What's for Dinner?

[lisarea]

Can you guys tell I like food? I TOLE YOU I was jonesing for a whole food forum, didn't I?

Anyway, so, I think we need a "What's for Dinner?" thread.

Me first: Be bim bob! (Bibimbap, as it's more commonly and inferiorly styled.)

Except I'm going to do it with basmati rice, because I don't have sticky rice, and we just bought a huge bag of basmati.

This is the plan:

Marinate thinly sliced beef strips in a mix of black bean sauce, rooster chili sauce, sesame oil, and ginger.

Saute all the following:

Spinach
Onions
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
The marinated beef strips, with some of the marinate

keeping them pretty separate.

Serve over the rice, with a fried egg on top, with kimchee and more rooster sauce.

I've never made it before, but the nearest place I know that has it is way out in Denver, so I guess I may as well try it.

Pray for me.

[livius drusus]

I'm on my knees even as I type, lisa.

Meanwhile, it's whole wheat penne all'arrabiata for me. Just your basic tomatoes, paste, fresh garlic, garlic powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, s & p cooked down for a few and then blended so the heat is evenly distributed. Add some Parmeggiano Reggiano (as if there were any other kind) and you've got the perfect summer sweat dinner.

Warning: do not drink red wine with it. Your mouth will explode.

[pescifish]

I made a pork tenderloin for lunch and to bring to work for dinner. Marinated it in soy sauce, garlic, cumin and some roast rub. Baked a couple of potatoes with it, scooped out most of the insides for mashed potatoes.

Ate the skins with some pork and a salad for lunch,
brought the mashed potatoes with some pork and a ton of asparagus spears for dinner.

Dinner will be accompanied by the sweet sound of flight data, processing.

[Lauri D]

I made a pork tenderloin for lunch and to bring to work for dinner. Marinated it in soy sauce, garlic, cumin and some roast rub. Baked a couple of potatoes with it, scooped out most of the insides for mashed potatoes.

Ate the skins with some pork and a salad for lunch,
brought the mashed potatoes with some pork and a ton of asparagus spears for dinner.

Dinner will be accompanied by the sweet sound of flight data, processing. *drool*

I will have to try that marinade, pesci - I LOVE pork tenderloin, esp. on the grill in the summertime. What is roast rub though? Is it like a prepackaged thing you can get at the store? /ignorance

[viscousmemories]

Me first: Be bim bob! (Bibimbap, as it's more commonly and inferiorly styled.)
I love Be bim bob. In fact my friends Mom and I went to three different places in Ann Arbor for it on three separate Saturdays, and decided that the best of them was Bell's Diner. As it happens, on a later occasion I asked the waitress how they make it, and she wrote this for me:

Korean Bibimbap Recipe (from Bell’s Diner, Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Spinach
Bean Sprouts
Cabbage and Carrot
Cut thin then julienne

Mix 1-3 with:
Salt
Pepper
Sesame Seeds
Sesame Oil
Garlic Powder

(Keep covered and refrigerate)

Cucumber
Slice thin (around the cucumber, avoid the seeds)
Julienne
Do not marinate cucumber

Meat: Rib eye beef cut thin and marinate with:
Sugar
Honey
Soy Sauce
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper

(Keep covered and refrigerate)

Egg
Hot Sauce
Sesame Oil


This is the recipe as it was given to me. As you can see, there are no measurements or indications of how to assemble the dish. What I know about that is just from the experience of ordering it. That is, it is served in a big aluminum bowl full of rice, with the vegetables and meat in little piles around the top of the rice, and a sunny-side egg on top. The hot sauce and sesame oil are provided on the side.

Have fun experimenting, and tell me anything you learn about making it in the process and, of course, how you make it better!

[viscousmemories]

I had Korean BBQ for dinner tonight. One of those places where they cook meat on your table and give you a bunch of mysterious foods in little side dishes. :)

[RevDahlia]

Dinner tonight is leftovers.

So I guess "What WAS for dinner?" is more apropos and interesting.

Grilled pork tenderloin stuffed with chipotle chiles (my recipe for this is really good if anyone wants it,) Spanish rice, grilled marinated red peppers and homemade guacamole. It is tasty, but looking at it right now it occurs to me that the color scheme is kinda early-70s. Beige, orange and avocado green. Huh.

[viscousmemories]

(my recipe for this is really good if anyone wants it,)
Whatdya want, a written invitation?

Okay, here it is:

Dear RevDahlia,

We, the people of the Freethought Forum, kindly request your presence at the keyboard for at least the length of time necessary to type, fully and without pause, the recipe for what we are quite sure is a fine, fine meal.

Please do us the honor of responding in the affirmative.

Sincerely yours,

The People of FF

:makingpiz

[RevDahlia]

Tom, you sarcastic bastard. Here's where all the damn smilies come in handy: :tongueout:

Chipotle-stuffed pork thing

You need

Pork tenderloin, about 15 oz
1 small can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
3/4 cup plain yogurt, whole or lowfat
Juice of 1 or 2 limes, depending on how pliant your limes are
Cumin
Salt

Mix yogurt, lime juice, a couple tablespoons of the adobo sauce that came with the chilies, and as much cumin as you like until all is runny.

Mince chipotles very fine -- how many depends on how hot you like your food. Here seems like a good place to mention that chipotles vary wildly in intensity, so taste before you mince.

Lay out pork tenderloin on work surface, and with a sharp sexy fillet knife slice it thicknesswise until you can open it like a book. (This is very gratifying.) Salt the inside parts, and then spread minced chipotles over them evenly. I use 2 or 3 tbsps per tenderloin. Then close pork back up, cover it with a sheet of waxed paper, and give it a couple of good whacks with a rolling pin to seal it so it won't shrink too much.

Put pork in a dish with the yogurt marinade, turning to coat, and leave it for at least half an hour, although a couple of hours is best.

Fire up the grill and let it get quite hot. Put on the pig and cook until it won't give you trichinosis and piss Gawd off. (or until internal temperature reaches 160) Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve with the rice and the peppers you grilled alongside. And the guacamole. There.

This also works beautifully with thick-cut pork chops -- adjust chipotle quantity accordingly. You can fix it without a grill as well -- heat some vegetable oil VERY hot and sear pork on both sides, then park it in a 400 degree oven until done.

[Dingfod]

Dinner tonight? I hadn't really given it much thought. Perhaps lemon-pepper chicken breasts cooked on the George Foreman grill along with green beans and broccoli after a green salad with bleu cheese dressing. I won't really know until I get home and actually find out if I feel like fixing that. We, my daughter Roxy and I, might end up eating Tyson popcorn chicken and Cheetos, I don't know... yet.


Warren

[lisarea]

Well, the be bim bob wasn't as good as Seoul Food's (cute, huh?), but it wasn't bad, either. I need to really take the time to slice the beef thinner, and I'm going to adopt some of the stuff from your recipe, vm. Basically, bibim means stir in with or something, and bap means rice, so it's just "stuff you stir in with rice." Which is just my kind of cooking. Get a bunch of stuff that's in your refrigerator, or on sale, and mix it all up until it tastes good.

I do need to get bigger bowls. I might just go do that today, because I've been scraping by with these little babyassed bowls just forever.

On topic, tonight, I might make the ODB happy and do meatloaf. If I ever wanted to turn him back into a fat guy, that's how I'd do it.

Meatloaf recipe.
Meat
Loaf

Just kidding.

Make a sauce from:
tomato paste
worchesteresterchishire sauce
pepper
salt
celery seed
cider vinegar
molasses
garlic powder
cayenne pepper

It should be a kind of sweet, and it should make your nose hurt a little, too.

In a big mixing bowl, combine:

lean ground beef
(ground pork, optional)
bread crumbs
eggs
rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, celery seed, etc.
some of the sauce

Until it's firm but a little squishy.

Form it into loaf pans, and bake at 350 or whatever (I have the shittiest oven ever, so take any temperatures with a grain of salt), for a really, really fucking long time, until the meat thermometer says it's almost done.

Take the meatloaf out, drain any giant pools of fat from the pans, and cover it with the remaining sauce, then finish cooking it. (You need to make sure not to burn the sauce.)

Serve it with mashed potatoes with about a million pounds of butter and whole milk mashed in, then add more butter while you're eating it. You'd better eat a salad, too, so you can pretend that you're not just a big fat pig.

I guess you may as well make brownies, too, Porky.

[Dingfod]

What if I get the meatloaf and the brownies mixed up and I the sauce on the brownies and the frosting on the meatloaf? Is that OK? Would anyone even notice (much like my missing mustache)? Or would I have to start over from scratch, feeding the messed up brown food to the dogs, who would for sure eat it in large gulps?


Warren

[lisarea]

Brownies should not have frosting on them.

Problem solved.

[livius drusus]

Meat thermometer? Well la-di-da. Fucking snobs.

[lisarea]

snobs.

You missplet 'amateurs' or 'hacks' or 'n00bs' or something.

I done TOLD you my oven is a bag of ass. Plus, I'm scared of meat.

[livius drusus]

You're scared of meat? I can see I'm going to have to whip out my mom's Keftedes recipe, made from 3 different kinds of animal; 4, if you count the eggs. :muahaha:

[lisarea]

I was a vegetarian for many years, including those when I basically learned to cook, so I get kind of squoodgy and scared whenever I cook meat because I still don't really trust myself to know how.

Of course, I have no compunctions about eating raw meat from time to time, up to and including that time that I knowingly ate bad uni. So I guess I'm just stupid.

But you know, if you've got your heart set on whipping out your meat, by all means do so.

[Beth]

After breaking up numerous physical and verbal fights between my kids and taking them to see movies and visit relatives and after an evening birthday party, I will return home, put two frozen bake to rise pizzas and toss together an authentic Greek salad. I love Greek food.

[Dingfod]

Dinner tonight? I hadn't really given it much thought. Perhaps lemon-pepper chicken breasts cooked on the George Foreman grill along with green beans and broccoli after a green salad with bleu cheese dressing. I won't really know until I get home and actually find out if I feel like fixing that. We, my daughter Roxy and I, might end up eating Tyson popcorn chicken and Cheetos, I don't know... yet.We ended up with broiled chicken filet sammiches from Arby's. I'm a lazy no-good father. I'm so lazy I didn't even go get them, I sent Roxy (she is 16 and drives). I sat there with my feet on the coffee table watching television.


Warren

[viscousmemories]

We ended up with broiled chicken filet sammiches from Arby's.
Arby's has chicken now? How long has this been the case? I used to work for an Arby's-like fastfood place in Ann Arbor called Rax. At the time (mid-80's), Rax was widespread in Ohio and trying to expand into Michigan. They didn't last long in Ann Arbor. The funny thing is they tried everything. We started off with just roast beef sandwiches and a salad bar (IIRC) but I remember at various times having chicken, fish, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. Nothing worked. I also worked at an Arby's briefly and a Taco Bell for one night.

