What's Cooking (Take Three!)

Tonight, stuffed sole.

Tonight, stuffed sole.

Rubber, plastic, or leather?

Tonight, stuffed sole.

Rubber, plastic, or leather?

Grey.

And, late last night, in advance of the frigid weather today, I made a pot of Mexican hot chocolate. I kept the amount of red pepper quite low because Pumpkin is not a fan of spicy but there's enough cinnamon, clove, star anise, and nutmeg to keep it interesting. I did add a bit of sugar, which is not traditional (but I'm not Mexican so no harm, no foul). Will serve it with a bit of orange oil or Cointreau. The real question is whether to thin it a bit with more milk so it will physically act like a cup of cocoa or keep it super thick like it is now.

Your hot chocolate sounds great. I occasionally make it using either Ibarra or Abuelita Mexican-brand tablets made from cacao beans with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Only rarely do I make from scratch.

The next time I'm in a Mexican market here, I'll look for some different brands.

Grey.

Ok, Irish derivation.

Your hot chocolate sounds great. I occasionally make it using either Ibarra or Abuelita Mexican-brand tablets made from cacao beans with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Only rarely do I make from scratch.

The next time I'm in a Mexican market here, I'll look for some different brands.

I considered using a tablet but remembered that they are always too gritty for my tastes.

Vanilla!

We served it thick and with Cointreau. Definitely making that again!

[Jenise]

I made scallops last night with a pesto/garlic/tomato sauce on linguine. Delish, but I may have to give up scallops--I just can't STAND sand. One tiny little piece of grit and I'm put off. It seems that no matter how well I wash them, this persists.

First below-zero (Fahrenheit) overnight temperatures of the season here in NH. I'm countering with poorman's jambalaya.

-Paul W.

Used my Highbush Cranberry liqueur ( smashed berries vodka, sugar, orange rind and tiny bit of cinnamon stick macerated together for 6 weeks then decanted ) to rehydrate some dried fuyu persimmon found by a friend at a large Asian grocery in Madison. They were quite chewy and softened nicely and the mix had an intense and surprising aroma of black walnut. I used them on a salad of mixed bitter greens with avocado, roquefort, radish, and toasted black walnuts. Dressed it with a bit of avocado oil and a vinaigrette made with a little more of the cranberry liqueur. Very good use of the dried persimmon and liqueur. Love to riff on salads that we always serve after the main. So many interesting ways to lighten the meal and transition to a cheese or fruit dessert.
Back home now and have a lot more leeway for meal ideas.

[Jenise]

Christina, just got off the phone with my brother where we reminisced about the first time, as kiddie first-timers at a Spanish restaurant, we had salad after the main course. At home we had salad every day (as we both do now) but had never even heard of it as a last course. Looking back on our childhood horror, we laughed. I still usually serve it first, but not always. Your combination sounds awesome.

[Jenise]

Friends called and wanted to drop something off. I agreed, then invited them to dinner. Am NOT going to the store, so scavenging on what's in the fridge and freezer I realized I had the right stuff to try a recipe I copied from Food & Wine a few months ago for "Garlic Butter Sauce Steak Bites"--or something close to that. Cubes of steak are pan-seared then finished with garlic, butter, vermouth and worcestershire sauce. That combo will be fantastic, and two chuck eye steaks will feed four of us well. I'm going to serve that on pan fried potatoes and onions (not done until some of the onions start to blacken), after a simple green salad with peas and tarragon and a starter of bite-sized pieces of grilled blue cheese and tomato sandwiches.

Btw, the blue cheese? It's Castello brand, a generous pkg of two dozen slices of blue cheese (Danish in flavor), originally packaged for restaurants, that showed up at Grocery Outlet for like $5. Couldn't resist, and I've had a lot of fun with it. Will be a perfect start for a steak dinner.

So, that prompts a question: A slice of blue would be an easy thing to flop onto a steak. Do you like blue cheese melted on steak? Some people think it's great. I've had it occasionally but it usually don't ring ma bell. How about you?

