What's Cooking (Take Three!)

That chicken with black bean sauce sounds delicious.

Last night I made Sichuan dry-fried beef. The main seasoning is Pixian doubanjiang, but chile oil and roasted, ground Sichuan peppercorns are added at the end to give it that mala kick. I used the tribute pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon was enough to send the mala kick past the goalpost and into the stands behind the end zone.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, I'm once again reminded of the obvious fact that you have a higher heat tolerance than anyone I personally know. I do love hot food, as you know, but I am a piker compared to you!

[Jenise]

Yesterday I spontaneously bought a piece of Atlantic salmon on my way home from a late shopping trip. That dislodged a long ago memory of travelling to this area on business from So Cal where we lived at the time, and dining at a restaurant that offered 'poached' as one of several options for salmon preparation. I loved it, and haven't had anything like it since. Never, for no reason I can think of, made it that way myself.

Running on instinct, when I got home I filled a wide pan halfway with water, white vermouth, peppercorns, two bay leaves and chunks of vegetables. Let that simmer for half an hour while we enjoyed a salad, then gently lowered in the fileted fish pieces and left on the stove covered, flame off, for six minutes. The result was perfect, a flavor so clean and pure but enhanced by the subtle flavors in the poaching liquid. Served them with steamed brussels sprouts and sprinkled melted butter with fresh dill over all.

I feel like a fool living here for 20 years now and never having it occur to me to do this.

[Jenise]

On the stove right now, a pot of gigante beans--first time ever for cooking that variety. These are in fact the first I've ever seen in dried form.

Braised Beef Short Ribs are on the menu tonight, coated with salt, pepper, and Piment d' Espelette . Cooked with carrots, dry red wine, beef stock, tomato paste, fresh thyme and rosemary. A side dish of green beans and bell peppers cooked with dry sherry, Balsamic vinegar, pepper, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Israeli Couscous with butter, fresh lemon, garlic, and parsley are also on the menu.
Piment d' Espelette is a favorite spice of mine and it is grown right here in beautiful Northern CA
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/a ... 845800.php

On the stove right now, a pot of gigante beans--first time ever for cooking that variety. These are in fact the first I've ever seen in dried form.

What type of bean are they?

Here is another story from Boonville
https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a ... boonville/

[Jenise]

On the stove right now, a pot of gigante beans--first time ever for cooking that variety. These are in fact the first I've ever seen in dried form.

What type of bean are they?

Called 'gigante'. Not sure where they're native to, but I note that Greek food purveyor Divina sells them canned in tomato sauce. (And Trader Joe's sells a canned version.) They're huge--one bean is a bite. They have a great mouthfeel and put excellent starch into the cooking water. We loved the beans I made last week.

Tonight I'm trying (again) turkey cordon bleu because I got a fresh and boneless turkey breast in Canada. Have never been able to find anything like that here.

Jenise, it sounds like the ones Rancho Gordo has which are called Royal Corona, a substantial white bean, great pot liquor, and I've seen them referred to as a baby baked potato. A half pound of those babies make a lot of servings.
Also, I am curious about the fact that you cannot find boneless, turkey breasts. Does the grocer where you shop not have a meat dept, which could cut and process a turkey breast for you?

[Jenise]

That Royal Corona sounds about right, Karen.

Re Turkey, no. Only around the holidays do they part out turkeys around here, and none would be fresh like the one I got in Canada. This is really a dismal place where groceries are concerned.

Kind of international tonight: chicken breasts with mole sauce, organic Thai golden jasmine rice, and fried green tomatoes.

[Jenise]

Last night, after a horrific day that began before lunch with a 911 call, we returned home about 8:00 in a state of starvation. It only took me about 12 minutes to turn fresh ground chicken (god bless Mary's air chilled brand), diced water chestnuts, diced onion, diced baby bok choy, slivered bamboo in chili oil and peanuts in a few glugs of oyster sauce with red chile flakes and a lot of white pepper into a crumbly pile of wokness for scooping into lettuce leaves and eating out of hand. So easy, so delicious, and faster than waiting for take-out.

Kind of international tonight: chicken breasts with mole sauce, organic Thai golden jasmine rice, and fried green tomatoes.

Sounds like a fun dinner Larry, I like those types.

I'll be making dhansak, an Indian dal-and-vegetable dish from the Parsi community. It often has meat added but I'll be making the vegan version. It'd been a long time since I last made it.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, I'll look that dish up. Not familiar with it but its the kind of thing we are eating more of lately so thanks for mentioning it.

Today I'm stewing a chicken. Was planning to roast it but the oven is kaput so into the pot it will go.

Dhansak is pretty straightforward to make, but it has a long ingredients list including some obscure (in the US, anyway) things such as fresh fenugreek leaves. And the dried spice powder (dhansak masala) is one of the most complicated I've seen in Indian cuisine. The long ingredients list is why I haven't made it very often. Fortunately a large Indian supermarket has opened in Nashua NH (15-minute drive for me) and I can get all the ingredients there.

-Paul W

[Jenise]

I love, LOVE, fenugreek. I own dried leaves but my supply is probably two years old now and this stuff fades faster than most. There's another name for fresh fenugreek greens, though, isn't there? A-something?

My cooking today is 1/2 of an organic Air Chilled Smart Chicken marinated in soy sauce, unsalted butter, garlic, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The chicken will be roasted with large white mushrooms cut into 1-inch chunks, red onion wedges, tossed with olive oil, fresh French Tarragon leaves, salt, thyme, salt, and pepper.
A side dish of Roasted sweet potatoes tossed in olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper—a garnish of cilantro at serving for some added color and flavor. Since I have a bunch of peppers, purple, yellow, and green, I may toss some into the mix.
Yep, a lot of peppers are eaten around here as I am a lover of colorful food, and the peppers grown here are outstanding. Plus I bought two bags the last two weeks, forgetting the second week I already had an unopened one at home.
A possible cucumber salad with fresh lime juice might be in the works if I have the energy

Jenise, I believe fresh fenugreek leaves are called Methi.

Yes, methi is the Hindi name for fenugreek. Kasoori methi is Hindi for the dried leaves. The fenugreek plant is a legume and the leaves resemble clover leaves.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Jenise, I believe fresh fenugreek leaves are called Methi.

Yes, that's it! I have actually seen them--maybe not three times but I can swear to twice--at the local Kroger (Fred Meyer).

[Jenise]

Last night I made kind of a beef bourgogne of sorts, using two thick Chuck Eye Steaks and a huge tub of crimini mushrooms. Added white wine and rosemary during the cook and finished it with a spoonful of Guinzhou (or something like that) black bean sauce. Added great punch and flavor without loading up the salt. Served it over warm grits, and loved every bite.

[Jenise]

Today I'm having a group of people--the cooks brigade for the Wine Club Xmas dinner--over to discuss the menu, and will be demo-ing for them my smoked trout/leek/Boursin canapes that I propose for a passed appie at that event. Dinner will probably be leftovers (just like last night--more chicken soup.) I have so much to do and Bob isn't able to help anymore, so things are pretty simple around here.

Tonight I made jambalaya, well, "jambalaya" because there's a lot of ahem innovation in this pot. Also, still roasting up delicata squash cut into wide rings and seasoned with a mix of seeds and spices.

ETA: And an apple cake, and some dark chocolate orange-almond bark.