Hmm. Guess I shouldn't post so soon after I wake up. :yawn:

[Dingfod]

Arby's has the following chicken sandwiches: Roast Chicken Club, Chicken Breast Fillet, Cordon Blue, Chicken Bacon'n Swiss all on buns or sub rolls, Roast Chicken Caesar Market Fresh Sandwich (on thick soft homemade-style bread), and Chicken LowCarby's (a low carb chicken wrap). They've also got some very good salads now, as their home page shows. (http://www.arbys.com/)

I ate at a Rax roast beef place once or twice in Ogden, Utah a couple decades ago. They were no longer around by the time I moved to Utah in 1989.


Warren

[livius drusus]

I love Greek food.

Me too! My mom's dad was a Greek immigrant. He was a chef too, and although his restaurant in Connecticut was standard pot roast and chipped beef 1950s American diner, I have a slew of wonderful recipes from him. Including the Keftedes I threatened lisarea with above. :)

[Beth]

Me too! My mom's dad was a Greek immigrant. He was a chef too, and although his restaurant in Connecticut was standard pot roast and chipped beef 1950s American diner, I have a slew of wonderful recipes from him. Including the Keftedes I threatened lisarea with above. :)I've had it before I turned into a fish, chicken, dairy, and veggie only eater. It is kinda good. I love going to Tarpon Springs to the Sponge Docks and endulge in the Greek food. I am especially good at Greek pastries.

[Ensign Steve]

Personal cheese pizza, chili cheese fries, and pecan pie from the dining facility.

:doh:

[viscousmemories]

Personal cheese pizza, chili cheese fries, and pecan pie from the dining facility.
Hehe. Someone oughta tell your employer that good nutrition is essential to your physical conditioning. :P

[RevDahlia]

Spaghetti with garlic, the tail end of the now extremely leftover roasted red peppers, olives, Romano, hot pepper flakes and flatleaf parsley.

And THEY said there was nothing to eat in the house. Silly boys.

[viscousmemories]

Spaghetti with garlic, the tail end of the now extremely leftover roasted red peppers, olives, Romano, hot pepper flakes and flatleaf parsley.

And THEY said there was nothing to eat in the house. Silly boys.
Sounds delicious, and that sig line makes me smile every time, Rev. :yup:

[RevDahlia]

Sounds delicious, and that sig line makes me smile every time, Rev. :yup:
Thanks and thanks! I am considering getting "Now watch this drive" T-shirts made up, just to be funny and horrible. I believe this is called "whistling in the dark".

Here it comes again:

[pescifish]

What is roast rub though? Is it like a prepackaged thing you can get at the store? /ignorance
Yeah, it's prepackaged -- like a seasoning. I bought a spice rack a while back that had stuff in all the little bottles. Pork rub, chicken rub, etc..

They look like just some mix of spices intended to get applied generously and rubbed into the skin before cooking.

Arby's "Market Fresh" sandwiches are excellent. I also tried a Martha's Vineyard salad (it had apples in it, but not as many vegetables as I'd like) which was tasty. It was very pricey though: Salad and sandwich and drink was over $10. I suppose that's equivalent to sandwich/salad take-out from Marie Calendars or Cocos or Chilis or Applebees, so not too bad.

I'm not tellin' what dinner tonight is. :blush: Youse guys are all gore-mets and all.

[Beth]

I'm making roasted chicken breasts, marinated in lemon, lime, onions, olive oil, and vinegar. A cornbread with hot peppers, garlic, and cheddar. A Greek salad and a lemony rice dish.

[livius drusus]

Penne alla Vodka tonight. I was particularly careful to chop the tomatoes into teeny bits so it was very well emulsified. Mmm... emulsified... :homer:

It's one of the easiest super-delicious dishes you can make, although not what one might call health food. :didi: Here's my favorite version of it, should any of you care to give it a roll.

Penna Alla Vodka

2 cloves garlic - crushed and peeled
2 Tbls. butter
1 14oz can peeled tomatoes, broken up with your hands or chopped (tomato asses are the archnemeses of emulsification)
1/3 cup vodka
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan + more for sprinkling on top
1 Lb. penne

Place the red pepper flakes into the vodka and let sit for 2 hours to absorb flavor. Don't use really crappy jug vodka, but there's no need to go ultra-fancy either.

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add penne. Cook as instructed on the box but taste test 2 minutes before minimum time is up to be sure it's still very al dente. If it's in any way soft, it'll break apart when you mix it with the sauce and that sucks. A lot.

Meanwhile, in a pan large enough to accomodate the cooked pasta, saute the garlic in butter until soft but not brown. Stir in the tomatoes and vodka and simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste (I did about 3 grinds tonight and it was a little short).

Add cream and simmer 2-3 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup parmesan and stir until emulsified. Add cooked pasta with to the sauce and stir until the pasta thoroughly imbued with the sauce. Serve immediately (in warm dishes if you want to be fancy) with a grated parmesan on the table for those who feel the need.

[Goliath]

What is roast rub though? Is it like a prepackaged thing you can get at the store? /ignorance

Oh I love roast rub! It's nothing too fancy, though, you just reach back, and...ummm..err....wait a minute.

Nevermind. :D :innocent:

[Dingfod]

/me rubs non-existant window pane as though cleaning it
What's for Dinner? Quesadillas made with Tyson Popcorn Chicken, cheddar cheese, Jack Daniel's hot sauce, and low carb tortilla's toasted brown on the stovetop in a big frying pan.
That's what's for dinner. Mmm-mmm!


Grandpa

[viscousmemories]

Okay, here's another delightful recipe livius gave me followed by how I mercilessly abused it last night, just for fun.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti

2 T bread crumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 T olive oil
3/4 lb spaghetti
1/2 lb shelled, deveined med shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 pint small yellow pear or red grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced rosemary
1 tsp crushed red pepper
s&p

In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in 1 T olive oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2-3 min. Scrape the crumbs onto a plate. Boil salted water in large pot. Cook spaghetti until just barely al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper. Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and add s&p. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing the pasta and lightly crushing the tomatoes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the shrimp are cooked through (about 4 min).

Put pasta in bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.

**********

Okay, sounds easy enough. Here's what happens when you're a bachelor operating on however many brain cells remain after 20 years of alcohol abuse:

Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti

2 T bread crumbs easy enough, always have some handy 'cause chicken cutlets are the BOMB!
1/2 cup plus 1 T olive oil always on hand.
3/4 lb spaghetti Oops. Well, I've got angel hair anyway.
1/2 lb shelled, deveined med shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces Yeah I have some shrimp in the fridge. That's why we're making this. It looks funny but it doesn't smell too bad.
1/2 pint small yellow pear or red grape tomatoes I've got a can of whole tomatoes... should work.
2 garlic cloves, minced Grr. Out of garlic and my idiot housemate must've used the last of my garlic powder. It's not bad enough that you incessantly steal my food products, why not compound it with screwing me out of it.
1 tsp minced rosemary Hmm... I guess that means mashed in the pestle? Or is it in the mortar? Which is which? Oh well, mashed it is.
1 tsp crushed red pepper Got it.
s&p Hehe. Didn't see this until just now. No wonder it needed salt.

In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in 1 T olive oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2-3 min. Scrape the crumbs onto a plate. Easy enough Boil salted water in large pot. Ok Cook spaghetti until just barely al dente. Angel hair Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. I never do that 'cause I don't know why. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper. I'll combine what I have. But 1/4 c of oil? The ingredients list says 1/2 c. Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and add s&p. Angel hair, no water, missed the s&p. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing the pasta and lightly crushing the tomatoes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the shrimp are cooked through (about 4 min). No, not really. Actually I cooked the shrimp in the oil, diced up whole canned tomatoes and limited spices (raw shrimp scares me), then dumped in the angel hair and mixed well.

Put pasta in bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve. Hmm. Well I'm just serving myself. What do I do with the extra crumbs, toss 'em? Throw out perfectly good food? Nah, I'll just dump 'em all on top of my plate.

Okay now, my way wasn't nauseating, but I wouldn't call it magical either. It would've been better if I hadn't dumped all the breadcrumbs on top. Save them in a baggie for leftovers. Oh and always have fresh garlic on hand and I suspect fresh tomatoes would've been better. And spaghetti! Definitely use spaghetti. I'm not sure if fettucinni, fusilli or soba would've been better, but those were my only other alternatives. :)

[Ensign Steve]

One pint of Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk.

Really, I usually eat a lot better than this.

[RevDahlia]

VM, that was hilarious.

What's for dinner? We be grillin'. Lemon-garlic shrimp on skewers and grilled eggplant in whole-wheat pita with tzatziki and tabbouleh. Also a veritable ocean of Chardonnay. (I am irritated with my husband, and am getting back at him by producing a fabulous dinner. Twisted, I know.)

[viscousmemories]

VM, that was hilarious.
Thanks. :)

What's for dinner? We be grillin'. Lemon-garlic shrimp on skewers and grilled eggplant in whole-wheat pita with tzatziki and tabbouleh. Also a veritable ocean of Chardonnay. (I am irritated with my husband, and am getting back at him by producing a fabulous dinner. Twisted, I know.)
So? How was it? Still tappin' that Chardonnay?

[RevDahlia]

So? How was it? Still tappin' that Chardonnay?
Chardonnay gone. About to move on to gin. Am no longer irritated with husband; he bought me off with a couple of Swedish salted licorice candies shaped like fish. (There is not much I won't do for salted licorice.)

Dinner was fine. The shrimp were ambrosial. The tabbouleh was good, although I now have a blister on my right index finger from chopping all that damn parsley. The eggplant was a little too enthusiastic about slurping up olive oil, and as a result was kinda cloying. (I'm pressing the leftovers between many thicknesses of paper towels, under the compact edition of the OED, to mitigate this.) And tzatziki -- plain yogurt, grated cucumber, and chopped mint -- is just about the best thing ever. (I'm half Armenian; it is to this that I attribute my excessive fondness for the stuff. But it is very good regardless of one's genetic makeup.) Try it with barbecued lamb or chicken or lentils, the spicier the better -- mm yummy.

[Goliath]

Still tappin' that Chardonnay?

Is it just me, or does that sound like a eupemism for something else? :D

[viscousmemories]

Chardonnay gone. About to move on to gin. Am no longer irritated with husband; he bought me off with a couple of Swedish salted licorice candies shaped like fish. (There is not much I won't do for salted licorice.)
/me makes a note on the shopping list.

Dinner was fine. The shrimp were ambrosial. The tabbouleh was good, although I now have a blister on my right index finger from chopping all that damn parsley. The eggplant was a little too enthusiastic about slurping up olive oil, and as a result was kinda cloying. (I'm pressing the leftovers between many thicknesses of paper towels, under the compact edition of the OED, to mitigate this.)
I've never made tabbouleh at home. I used to work at a deli, though, and made it plenty of times there. It's been years, though.