[Jenise]

I like the flavor of blue cheese with steak--with reservations. I wouldn't like a grainy blue that doesn't melt well, or even the cheese just sitting on the meat. I'd rather have butter. But a blue cheese sauce involving cream, brandy and a creamy blue cheese (which this Castello is, would work well)--yes, love that, and when I make it I use Cambezola.

Btw, the blue cheese-tomato grilled sandwiches last night? SO GOOD!!!!! My friends even suggested I just make more sandwiches and forget whatever main course I had planned.

After Ajika, I am loving Calabrian peppers. Never realized it but my maternal grandmother's pizza probably had some in the sauce. The flavor is distinct. Made tuna stuffed sweet peppers today and added some of the Calabrian hots into the mix. Also found Pomelos at Costco so the salad is more of the rehydrated fuyu persimmon with Pomelo sections, frizzy red and green greens, toasted pecans dressed with a vinaigrette made with the rehydrating liqueur. Now contemplating what to do with the Pomelo skin. It smells heavenly and I hate to discard it.

Now contemplating what to do with the Pomelo skin. It smells heavenly and I hate to discard it.

I just simmered a blood orange rind in a batch of hot chocolate; I suppose pomelo, being a citrus, would work in that way, too.

[Jenise]

Agreed about Calabrian peppers having a distinct flavor, Christina. They're wonderful. I'm dying to top a pizza with them.

Made a cheeseburger meat loaf last night. Half beef, half turkey (I am fairly certain that I could convince anyone that this blend was veal instead), sharp cheddar, chopped onion, a fresh bread crumb panade, salt and pepper--that's all. Love the combination.

And, late last night, in advance of the frigid weather today, I made a pot of Mexican hot chocolate. I kept the amount of red pepper quite low because Pumpkin is not a fan of spicy but there's enough cinnamon, clove, star anise, and nutmeg to keep it interesting. I did add a bit of sugar, which is not traditional (but I'm not Mexican so no harm, no foul). Will serve it with a bit of orange oil or Cointreau. The real question is whether to thin it a bit with more milk so it will physically act like a cup of cocoa or keep it super thick like it is now.

Great minds think alike, but I decided to make a warm Mexican beverage because the grocery near me started carrying rich, dark pilloncillo, which is the traditional form of unrefined sugar.

IMG_2091.jpg

The beverage is champurrado, thickened with finely ground masa harina (nixtmalized corn flour). Certainly distinctive, I'm not sure the corn added much but it certainly made a hearty beverage!

https://enrilemoine.com/en/2016/01/25/c ... chocolate/

Now contemplating what to do with the Pomelo skin. It smells heavenly and I hate to discard it.

I peel the citrus zest* with a sharp vegetable peeler, let it completely dry,, store it in a jar, and use it in such things as bread or many other dishes. I bought some oranges today. I'll peel each one before I cut it.

*Much easier to peel and avoid the pith when the fruit is whole.

The beverage is champurrado, thickened with finely ground masa harina (nixtmalized corn flour). Certainly distinctive, I'm not sure the corn added much but it certainly made a hearty beverage!

That looks excellent.

Thanks Larry. That's exactly how I harvest the peel. A vegetable peeler works well on large, firm citrus. I had put the pomelo peel in the fridge while waiting for ideas but snatched it right out to dry.

I have a Titan peeler that is crazy sharp. I can peel a continuous strip of zest from oranges and other citrus fruits without any pith.

I made scallops last night with a pesto/garlic/tomato sauce on linguine. Delish, but I may have to give up scallops--I just can't STAND sand. One tiny little piece of grit and I'm put off. It seems that no matter how well I wash them, this persists.

Jenise, I buy dry packed scallops at our local meat/seafood place all the time. They are fresh, all I do is remove the muscle tissue on the side and cook. I never have gotten any sand. Are you getting them live?

Dried peel from tangerines or mandarin oranges is a common Chinese ingredient. I make sure I'm careful to remove the peel in large chunks. I then dry it in the sunshine or a warm, dry spot. The dried peel keeps almost forever in a tightly closed glass jar.

If the fruit isn't organic, it's a good idea to wash it thoroughly and dry it well before harvesting the peel. This is to remove any pesticide residue. Conventional citrus is grown and harvested assuming that the peel won't be eaten.

-Paul W.