) Anyway, I did a quick internet search and the fish sauce was too old to use safely so I added some dried bonito and kelp flakes along with the squeeze of lime and it was very good, in a kind of sloppy comfort food way.

[LindaWhit]

LOL! Well, I still enjoyed responding to it. :-D Glad dinner was good.

[ludmilasdaughter]

Fish sauce, used sparingly, gives a dish a certain unami. Kind of like anchovies in many Italian dishes. You can't really taste them, but the dish seems unfinished without them.

Funny fish sauce story, I once broke an entire bottle of fish sauce all over my kitchen floor about 15 minutes before hosting a dinner party. Oh the smell was horrific, even after cleaning it up. Spent the whole party apologizing to all of my guests for the stink.

[fldhkybnva]

I bought a bottle of fish sauce just for this purpose of adding that umami je ne sais quo but never know what to do with or how to use it.

[juliejulez]

Here's a few recipes I've made using fish sauce (always in small amounts, no idea why the fish sauce bottle is so huge!)... might help you get some ideas:

http://pinchofyum.com/hoisin-pork-with-rice-noodles

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/11/sp...

[fldhkybnva]

Just out of curiosity, have you ever tried them without fish sauce?

[juliejulez]

Unfortunately no, so I don't know what the difference would be :)

[mariacarmen]

i'd have to say that the difference would be noticeable - if you did a side-by-side tasting. it adds a certain mysterious sweet/salty funky-umami-ness that really intrigues.

if you've ever had Nước chấm as a dipping sauce at a vietnamese restaurant - that's the closest i've come to having something with more than just a squirt of fish sauce. it's fish sauce, lemon juice, sugar, you can add ginger/scallions/sriracha or some other hot sauce, and it's used to dip grilled meats wrapped in lettuce, or other rolls, or poured over vermicelli with imperial rolls (probably other uses i'm not aware of.) that sauce is delightful, one of the easiest things to make that add a huge difference in flavor to a meal.

[LMAshton]

Agreed. That's the sauce I make and use as a salad dressing to go with my green mango salad. Delightful is a perfect way of putting it. :)

[LMAshton]

LOTS of Thai recipes call for fish sauce (curries as well as the salad dressing for green mango salads and such). So do Malaysian and Indonesian recipes from what I can tell, but I'm still just barely wading in there...