And tzatziki -- plain yogurt, grated cucumber, and chopped mint -- is just about the best thing ever. (I'm half Armenian; it is to this that I attribute my excessive fondness for the stuff. But it is very good regardless of one's genetic makeup.) Try it with barbecued lamb or chicken or lentils, the spicier the better -- mm yummy.
I love tzatziki but I've never made that at home either. That's all it is, then? Yogurt, cuke and mint? I don't think I've ever had BBQ lamb either but the sound of it makes my mouth water...

Is it just me, or does that sound like a eupemism for something else?
:D

[RevDahlia]

* viscousmemories makes a note on the shopping list.
Awwww.
I've never made tabbouleh at home. I used to work at a deli, though, and made it plenty of times there. It's been years, though.
It is a great sorrow to my Middle Eastern half that the Cuisinart won't make tabbouleh adequately. For some reason it always reduces the parsley to a sad, harsh green paste. (If anybody out there knows how to avoid this, please do tell.)
I love tzatziki but I've never made that at home either. That's all it is, then? Yogurt, cuke and mint?
Yup. Often some lemon juice too, but I figured that'd be redundant with all the lemon in the tabbouleh. (Gringo tabbouleh is usually pretty dry and mostly bulgur. I like mine very wet, green and sharp.) You can add garlic with no ill effects.

I don't think I've ever had BBQ lamb either but the sound of it makes my mouth water...
Oh, it is so, so good. I hate lamb unless it has got nice and charred and sticky over a real fire. Try leg of lamb cut into cubes, marinate it in lime or lemon juice and lots of garlic and olive oil and pepper flakes and maybe some cumin, and skewer it over a fierce fire until it is done but still pink in the middle... heaven.

[Edit, for nitpicky purposes: I know that tzatziki is technically Greek, but variations on the theme abound all over the eastern Mediterranean... and my demi-countymen are all about dumping yogurt on everything. I forget what the Armenian and Lebanese variants are called, so I call it tzatziki and the hell with it otherwise.]

[viscousmemories]

Yup. Often some lemon juice too, but I figured that'd be redundant with all the lemon in the tabbouleh. (Gringo tabbouleh is usually pretty dry and mostly bulgur. I like mine very wet, green and sharp.) You can add garlic with no ill effects.
I always chopped the parsley by hand. But if it's automation you're after, have you tried a Zyliss chopper? I suspect that might do much better than the cuisinart.

Oh, it is so, so good. I hate lamb unless it has got nice and charred and sticky over a real fire. Try leg of lamb cut into cubes, marinate it in lime or lemon juice and lots of garlic and olive oil and pepper flakes and maybe some cumin, and skewer it over a fierce fire until it is done but still pink in the middle... heaven.
That sounds so much better than the chicken breast I forgot in the GF until it was so dry I had to soak it with ketchup to make it tolerable, which was my dinner tonight. :P

[Edit, for nitpicky purposes: I know that tzatziki is technically Greek, but variations on the theme abound all over the eastern Mediterranean... and my demi-countymen are all about dumping yogurt on everything. I forget what the Armenian and Lebanese variants are called, so I call it tzatziki and the hell with it otherwise.]
That's funny, 'cause I thought it was Greek, but hell I'm not Greek or Armenian so I decided to take your word for it. :)

[BigBlue2]

I live alone and I'm lazy, so I usually keep it as simple as possible.

Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth)
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tart apples, sliced softened
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
Dash of ground nutmeg

Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling. Add potatoes, apples and sugar. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes; drain.

Fry bacon until crisp; drain. Cook and stir onion in bacon fat until tender. Place potatoes and apples in serving bowl. Dot with butter; sprinkle with nutmeg. Top with onion and bacon.

I'm pleasantly stuffed.

Cheers,
BB2

[Goliath]

Okay, my dinner was fairly simple tonight, although it was the first home-cooked dinner that I've had since I moved to Vermillion: steamed broccoli, a really small bacon wrapped steak, and a bottle of kick-ass orange-push-up flavored soda.

The cooking of the steak wasn't as smooth as I had hoped for. The fact that the fan above my stove wasn't working well so that my smoke alarm went off several times didn't help, either. :glare:

Anyways, the steaks are bacon wrapped, maybe about 3-3.5" diameter, but really thick (over 1" thick uncooked). I stuck it on the GF grill, until the top and bottom looked done. I cut into the side (through the bacon) and it looked a bit pinkish, but okay (I like my steak medium rare). So, I put it on the plate along with the broccoli and sat down..

Well, the center of the damn steak was red and still luke warm... :( Soooo...back on the GF grill it went. Of course, it was fairly mangled by this point, but it didn't take long to get fully cooked.

I can't even cook meat right on my first try. How fucking pathetic is that? Even though the steak was still kinda pink, I think I'll live through the experience.

Well,

[viscousmemories]

Not pathetic at all! You have to get used to using the GF. You wanna hear pathetic? Yesterday I checked to see if my chicken breast was done by cutting it lengthwise. It wasn't, so i flopped the two uncooked sides back down on the GF, closed it and promptly forgot about it. Five minutes later, I had chicken jerky. :didi:

[Goliath]

LOL! Well, at least I know that I can use the GF grill to make jerky if I need to.

[Goliath]

Oh, I should add that each of these steaks has a small piece of wire stuck in them. What the fuck?! Is the Department of Homeland Security tapping my beef now?

Wow..."tapping the beef" sounds waaaaaay too much like a euphemism for anal sex.

Yes, I'm feeling loopy. Shut up. :P

[viscousmemories]

:biglaugh: Okay you win the "You might be a homosexual if..." award of the day, 'cause while I definitely thought "euphemism for sex", that isn't exactly the sex that first popped in to my mind. :D

[pescifish]

...
(I like my steak medium rare).
...
Well, the center of the damn steak was red and still luke warm... :( Soooo...back on the GF grill it went.
...

I can't even cook meat right on my first try.
Hold on...
It sounds to me like you cooked it perfectly the first try! I always thought the definition of "medium rare" is warm red center?

Now you've got me wondering if I'm all washed up... what is medium rare and/or how do you like your steaks?

Oh and to get back on topic:
Dinner tonight was some chicken noodle soup I made this morning 'cuz my stomach has been acting up lately and had some rave or other wild party all night for no apparent reason.

chicken noodle soup ad hoc style:
pot of boiling water
some chicken buillion
1 onion cut in quarters
frozen corn
frozen peas
egg noodles

boil some more

add cooked chicken pieces (packaged from Trader Joe's)
can of unsalted tomato chunks
chinese snow peas

(yes, I would have had wildly different ingredients had I had anything else chicken soup appropriate in the house -- like carrots, there should be carrots!)

It tasted pretty good. :)

[Goliath]

Hold on...
It sounds to me like you cooked it perfectly the first try! I have always thought the definition of "medium rare" is warm red center?

Actually, I thought it was warm pink center...? Anyways, the middle was too cool and too red for my tastes.

[Goliath]

:biglaugh: Okay you win the "You might be a homosexual if..." award of the day,


LOL... :blush:


'cause while I definitely thought "euphemism for sex", that isn't exactly the sex that first popped in to my mind. :D

I dunno why anal popped into my mind with that phrase...maybe because I made the association of "ass" to "rump" and "rump" to "roast" and "roast" to "beef".

Whew...that was a close save.

:D

[viscousmemories]

Actually, I thought it was warm pink center...? Anyways, the middle was too cool and too red for my tastes.
My understanding is that medium is warm pink center, while medium rare is warm red center. Cold is what I've always called raw.

[Goliath]

Well, regardless, it didn't seem done, and I didn't wanna kill myself...

[seebs]

Let's see.

Favorite food, which I make lots: Garlic pasta.

Serves one very hungry and slightly overweight person three times.

Recipe (approximate):
1. In small frying pan, mix about 6oz olive oil, 6oz minced garlic, 1tsp black pepper, 2tsp cayenne pepper, 2tsp salt.
2. Make pasta; use about one pound of spaghetti.
3. While pasta is cooking, simmer the oil-and-garlic over low heat.
4. Divide into roughly equal parts, put two of them in tupperware things.
5. Add cheese to taste. I use about 4oz of grated parmesan.

Net result: Girls who are not used to garlic will not kiss you for the rest of the day. Mosquitoes will avoid you, too. Cures the common cold, and just about everything else. MMMMMM.

And no, I'm not kidding about the cayenne pepper. But it might be a whole tbsp.

[viscousmemories]

Well, regardless, it didn't seem done, and I didn't wanna kill myself...
I don't think that's a concern with beef. As far as I know you can eat it raw out of the fridge without great concern. Chicken, on the other hand... :hide:

I wash my hands after I think about chicken. Pork is scary too.

I had some business in Hamburg back in '97, and I learned about the dangers of mishandling poultry the hard way. It's called Campylobacter Jejuni (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap4.html).

[viscousmemories]

Favorite food, which I make lots: Garlic pasta.
Mmmm. That sounds really good. I'm now wishing I'd eaten dinner. :doh:

[seebs]

Mmmm. That sounds really good. I'm now wishing I'd eaten dinner. :doh:

It's pretty much my staple food. My wife has grown tolerant of it, but still demands that I brush my teeth before getting seriously kissy if I've eaten it, say, within the last day.

Our friend Rah, when visiting, was MUCH more afraid of it, and wouldn't come near me within a couple of hours of me having some tasty pasta. Coward.

[livius drusus]

That's spaghetti all'alio, olio e pepperoncino, seebs: a classic Roman dish and one of my favorite ain't got nothing in the house dinners. I use red pepper flakes rather than cayenne, but otherwise it's the same thing.

[seebs]

That's spaghetti all'alio, olio e pepperoncino, seebs: a classic Roman dish and one of my favorite ain't got nothing in the house dinners. I use red pepper flakes rather than cayenne, but otherwise it's the same thing.

You have found my secret; this was basically an attempt to recreate the wonderful "pasta al olio" (spelling fairly arbitrary) we used to get at this tiny little fast food pasta place. I loved that restaurant, but apparently my opinion was not shared widely enough.

[livius drusus]

You have found my secret; this was basically an attempt to recreate the wonderful "pasta al olio" (spelling fairly arbitrary) we used to get at this tiny little fast food pasta place. I loved that restaurant, but apparently my opinion was not shared widely enough.
It sounds to me like you've done them proud. Hmm... How about starting a thread about itty bitty eateries we've known and loved?

[RevDahlia]

Another spaghetti all'alio devotee here. IMO it's the most satisfying meal you can get for the time and financial investment. I always add parsley and pepper flakes.

My husband doesn't mind it at all, so of course I had to find a variant that does gross him out. I skip the cheese and use toasted bread crumbs instead, and melt anchovy fillets into the olive oil while I'm cooking the garlic. Then I sit back and enjoy the solitude.

(livius, do you know what the anchovy-and-bread-crumb version is called? I know it has an Eyetalian name.)

[livius drusus]

I skip the cheese and use toasted bread crumbs instead...

Toasted, seasoned bread crumbs are a great parmesan substitute: crunchy and delicious (unless you do what vm did to that poor, poor shrimp recipe I gave him).

(livius, do you know what the anchovy-and-bread-crumb version is called? I know it has an Eyetalian name.)

Just spaghetti con le acciughe, afaik.

[lisarea]

I keep forgetting to post, but I guess I'm not going to do it every night or anything. Tonight, we went to an Indian buffet. It took me a long time to convince the ODB to try Indian food, but I only bugged him about it because I knew he'd love it. I'm sort of proud of that.

Last night, I made vegetable soup with feta cheese and bread and butter.

Like this:

Saute garlic in EVOO in a big stock pot
Brown some cubed stew beef in that, plus maybe a soup bone
Dump in a couple of cans of tomato or V8 type vegetable juice
Add some water
Add a bunch of cubed potatoes
Spice: oregano, S&P, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover until the potatoes are cooked.

Add a bunch o' frozen vegetables (lima beans, corn, carrots, green beans, peas, stuff like that).

Cook a few more minutes until the frozen vegetables are done, then serve it with fresh bread and butter, and feta cheese to sprinkle on top.

Give Sluggo the soup bone, but watch him closely, and take it away when the pieces get small enough to choke on.

I think the night before, we had rice, with cubed or shredded meat (pork, chicken, or beef--doesn't matter) marinated and sauteed, black beans, shredded cheddar cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. I like it just in a bowl, but I think everyone else puts theirs in tortillas.

OK. Bye!

[huntress]

lisa,

You and I cook pretty much the same, methinks. Brown some of this in a skillet, dump in some of this or that, season it with whatever sounds good at the moment, serve with something for the guests to fall back on so they won't starve if the main dish sucks. Except your ingredients are generally more exotic than mine (read that, not something you're likely to find in Food World in Wetumpka, Alabama). My ingredients usually center around one interesting thing I couldn't resist buying at the supermarket and a bunch of stuff from the fridge that'll go bad if I don't find some use for it, and something canned to evenly distribute any botulism in the iffy fridge food. And salt and pepper and a just a pinch too much cayenne, garlic and/or red pepper.

Most of the time, the fixins they comes out edible, though. And ain't nobody dead yet. Not from my cookin, anyhow.

d

[Goliath]

Tonight I had a couple of buffalo burgers (cooked on the GF grill) and a salad with ranch dressing, baby carrots, and chunks of dried apple (which tastes better than it may sound).

[Goliath]

Well, I'm nocturnal, so I just had dinner..

Dinner consisted of a bunch of steamed broccoli (got rid of the second head that I bought) and some chicken that I grilled on the GF grill and marinated with some tandoori marinade. It was excellent, and I didn't manage to kill myself! :D

[Clutch Munny]

Artichoke heart goat cheese dip.

Heat 2-3 canned artichoke hearts (that's a normal-sized can) and 3-5 finely chopped cloves of garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil, over medium heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt once you get things heated up. Cook for around ten minutes or until softened; make sure not to fry it.

Let this cool partially, while placing 100-150 grams of soft goat cheese, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a shot of roughly ground black pepper in a food processor. Add the artichoke mix and whip 'er up.

Like any hummus-style dip, this is delicious cold. But it's truly eye-popping if eaten while still warm, with fresh warm pita too.

[livius drusus]

Well, I'm nocturnal, so I just had dinner..

Dinner consisted of a bunch of steamed broccoli (got rid of the second head that I bought) and some chicken that I grilled on the GF grill and marinated with some tandoori marinade. It was excellent, and I didn't manage to kill myself! :D

Glad to see you survived the tandoori protocol with a smile on your face. It looks like you're eating really healthy foods, too. Congratulations, Goliath! :five:

[livius drusus]

Artichoke heart goat cheese dip.

You're so good to me, Mr. Munny. The recipe looks absolutely delicious (and pretty darned easy to boot). A couple of questions: do you chop the hearts before cooking them and would you be opposed to a mere whisp or two of Parmegiano Reggiano dusted on top of the warm dip before serving?

[Clutch Munny]

You're so good to me, Mr. Munny. The recipe looks absolutely delicious (and pretty darned easy to boot).

Easy enough to be a quick, if light, dinner in itself, inside of half an hour.


A couple of questions: do you chop the hearts before cooking them and would you be opposed to a mere whisp or two of Parmegiano Reggiano dusted on top of the warm dip before serving?

I usually split the hearts with the spatula as they soften in the pan. Nothing as highfalutin as chopping them required. (I zip the garlic in the f.p., since I've got it out anyhow.)

A few transparent sheets of Parmegiano on top? Groin-grabbingly transcendent!

[viscousmemories]

You're so good to me, Mr. Munny. The recipe looks absolutely delicious (and pretty darned easy to boot). A couple of questions: do you chop the hearts before cooking them and would you be opposed to a mere whisp or two of Parmegiano Reggiano dusted on top of the warm dip before serving?
That does sound delicious. I think I'll try that when I get to Dallas. Hmm... I don't have a food processor, though. What can I do?

[Clutch Munny]

That does sound delicious. I think I'll try that when I get to Dallas. Hmm... I don't have a food processor, though. What can I do?

Buy one for eight bucks at a garage sale. I got mine for twenty (Canadian, so, like, twelve $US) at a liquidation store.

It has a scratch on it.

[livius drusus]

Easy enough to be a quick, if light, dinner in itself, inside of half an hour.

Mmm... Good thinking. Particularly with the warm pita bread. Yum.

I usually split the hearts with the spatula as they soften in the pan. Nothing as highfalutin as chopping them required. (I zip the garlic in the f.p., since I've got it out anyhow.)

I'll stick with my old fashioned mezzaluna for the garlic thank you very much, but I'm totally down with the dismemberment by spatula plan.

A few transparent sheets of Parmegiano on top? Groin-grabbingly transcendent!

My thoughts exactly. No really. It's downright eerie.

[RevDahlia]

What's for dinner? Well, I was at work today (I work in a bookstore) and spent some time in a corner slacking off and reading a cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey. A recipe for lamb korma with almonds and pecans presented itself as just the thing to spend an afternoon assembling, but my stupid boss was at the photocopier all damn morning so I couldn't sneak a Xerox subsidy. Writing the thing down longhand was out of the question owing to stupid customers pestering me. So I am doing something very stupid, which is just trying to remember as much of the recipe as I can. I'll let you know how it turns out. It will be accompanied by the ubiquitous creamed spinach with jalapeno peppers, because I don't know how to make saag paneer and one experiment per day is my rule.

(That artichoke dip sounds loverly. I would probably gild the lily and add spinach.)

[lisarea]

Can I come live with you, Rev?

Or, wait. Why don't you and liv get married and adopt me?

In the meantime, this is my experiment of the day:

Puerco Pibil (http://www.kwun.org/recipe/outim.html) This is basically the recipe I'm using, from the Once Upon a Time in Mexico DVD. Except I'm going to serve it kind of like enchiladas instead, with, like, cheese and onions and stuff. Hmm. Maybe I should make cilantro rice, too. I guess I'd better hurry up and decide.

And I went to the Asian market this morning to get the banana leaves, and they'd just gotten in fresh lychee, so I bought a bag of those, forgetting that I already had some giant melon of some sort, and a whole flat of mangoes, in addition to the usual apples and bananas.

So I am chopping up all this fruit, too, so I can make everyone eat it before it rots, and I'm probably going to make yogurt tonight so we can have mango lassis in the morning. How glamorous would mango lassis for breakfast be? Way glamorous is how.

[livius drusus]

Or, wait. Why don't you and liv get married and adopt me?

Sounds good to me. You in, Rev?

Puerco Pibil (http://www.kwun.org/recipe/outim.html) This is basically the recipe I'm using, from the Once Upon a Time in Mexico DVD. Except I'm going to serve it kind of like enchiladas instead, with, like, cheese and onions and stuff. Hmm. Maybe I should make cilantro rice, too. I guess I'd better hurry up and decide.

It sounds delish except for the cilantro part. Hate that shit. Hate it.

So I am chopping up all this fruit, too, so I can make everyone eat it before it rots, and I'm probably going to make yogurt tonight so we can have mango lassis in the morning. How glamorous would mango lassis for breakfast be? Way glamorous is how.

That's insanely glamorous. Every day at the lisarea homestead is like a Hawaiian 5 star resort.

Hey, given all the freshly goodness you've got going on, have you considered a fruit gaspacho? I've never made a tropical wonders version, but I bet it would kick massive pie wagon ass.

Fruit Gazpacho

1 cup of sliced grapes (green or red)
3/4 cup blueberries or bananas
1/2 cup of diced strawberries
1/2 cup of diced pineapples
1/2 cup raspberries or sweet apples
1/4 cup of diced peaches
1 cup apple juice
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
a stick of cinammon

Place all fruit in a large bowl. Add juices, pepper and cinammon. Stir gently. Cover bowl tightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

[lisarea]

The fruit gazpacho sounds great. I'd try it, even, if I had apple juice, but I cannot make myself go to the store even one more time. Serious. I am dying from store-going.The fruit's doing a good job of getting et up so far, so I probably won't have to try anything too fancy, but I may do a fruit salad if it comes to that (which I make basically the same way, even including the pepper, but with yogurt instead of juice, plus honey and lemon).

liv, does cilantro taste like soap to you? I've heard people say that, but I don't taste it. What about coconut? It seems like I must be missing my soap-tasting organs, because the only thing that tastes like soap to me is soap.

Or am I misremembering the objection to cilantro?

[RevDahlia]

Puerco Pibil This is basically the recipe I'm using, from the Once Upon a Time in Mexico DVD. Except I'm going to serve it kind of like enchiladas instead, with, like, cheese and onions and stuff. Hmm. Maybe I should make cilantro rice, too. I guess I'd better hurry up and decide.
That sounds awesome.. but !!two!! habaneros?! Hope you like your food incendiary, cause those things are painfully hot. Delicious, but excruciating. Hubby, who I call Asbestos Boy, can't handle more than half of a habanero in anything. I hope you plan to wear gloves while chopping them.

If it were me, I'd use cotija cheese with my puerco. It's that crumbly salty sharp feta-y thing. Nummers.
So I am chopping up all this fruit, too, so I can make everyone eat it before it rots, and I'm probably going to make yogurt tonight so we can have mango lassis in the morning. How glamorous would mango lassis for breakfast be? Way glamorous is how.
Wait a minute. I just got culinary props from a woman who not only serves mango lassis for breakfast, but makes her own yogurt AND her own cooking utensils. What kind of bizarre mirror-universe wormhole freakshow is this? (Is there any more Milky Way Swirl Elvis cake left, I wonder?)
Sounds good to me. You in, Rev?
Sure!
It sounds delish except for the cilantro part. Hate that shit. Hate it.
Never mind. It'd never work out. I fling cilantro about with wild abandon. (I'm from Southern California! I can't help it, I swear!) Ah well, we'll always have Paris.
Fruit Gazpacho
Awesome, there's someone else out there who uses black pepper in desserts! I put black pepper in pound cake and gingerbread and gingerbread cookies, pretty much anything spicy, but never in fruit. I bet it's terrific. (Once I put white pepper in shortbread, which also featured ginger and lime zest. I thought it was great, but it hurt everybody else's feelings.)

[livius drusus]

The fruit gazpacho sounds great. I'd try it, even, if I had apple juice, but I cannot make myself go to the store even one more time. Serious. I am dying from store-going.The fruit's doing a good job of getting et up so far, so I probably won't have to try anything too fancy, but I may do a fruit salad if it comes to that (which I make basically the same way, even including the pepper, but with yogurt instead of juice, plus honey and lemon).

I wouldn't hork that up into my napkin, I'll tell you that much. Slide a cinnamon stick in there for me and we'll call it a deal.

liv, does cilantro taste like soap to you? I've heard people say that, but I don't taste it. What about coconut? It seems like I must be missing my soap-tasting organs, because the only thing that tastes like soap to me is soap.

Or am I misremembering the objection to cilantro?

It tastes like lemon dishwashing detergent. Is that the soap taste? Because the lemon thing is definitely prevalent. I love coconuts, btw, but I hate coconut milk. No soap issues there, though; I just think it's gross.

[livius drusus]

Sure!

Never mind. It'd never work out. I fling cilantro about with wild abandon. (I'm from Southern California! I can't help it, I swear!) Ah well, we'll always have Paris.

The pill is a bitter one, but I'd rather swallow it than cilantro any day. If I harbour any resentment at all (and I assure you I harbour a large amount), I resent SoCal for infecting the cuisines of several continents with that vile plague.

/me faces west and shakes her fist at the whole damn state

Awesome, there's someone else out there who uses black pepper in desserts! I put black pepper in pound cake and gingerbread and gingerbread cookies, pretty much anything spicy, but never in fruit. I bet it's terrific. (Once I put white pepper in shortbread, which also featured ginger and lime zest. I thought it was great, but it hurt everybody else's feelings.)

I propably would have sighed a little at the shortbread myself, but I certainly agree that pepper is an unexpected good call in desserts. It works particularly well in fruit, imo; the counterpoint verges on the balletic.

[pescifish]

The pill is a bitter one, but I'd rather swallow it than cilantro any day. If I harbour any resentment at all (and I assure you I harbour a large amount), I resent SoCal for infecting the cuisines of several continents with that vile plague.

* livius drusus faces west and shakes her fist at the whole damn state
/me gently redirects that fist to cultures farther south than California.

[livius drusus]

* pescifish gently redirects that fist to cultures farther south than California.

Oh no. Don't even try to the whole blame the Mexicans thing. It's all California's fault: y'all bastardized, supersized and popularized what had been a blessedly rare and spare ingredient until no cuisine was safe. Cilantro is California kudzu, my friend. Oh yes. It surely is.

[pescifish]

You can't blame California for the evil doings of that nastypants Bobby Flay. He's a New Yorker, a nastypants New Yorker, giving NYC a bad bad name and taking California down with it in the process.

[RevDahlia]

California kudzu. Snerk.

Decided not to do the lamb korma. Contemplated the footlong shopping list generated when I tried to remember all the ingredients, and even considering the ones I'm probably forgetting it was intimidating. Besides, I've been in kind of a rut lately w/r/t great vats of orangish ethnic-y food. I am suffering from orange ethnic food fatigue. So this is what we had instead, adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.

Chicken Fricasee with Leeks and Mushrooms

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 of those styrofoam boxes of sliced white mushrooms
1 giant leek or two tiny ones, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly (I used one-and-a-half regular-sized ones, and felt vaguely dissatisfied; what does one do with half a leek?)
2/3c dry white wine
3/4c half and half
fresh tarragon, chopped, about a tablespoon and a half
Butter
S&P

Flour for dredging, paprika

In heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms in butter until they have thrown off most of their liquid and are getting brown. Set aside.

Dredge chicken in flour to which you have added salt and pepper and paprika for color. Heat more butter in same skillet, add chicken and leeks and, again on medium-high, brown chicken for about 8 minutes.

Add tarragon, wine, half and half, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for about four minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Uncover and continue to simmer for 15 or so minutes or until sauce has cooked down a bit. Add more S&P if needed. Done.

We had this with brown rice and the fantastic asparagus that the mediocre market around the corner has inexplicably been carrying lately.

It made my house smell very French, and it was a snap. I imagine that if you have someone to impress in a romantic sense, this would be the thing to serve them.

[lisarea]

That sounds awesome.. but !!two!! habaneros?! Hope you like your food incendiary, cause those things are painfully hot. Delicious, but excruciating. Hubby, who I call Asbestos Boy, can't handle more than half of a habanero in anything. I hope you plan to wear gloves while chopping them.

I did. I actually made the paste yesterday and marinated it overnight. And I cut out most of the veins and seeds. But thing is, I decided that next time, I'm putting in another habanero, or leaving more veins and seeds.

It turned out pretty damned fabulous, but I wanted it just a little spicier.


If it were me, I'd use cotija cheese with my puerco. It's that crumbly salty sharp feta-y thing. Nummers.

Well, I tried it on corn tortillas with some Mexican muenster (because we had some), and then over rice (with cilantro and saffron, because I remembered I had saffron). I think it worked better just plain over rice, because it's pretty fatty, really. The fat just melts into the shredded pork. I cooked it about 5 hours, all wrapped up tight in the banana leaves, in the dutch oven (of course), with foil around the lid, just in case. So all the fat was absorbed right into it, and the cheese just put it over the top for me.


Wait a minute. I just got culinary props from a woman who not only serves mango lassis for breakfast, but makes her own yogurt AND her own cooking utensils. What kind of bizarre mirror-universe wormhole freakshow is this? (Is there any more Milky Way Swirl Elvis cake left, I wonder?)

Well, let's just wait and see if I actually make the lassis. The yogurt's started, but really, it's easy to make, and I won't even know if that came out till morning. Sometimes, it doesn't. Even with the temperature-controlled yogurt machine, I can still ruin it.

Awesome, there's someone else out there who uses black pepper in desserts! I put black pepper in pound cake and gingerbread and gingerbread cookies, pretty much anything spicy, but never in fruit. I bet it's terrific. (Once I put white pepper in shortbread, which also featured ginger and lime zest. I thought it was great, but it hurt everybody else's feelings.)

The trick when using pepper in desserts is not to let anyone see you do it. I put craploads of it in my oatmeal cookies, but I always make sure nobody's looking first. Man, I hope the ODB is bored enough by this nattering that he doesn't read that, because those oatmeal cookies are a part of my secret anti-donut arsenal, and I would hate to lose a tool in my fight against donuts. He hasn't bought any in probably weeks now.

[lisarea]

You can't blame California for the evil doings of that nastypants Bobby Flay. He's a New Yorker, a nastypants New Yorker, giving NYC a bad bad name and taking California down with it in the process.

Bobby Flay is an anagram for Flabby Boy.

Which is probably not as good an argument as the fact that he's a silly, arrogant, hackneyed one-trick pony who looks like my best friend's evil ex-husband, but it's concise.

The guys pours canned fruit juice on meat. He's the Gallagher of the culinary world.

Or, well. Gallagher smashes watermelons, so I guess Gallagher is the Gallagher of the culinary world, and Bobby Flay is like a poor man's Gallagher or something. Of the culinary world. Like Carrot Top, I guess.

I'll be back when I work this out.

[huntress]

Man, I hope the ODB is bored enough by this nattering that he doesn't read that, because those oatmeal cookies are a part of my secret anti-donut arsenal, and I would hate to lose a tool in my fight against donuts. He hasn't bought any in probably weeks now.That you know of.

Chicken enchilada casserole for dins. No Las Palamas Green Chili Enchilada Sauce here in Alabama, as the recipe calls for. Haven't made it since California, where perfect chilibeans and tri tip were also available (unrelated to the recipe in question but have the distinction of being CA-only foodstuff purchases, to the best of my knowledge), so I must make do with some Pace shit and hope it works.

d

[Goliath]

For dinner tonight, I had a couple of turkey burgers (it's amazing how damn cheap those turkey patties are...12 of 'em for $7) with honey mustard, and some potatoes (fried in olive oil with a bunch of randomly chosen spices) on the side.

[WinAce]

Dinner consisted of a bunch of steamed broccoli (got rid of the second head that I bought) and some chicken that I grilled on the GF grill and marinated with some tandoori marinade. :D

For a second, I almost reeled in horror as I read "...with some tandoori magpie." Don't scare me like that! :P

[seebs]

I pester my wife until she makes a giant batch of red sauce (think three pounds of ground beef and more tomato sauce and tomato paste than you can reasonably imagine, along with a quarter-pound or so of various green spices and an onion or two), then I make spaghetti with red sauce CONSTANTLY. That, and garlic pasta. I can alternate between them for two or three days and never feel put upon.

I am trying a new policy, which is that when I get hungry after midnight, I'm going to have one or two rice cakes instead of making another meal, and go to sleep a little hungry if need be. My hope is that this will make me weigh less.

[pescifish]

What's for dinner?
I went to what's left of the officer's club on this AF base for dinner. It's the only place on base with an actual menu, waitstaff and sit down dining (err... that I know of and can go to as non-military). It's about 6 miles drive from my test facility, but I wanted to take a real dinner break tonight.

The food is cheap and decent quality. I mostly go there for the carafe of fresh brewed iced tea served in a glass and not a paper cup. The garden salad always has 2-3 fresh veggies in addition to the lettuce and there are steamed vegetables with a dinner entree. Tonight I had a steak and baked potato with the veggies and salad, but those are almost entirely intact and will be eaten for tomorrow's breakfast or lunch.

[RevDahlia]

I have done it. I have finally conquered meatloaf. I love meatloaf, and have eaten many delicious meatloaves in my day, none of them made by me. My meatloaves have always been sad and pallid and slightly junior-high-cafeteria-tasting, until tonight.

Here is my recipe for the ur-meatloaf. It is kind of fussy, but so worth it.

Wild Mushroom Meatloaf chez Rev, with Gravy

Makes two meatloaves, one to make right away and one to freeze, cook and eat later.

You need:

3 lbs 15% fat lean ground beef
1 styrofoam container white mushrooms
1 1 oz package mixed dried wild mushrooms (I use Santini Chef's Choice brand, available for a pittance at Trader Joe's )
3 tbsps butter
1 very large white onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1" thick slice artisan levain, crust removed
3/4c milk
1 large egg
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Heinz ketchup, plus more for spreading on finished loaf
S&P
1 wineglassful dry white wine
1 beef bouillion cube
2 tbsps flour

Rinse dried mushrooms well. Place them in a small bowl and cover with about 2 cups hot water. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat egg with fork until white and yolk are incorporated. Then beat in milk and add the slice of bread. Mash it with fork until it absorbs all the yolk-and-egg mixture.

In heavy skillet heat 2 tbsps butter over medium-high heat. In food processor, blitz half the onion until it is finely chopped. Set aside. Then blitz the white mushrooms until they are also finely chopped. Saute chopped mushrooms and onion in skillet until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Set aside.

Remove wild mushrooms from soaking liquid and squeeze out well. Place reserved soaking liquid in a small saucepan with bouillion cube and bring to a boil. Cook mixture until it is reduced by 2/3. Remove from heat and set aside. Blitz soaked mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place onion-mushroom-and-garlic mixture, and wild mushrooms, in a large bowl. Add bread-egg-and-milk mush, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire and ketchup. Stir well to combine. Add meat, plus salt and pepper to taste, and mix with your hands until all is incorporated. Place half of meat mixture in a baking dish and make into a loaf shape, then cover with a thin layer of ketchup. Place in oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hrs or until internal temperature of meat reaches 150. (Place other half of meat mixture into a spare baking dish. Shape into a loaf. Cover with plastic wrap, then tinfoil, and freeze for up to 2 months.)

Meanwhile, start to make gravy.

Rinse out the same skillet you used to saute the mushrooms and onions and add 2 tbsps butter. Melt over low heat. Chop remaining half onion and add to melted butter. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until onion is caramelized.

When meatloaf comes out of oven, set it aside. Spoon out drippings from around meatloaf and add them to skillet with the onions. Turn heat under skillet to medium-high and add flour. Stir and cook flour-and-drippings for 3 minutes, then add white wine and mushroom liquid, and a pinch of dried thyme. Cook until gravy is thickened. Serve with sliced meatloaf.

We ate this with steamed broccoli and my husband's righteous mashed potatoes, and it was worth the work. Also quite economical.

(You don't need to defrost the frozen meatloaf; just preheat oven to 350 and pop that sucker in there, then cook until loaf is done.)

[livius drusus]

Sweet sassy molassy, Rev, that looks crazy good. Much like you, I love meatloaf but have never made it successfully. I'm so trying yours.

I don't suppose I could persuade you to hook us up with the recipe for hubby's righteous mashed pot, now could I?

[RevDahlia]

I don't suppose I could persuade you to hook us up with the recipe for hubby's righteous mashed pot, now could I?
No recipe per se, although he does use an indecorous amount of half-and-half. It's really in the wrist. He knows exactly when to stop mashing -- after the lumps are gone and before the whole thing gets gluey from all the free starch floating around. This is a skill I have never mastered, so I make him mash.

The thing for making perfect mashed potatoes is a ricer, although I've broken three and have given up in frustration. (We now use a grid masher, not that WASPy wiggly-line kind.) If anyone knows of a good, durable make of ricer, I am at your feet.

[livius drusus]

No recipe per se, although he does use an indecorous amount of half-and-half. It's really in the wrist. He knows exactly when to stop mashing -- after the lumps are gone and before the whole thing gets gluey from all the free starch floating around. This is a skill I have never mastered, so I make him mash.

Ah yes, that skill is a precious thing indeed. My mom has it down. Needless to say, mommy's mashed potatoes are the bestest mashed potatoes in the whole wide world.

(Although my own feta/oregano ones don't exactly suck.)

The thing for making perfect mashed potatoes is a ricer, although I've broken three and have given up in frustration. (We now use a grid masher, not that WASPy wiggly-line kind.) If anyone knows of a good, durable make of ricer, I am at your feet.

Ricers make it easy for sure. I'll check out Cook's Illustrated to see if they've done any ricer assessments. I believe everything they say, and so far I've been damn right to do so.

[RevDahlia]

Dinner tonight was unremarkable. Dessert, however, was epic.

White Nectarine and Blueberry Biscuit Pie

Preheat oven to 400.

Make biscuit dough by rubbing 3/4 stick butter into 2c flour, 2 tbsps brown sugar, 2 tsps baking powder and a pinch of salt. When butter is well-distributed, add buttermilk and stir with a fork until dough comes together in a ball. Turn dough out onto ungreased cookie sheet and press it into a 9" round, thinner in the middle with a raised edge. Brush with melted butter so it doesn't get soggy.

Spread dough (excepting edges) with a thin layer of blueberry preserves.

Thinly slice nectarines, about 5 medium-sized. (You could use peaches too, but you'd have to peel them.) Place in a bowl and toss with more brown sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and a little vanilla. Arrange slices atractively on top of blueberry jam.

Sprinkle with a generous handful of toasted slivered almonds. Bake for about 25 minutes.

(I got the crazy idea to add a teeny je ne sais quoi of rosemary to the fruit next time. Will let you know if this is successful.)

[lisarea]

So, a little ways back, we were in the grocery store, and they had flats of mangos for $2.99! $2.99!!!

So we bought one, despite the fact that we had not yet finished the previous flat of mangos we paid like $9 for or something. So I made a lot of lassis (mango, yogurt, crushed ice, a teeny bit of sugar or honey, and enough milk to make it the right consistency), and a sort of mango custard thingy that wasn't really a custard, but just mangos, milk, a little sugar, and I think some lemon, with plain gelatin to thicken.

And last night, I used the last of the second flat of mangos, without wasting a ONE. Not ONE. We ate two whole flats of mangos in succession, without a single one getting rotten. We rock.

Also yesterday, I got a call from Mitchell's Garden Center, telling us that THE CHILES ARE HERE THE CHILES ARE HERE! So we went straight away, and we got the first bushel of hot Hatch chiles roasted on the roaster the guy had just finished setting up. Hell, he had to take our batch of chiles out of the truck.

So, tonight is green chile stew, which is almost the same thing as posole, except with potatoes instead of posole, plus I'm making it with chicken instead of pork. And I'm making chicken stock out of the chicken, too, because we are out of chicken stock. And that's bad.

OK. Here:

Chicken
Roasted green chiles
Potatoes
Garlic
Cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, etc.

Marginally related stock-making: Put your chicken in a big stock pot, cover with water, and add spices like rosemary, sage, garlic powder, salt, pepper, a bay leaf, etc. Boil it, then simmer for a long time until you have stock. Drain the stock and put most of it in the freezer.

Dice the remaining chicken.

Now, saute some garlic in EVOO. Peel the chiles, removing some of the veins and seeds, depending on how spicy you want it. (The more veins and seeds, the spicier it'll be.)

Add the peeled chiles, the diced chicken, and some chicken stock to the pot. Add spices as you see fit, and simmer, correcting the spices as you go along. Once the flavors marry, add some diced raw potatoes, bring back up to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are done. It'll kind of be a thin stew or thick soup consistency.

Eat with flour tortillas. Yum.

Anyway, youse guys! Youse guys in the cowboy states! The chiles are here!

Also, liv? Do you have any pasta e fagioli recipes? I made a decent one last week or something, but I put hamburger in and stuff, which is not the good Friday Catholic pasta e fagioli I remember. (Just so you know, I like to pronounce 'pasta e fagioli' as 'PASta EE FAG-ee-o-lee' to make people mad, but it never works.)

[livius drusus]

That sounds killa, lisa. I might even try it should I get my hands on some good chiles.

Meanwhile, I have two pasta fasu (as I like to pronounce it in elegant Emilia Romagna dialect) recipes: the easy one from my mom and the one it'll take me an hour to write up from Rev's favorite food snob Marcella Hazan. Until then, here's mom's.

Pasta e Fagioli
serves 4

1 lb pound canned borlotti (cranberry) beans or 1/4 lb dried
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup canned peeled tomatoes or 1 medium fresh, also peeled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 lb of pasta ditale
1 Tblsp fresh basil, chopped

If you went with the dry beans, soak them overnight and drain. Cover the beans with water, EVOO, tomato, onion, parsley, basil and cook covered until beans are tender. Depending on how thick bean soup is and how thick you want it to be, add a couple of cups more water (just enough so that pasta can cook in it) and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until done. It's such teeny pasta that it won't take long. Must guard like hawk.

Grate parmesan on top and serve to delighted manly populace.

[pescifish]

Ok, I've got something in the works that's very nearly like a recipe, so here goes. I have been thawing some flank steak and this morning I noticed it was defrosted (enough) to get it prepped for grilling later.

Usually I like my flank steak simply salt, pepper and garlic rubbed for fajitas style, but some cooking show inspired this:

prep:
nuke several rashers of bacon
chop mushrooms, onions, garlic and jalapeno
get some stinky cheese of your choice crumbly ready (I used crumbled blue cheese, but I think asiago or feta would be good, too)
get out the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, dry ground garlic

assembly:
rub all sides of the flank steak with salt, pepper, ground garlic and a dash or two of Worcestershire
lay out the flank steak so that it is flat
distribute the rest of the stuff all over on top
roll up the flank steak and tie it up about 1.5 inches apart

I probably won't grill those until tomorrow lunchtime, so all the goodies will be mushing up their juices. I'll cut up the roll to fat 'steaks' about 1.5 inches tall before grilling. These would work in the George Foreman Grill, but I'll probably do them on the regular propane one with some anaheim, jalapeno peppers, zucchini and pineapple slices.

I'll let you know if it turns out to be hideous, but I think it will probably work out pretty well.

[livius drusus]

So how did it turn out, pesci? The plan looked delicious. Was the execution as yummy as the blueprint?

[pescifish]

OH yeah, they were quite good. Personally, I'd probably leave out the bacon next time since it was more hassle than it was worth, taste-wise. I grilled two of the steaks, had one for lunch, took one to work for dinner. There are two more in the freezer.

One of the things I liked about rolling the flank steak like that was that I managed to cook it to medium rare on my outdoor propane grill. That's been hard for me to manage grilling the flat version -- flank steak is generally thin enough that, if I blink, it's overdone.

I made hash browns in my GF grill to go with. If you haven't tried this yet, I heartily recommend it.

Hash Browns ala George Foreman Grill:
I get the frozen shredded potatoes (just potatoes, no added fat or anything), chip off enough to put on the grill. I put 2 small pats of butter on the bottom grill, add the potatoes, stacking them up, then 2 small pats on top. The grill kinda looks like it has walrus whiskers, but it ends up working out, I promise! I end up using much less butter than I would in a pan and they come out crispy brown Diner-perfect without mess.

For dinner, I brought fresh spinach to work and nuked it in a ziploc bag for 1 minute. Like my beef, I like my cooked spinach still mooing.

[viscousmemories]

OHI made hash browns in my GF grill to go with. If you haven't tried this yet, I heartily recommend it.
Great idea! I'll definitely be trying that out soon. :)

[livius drusus]

One of the things I liked about rolling the flank steak like that was that I managed to cook it to medium rare on my outdoor propane grill. That's been hard for me to manage grilling the flat version -- flank steak is generally thin enough that, if I blink, it's overdone.

That's a really good idea. I've rolled flanksteak before to make a faux greek dish, but I baked the rolls instead of grilling them.

I made hash browns in my GF grill to go with. If you haven't tried this yet, I heartily recommend it.

Another great idea that never occurred to me. Hell yes I'll be trying it too.

[Goliath]

I made hash browns in my GF grill to go with. If you haven't tried this yet, I heartily recommend it.


Interesting. I plan on going grocery shopping tonight. I'll be sure to get some frozen shredded potatoes (or, as my mom used to pronounce them, budaidoes).

[livius drusus]

I highly recommend Cascadian Farms (http://www.cfarm.com/cfarm/products/product_detail.asp?category=13) frozen hash browns. Well, for pretty much any frozen veggie, really, but the hash browns rock.

[lisarea]

I need to really post here when we have gross stuff for dinner, but that's usually boring, unless it's gummy worms or something. (I made chicken breasts with BBQ sauce the other night, which was pretty bad for some reason, and then I didn't have cheese, so we made Kraft dinner, and just plain torn up Romaine. How's that? Or another other night, I made the ODB get me a chili dog from Sonic, and I think those guys had cheeseburgers or whatever, because I was tired plus all wanting a chili dog.)

Anyhows, last night was kind of dumb. Roast beef with nothing rubbed on it but salt & pepper, plus what was supposed to be liv's pasta e fagioli*, except made out of stuff we had in the cupboard, plus no onions because I'm not allowed to use onions because the Little Muffin is a big stupid baby. Then, I was going to make cookies or brownies or something, but we had almost nothing to make them with, so: shortbread.

We just got back from the farmers' market in Boulder, so tonight, I'm thinking:

Curried squash soup with these South American summer squashes. I'll get more specific once I open them up and see what they taste like. But you cube the squash and cook it in some kind of stock or else water + spices, then you blend it in the blender, with some or all of the stock, depending, adding garlic, curry, and, depending on how it smells and tastes, varying amounts of some combination of cinnamon, honey, white pepper, and maybe cumin and stuff, until it's just kind of the right spicy/sweet combination. You can eat it with sour cream on top. I've mostly only done this with pumpkin and zucchini, I think, but I reckon it'll work, probably.

Salad, with a mix that I don't know what's in it, plus another thing that I don't know what it is, except the guy said it's like spinach but it tastes 'wilder.' And fresh beets, which I'm cooking right now. And little two-legged half man half carrots, and gigantic cucumbers. Plus leeetle teeny weeny grape tomatoes. I think that's all. Serious, I'm just throwing everything in there. I might either make a vinaigrette type dressing, or else put out the plastic Wishbone bottles. Probably the Wishbone because I will probably get tired soon.

And I'm probably making a batch o' pesto out of the big-assed bunch of basil I just done got. Which should last me until the basil PLANTS I just bought start producing for me. Har har! (I already have a rosemary and a thyme, and I'm trying to start some sage from seed and see if it'll be happy in a container, but I'm not counting any of those chickens or anything like that.)

Plus I have peaches--fresh, farm grown Coloraddy peaches--and every time we get peaches, I GET TO HAVE THEM ALL. Yeah!

I heart the farmers' market. Heart it, you hear me!

* Edited to add: I almost forgot to say "Yay." The pasta e fagioli was actually danged good, even though I didn't make it right. I'll bet the right version is even better. I knew I could count on liv to come through.

[RevDahlia]

(I already have a rosemary and a thyme, and I'm trying to start some sage from seed and see if it'll be happy in a container, but I'm not counting any of those chickens or anything like that.)
If my experience is any indication, you can go right on ahead and count the rosemary chicken. Once that stuff takes hold, it will take over the world and you can't kill it with a blowtorch.

Anyway, we just got back from Burning Man. We were in the desert for ten days, and something about altitude, scorching heat, and building shit in the merciless sun just kills one's appetite. I realized four days in that I hadn't eaten anything for 48 hours, and I lost about eight pounds without even thinking about it. Unfortunately, on the way out we stayed at the Atlantis hotel and casino in Reno, NV (if you must visit the armpit that is Reno for any reason, the Atlantis is the place to stay) and absolutely disgraced ourselves at the buffet. I ate three plates of prime rib, four baked potatoes with the works and a pile of shrimp cocktail the size of my head among other things, and for breakfast yesterday had eggs Benedict AND biscuits and gravy. Also bacon. Here come those eight pounds again.

I was prevailed upon to produce a low-cal dinner tonight, to kick off the death-camp diet that hubby and I are about to start. We're having grilled eggplant, topped with a sort of phony ratatouille-y thing consisting of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, pine nuts, Kalamata olives, black beans, a little feta, parsley and scallions, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. Brown rice on the side, maybe some plain yogurt. I think it will be good.

[livius drusus]

I think your dinner tonight beats the hell out of the Atlantis trough. In fact, I fully intend to rip that off sometime.

Meanwhile, you might want to pop in here (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412) when you have a mo.

[JoeP]

(I already have a rosemary and a thyme, and I'm trying to start some sage from seed and see if it'll be happy in a container, but I'm not counting any of those chickens or anything like that.)
If my experience is any indication, you can go right on ahead and count the rosemary chicken. Once that stuff takes hold, it will take over the world and you can't kill it with a blowtorch.
Yup. Rosemary bushes grow and grow. My parents in London have a bush beside their front door (which is north-facing) and it's a small tree. They regularly have to chop it back so they can use the door. In Johannesburg we have a bush - not quite so energetic, but with no attention it's still huge. We cut off several handfuls (of foot-long stems) when we feel like rosemary in a dish.

[Petra]

Tonight I had pizza from Hell (www.hell.co.nz), and it was good. :yup:

[lisarea]

I was prevailed upon to produce a low-cal dinner tonight, to kick off the death-camp diet that hubby and I are about to start. We're having grilled eggplant, topped with a sort of phony ratatouille-y thing consisting of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, pine nuts, Kalamata olives, black beans, a little feta, parsley and scallions, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. Brown rice on the side, maybe some plain yogurt. I think it will be good.

Ha ha! You are my inspiration!

We went to the farmer's market again today (we're going every Saturday because it rocks), and I got a bunch of little tiny eggplants, so I was going to make eggplant parmagiana, but then I realized I don't have any mozzarella, and I'm all like, "WTF? Now what do I do? I will go look in the dinner thread and see if anyone ever makes eggplant." Because I don't make eggplant much. And there we have it. Kind of make it sharper or something, with some bitey stuff to counter the round stuff? I will spice up the marinara sauce a little hotter, then saute the eggplant kind of garlicy and make some noodles, and put parmesan cheese all over the whole thing, I think. I am not as scared anymore, but someone better pray for me anyway.

Also, they have the most beauteous spring mixes, with assloads of arugula and such teeny baby greens you don't have to ever tear anything up, and I got little tiny plum tomatoes or something like that--I don't know what they are, but they're tiny and funny-shaped--and cucumbers with dirt still on them, which I should clean off first. And we have this big lurvely wooden salad bowl that makes salads crazy sexy.

We also have French melons for dessert.

Man alive, I love that farmers' market.

[RevDahlia]

Dinner tonight consisted of pork chops with peach barbecue sauce, twice-baked potatoes with goat cheese and chives, and bourbon creamed corn. I was in an overachieving mood. I lifted every single recipe from Epicurious and followed them pretty much to the letter -- unusual for me.

The peach BBQ sauce has the potential to be truly sublime, but I'll refrain from posting the recipe until I have it just right. Or maybe I'll keep my version a secret and give everyone jars of it for Christmas.

The bourbon creamed corn was spectacular on its own, and I did tinker with it quite a bit.

Bourbon Creamed Corn

You need:

2 tb butter
4 shallots, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
About 6 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped
1 small package frozen corn, or equivalent amount of fresh corn off the cob (if you want to spend 45 minutes chasing corn kernels around, that is -- frozen is fine)
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup bourbon (I used Jim Beam -- anything fancier would probably be too sweet)
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a small amount of cold water

You do:

In smallish saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for couple of minutes, then add red pepper and about 3/4 of the scallions. Cook until pepper is done. Then add corn. If frozen, cook until it is warmed up and has thrown off all its water; if fresh, saute till tender. In either case, this will take 3-5 minutes.

Add half the half-and-half (that felt weird to type) and the bourbon. Gently simmer until the booze has become less boozy, oh, about 6 minutes or so. Add the rest of the half-and-half and simmer awhile longer, probably five minutes. Add S&P to taste. (This will take quite a bit of salt.) Red pepper flakes are good, too. Then, when flavors have had a chance to blend, throw in the cornstarch-and-water and cook until everything has seized up nicely. Garnish with the rest of the scallions. Parsley would be nice in addition. There you go.

This is surprisingly good. It would be delicious with ribs or chicken as well as pork chops; it also screams "baffling-but-tasty pot-luck dish" to me. And it's easy! Score.

(You also get to work on the rest of the bourbon while you're cooking. *hic*)

[Kamen]

Great thread!

Two comments on prior posts.

Mango lovers: try them Mexican style. Cut up a very ripe mango into bite sized pieces. Add chili powder, a little salt and lemon or lime juice. The different flavors really play off each other. The chili/salt/lemon treatment also works very well on young corn.

Cilantro haters:Cilantro may or may not be kudzu, but I have a Georgian dish which is about 15% cilantro, and the aroma will knock you off your feet and walk the dog. I shall have to dig it out, it tastes of spring.

In the meanwhile, tonight I had a hankering for Macaroni and Cheese. After months of pleading, a good friend finally parted with her recipe a few weeks back. I suspect she got tired of finding me on her doorstep, guided to it by the smell on the Mac & Cheese nights. She believes she got it off an internet site, but does not recall which one, so apologies for not giving appropriate credit.

Here is her original recipe, and my notes and improve..heretical modifications.

1/2 pound small elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.


My notes.
Onion must be very finely chopped. It can also be omitted with no substantial damage to the recipe.
Pasta should be undercooked, or else it turns into mush. Leave 2-3 minutes off the cooking time
Add 1/2 tsp of cayenne for a nice kick. Can be used with paprika, or instead of it.
Add 1 1/2 tbsp of mustard instead of 1 tbsp.
Mustard must be powdered! I found that out the hard way. :blush:
Buy good cheddar. Can use more than 12 oz.
If you prefer a dense mac&cheese, use 2 1/2 cups of milk, or more pasta.
Use whole milk if possible.


She also makes this with leftovers. I haven't tried that yet because there are never any leftovers in my house. However, when she makes them, they are terrific.




Leftover baked macaroni and cheese, refrigerated for at least two nights, till firm
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 egg beaten with 2 ounces water
1 cup bread crumbs
Oil for deep frying, preheated to 375 degrees


Cut refrigerated macaroni and cheese into slices or bite size pieces.
Season the flour with salt, pepper and cayenne. Dredge each piece through the flour and gently tap off excess. Dip in the egg wash and then coat with the bread crumbs. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes so the crust can set. Very carefully drop into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove to a baking sheet fitted with a rack and rest for 2 minutes before serving.



She fries them on the skillet, not in the fryer, and it is crunchy and delicious.

[livius drusus]

Sweet Jesu, it's mac and cheese Mecca! I will definitely try this, Kamen. I may even be possessed to see if I could Italianize it a little into a quattro formaggi kinda scenario. Possibly some fontina and gorgonzola dolce will be involved.

Oh that reminds me, I should dig out my old Cooking Light not quite so artery-clogging version of m&c. It's really very delicious. Like all the best reduced everything versions of classic recipes, it ends up being a thing of its own instead of a meager something else.

Man am I glad you decided to start posting. :yes:

[Ymir's blood]

Mango lovers: try them Mexican style. Cut up a very ripe mango into bite sized pieces. Add chili powder, a little salt and lemon or lime juice. The different flavors really play off each other. The chili/salt/lemon treatment also works very well on young corn.

Is that why they call you Chef, because you like mangoes? :wink:

[pescifish]

What's for breakfast? :coffeepaper:

SPINACH! mmm mmm good.
I was gonna make up a fried egg sandwich or something, but I just went to the market last night and the green stuff was a'callin'. Bag'o'baby spinach, nuked for 1.5 minutes, parmesan cheese and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

[JoeP]

Toasted sliced almonds are excellent in spinach. Agree with the balsamic vinegar, too.

[Kamen]

What's for breakfast? :coffeepaper:

SPINACH! mmm mmm good.
I was gonna make up a fried egg sandwich or something, but I just went to the market last night and the green stuff was a'callin'. Bag'o'baby spinach, nuked for 1.5 minutes, parmesan cheese and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

I never tried nuking spinach. I tend to sauté 3-4 whole garlic cloves in oil until translucent, add spinach, and cover. It takes about 3-5 minutes for it to wilt to my liking, and then I serve it with a few good Parmesan cheese flakes.

When I get good fresh baby spinach, I just make a salad. I add anything to it- chicken, fish, fresh berries, beets, nuts, cheese, and so on. I make some very odd salads. :) I make fresh vinaigrette every time.

[pescifish]

It was breakfast -- I was going for speed and ease. Not that I don't do that every other meal, too. Almonds would have been a nice crunchy addition. I went for balsamic, though soy sauce was neck and neck in the running. I would have considered doing it with milk like some leafy cereal or something, but I was out of milk.

As for garlic, I adore garlic, but for some reason the combo of spinach and garlic doesn't work for me; I dunno why.

For lunch/dinner I brought to work a southwest salad (black beans, corn, peppers, mixed greens, feta) from Trader Joe's, organic zucchini and chicken from the whole bird I roasted in my Ron Popeil Showtime Rotisserie Grill last night.

What are you guys having? :popcorn:

[pescifish]

I make some very odd salads. :) I make fresh vinaigrette every time.You should rush now to Salads R Us (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149) thread and share some ideas!

[Kamen]

Sweet Jesu, it's mac and cheese Mecca! I will definitely try this, Kamen. I may even be possessed to see if I could Italianize it a little into a quattro formaggi kinda scenario. Possibly some fontina and gorgonzola dolce will be involved.


Please post results of your experiments. :)




Oh that reminds me, I should dig out my old Cooking Light not quite so artery-clogging version of m&c. It's really very delicious. Like all the best reduced everything versions of classic recipes, it ends up being a thing of its own instead of a meager something else.

Well, this recipe is definitely not for calorie conscious. I think I gained a few pounds merely thinking about it.

I attempted to edit my original post, but I am past the time limit. A friend who made this recipe reports that large elbow macaroni absorb sauce better than small ones indicated in the recipe.

I admit I am wary of low fat/low calorie cooking. In my experience, they are usually pale versions of the originals, so I just indulge in the real thing, even if rarely. Low fat cheese is an abomination.




Man am I glad you decided to start posting. :yes:

So am I. :cheerful:

[RevDahlia]

Kamen, you're a genius. In my experience, there are two kinds of mac-n-cheese cooks: the kind who insist that one must first make a custard, with eggs and milk but no flour, and then add the cheese and macaroni and bake until the sucker forms a solid, kind of annealed brick, and those who maintain that the bechamel-with-cheese approach is the way to go. The former is tricky -- the custard usually separates disgustingly -- and the latter is boring. You appear to have negotiated a truce between the two factions, and I am looking forward to trying your recipe.

[livius drusus]

Sweet Jesu, it's mac and cheese Mecca! I will definitely try this, Kamen. I may even be possessed to see if I could Italianize it a little into a quattro formaggi kinda scenario. Possibly some fontina and gorgonzola dolce will be involved.

Please post results of your experiments. :)

You can count on it. Any excuse to linger over samples from the Italian cheese section of the gourment deli place is a good one.


Well, this recipe is definitely not for calorie conscious. I think I gained a few pounds merely thinking about it.

It'll be even gooier when I'm through pimping it.

I attempted to edit my original post, but I am past the time limit. A friend who made this recipe reports that large elbow macaroni absorb sauce better than small ones indicated in the recipe.

Very good point. I tend to avoid all really small pasta (unless it's going in a soup) because it's just not saucetastic, you know? Besides, hillocks of little elbow macaroni just look weird and unappetizing to me.

I admit I am wary of low fat/low calorie cooking. In my experience, they are usually pale versions of the originals, so I just indulge in the real thing, even if rarely. Low fat cheese is an abomination.

I agree on the general principle, although I must admit with not inconsiderable self-loathing that if I'm going to use American mozzarella on pizza I use part-skim because all that grey, processed shit looks and tastes the same to me.

Man am I glad you decided to start posting. :yes:

So am I. :cheerful:

Outstanding. :yup:

[pescifish]

Dinner tonight:
pork chops pan fried in EVOO and finished off with peppadews (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7639&postcount=7) and the juice from the jar
asparagus

I like to use fresh or pickled jalapenos with pork loins, so I figured the sweet peppery peppadews would work well. And, yup, they definitely did. :yup: I wish I had remembered that I bought a few jars of the sauces too, or I would have used that as well.

Thanks for cluing me into those little buggers, JoeP. They are a bit pricey to get shipped here, but I'll probably try to keep a jar or two in stock nonetheless. Not as hot as I'd like, but the sweet/pepper combo is delightful!

[JoeP]

Dinner tonight:
pork chops pan fried in EVOO and finished off with peppadews (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7639&postcount=7) and the juice from the jar
asparagus

I like to use fresh or pickled jalapenos with pork loins, so I figured the sweet peppery peppadews would work well. And, yup, they definitely did. :yup: I wish I had remembered that I bought a few jars of the sauces too, or I would have used that as well.

Thanks for cluing me into those little buggers, JoeP. They are a bit pricey to get shipped here, but I'll probably try to keep a jar or two in stock nonetheless. Not as hot as I'd like, but the sweet/pepper combo is delightful!
Yay! Where did you find them? Don't tell me you had to order them from here.

No, they're not fiery. I have used them in combination with birdseyes, and even in a hot dish with lots in cumin, coriander, fenugreek, etc there's something about the sweet peppadew taste that still comes through. But I more often use them in sandwiches, salads, etc.

joe

[Ensign Steve]

I am going to have a few slices of Papa John's chicken alfredo pizza and not less than one bottle of Chardonay.

Thank fucking god its friday.

[pescifish]

Yay! Where did you find them? Don't tell me you had to order them from here. Oh, I've never heard of them except from your post and link, so, yeah, off that link's U.S.A. distributor.

I tried the sauce this morning -- it's very tasty! I hope they catch on here and they become more available (and reasonably priced.) Thanks again for the tip!

[Dingfod]

What's for supper?

Cracked wheat crackers with store brand peanut butter washed down with Diet Dr Pepper and Tennessee whiskey. Fuck the low carb diet tonight, I'm coming down with a cold and don't fucking care.

I'm PWI too.

[viscousmemories]

I hope they catch on here and they become more available (and reasonably priced.)
I went grocery shopping at Kroger today, and guess what jumped out at me from the upper left-hand corner of the jarred and canned olives section? I would've bought a jar just to try 'em out, but I wasn't prepared to pay $7.00.

[lisarea]

I went grocery shopping at Kroger today, and guess what jumped out at me from the upper left-hand corner of the jarred and canned olives section?

Was it a monkey?

[Ymir's blood]

a camel spider, perhaps?

[Gawen]

Me?

[Gawen]

Anyway, even though I just posted on the sammich thread...and I'm hungry...it'll be Golden Corral in just a few minutes time...

[Kamen]

Kamen, you're a genius. In my experience, there are two kinds of mac-n-cheese cooks: the kind who insist that one must first make a custard, with eggs and milk but no flour, and then add the cheese and macaroni and bake until the sucker forms a solid, kind of annealed brick, and those who maintain that the bechamel-with-cheese approach is the way to go. The former is tricky -- the custard usually separates disgustingly -- and the latter is boring. You appear to have negotiated a truce between the two factions, and I am looking forward to trying your recipe.


:blush: Thank you. I will make sure to pass on your praise to my friend. I am merely a recipe thief. :P

[seebs]

Let's see.

Favorite food, which I make lots: Garlic pasta.

Serves one very hungry and slightly overweight person three times.

Recipe (approximate):
1. In small frying pan, mix about 6oz olive oil, 6oz minced garlic, 1tsp black pepper, 2tsp cayenne pepper, 2tsp salt.
2. Make pasta; use about one pound of spaghetti.
3. While pasta is cooking, simmer the oil-and-garlic over low heat.
4. Divide into roughly equal parts, put two of them in tupperware things.
5. Add cheese to taste. I use about 4oz of grated parmesan.

Net result: Girls who are not used to garlic will not kiss you for the rest of the day. Mosquitoes will avoid you, too. Cures the common cold, and just about everything else. MMMMMM.

And no, I'm not kidding about the cayenne pepper. But it might be a whole tbsp.

I omitted the italian herbs; I just get generic shakers of the stuff, and use about 1-2tsp per batch.

[livius drusus]

Do you add the Italian herbs to the sautee along with the peppers and salt?

[seebs]

Do you add the Italian herbs to the sautee along with the peppers and salt?

Yup. Although I'm not entirely sure "sautee" is the right word with that much stuff; it's more like deep-frying garlic in olive oil, at that point. :)

[Dingfod]

I'm really hoping that there is one thing for dinner, only one thing--food.

[JoeP]

I'm really hoping that there is one thing for dinner, only one thing--food.
Given the title of this forum, I assume you are explicitly excluding drink. I'm glad I have never accepted an invitation to dinner at your place.