What's Cooking (Take Three!)

Tonight’s dinner is an antipasto Salad. It has pickled red onion, romaine, marinated olives, (I will use Kalamata) cherry toms, bell pepper, low-fat salami, garbanzo beans, marinated artichoke hearts, mozzarella pearls, sharp provolone. I have neither one of the cheeses, nor will I buy more cheese, so will choose which cheese later in the day. Probably, Feta.Vinaigrette is red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, salt, honey, black pepper, evoo.

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Tonight’s dinner is an antipasto Salad. It has pickled red onion, romaine, marinated olives, (I will use Kalamata) cherry toms, bell pepper, low-fat salami, garbanzo beans, marinated artichoke hearts, mozzarella pearls, sharp provolone. I have neither one of the cheeses, nor will I buy more cheese, so will choose which cheese later in the day. Probably, Feta.

Sounds good. And you reminded me that I haven't made pickled red onion for some time now. Gotta do that.

Larry, to save time, I have been using pickle juice from the many condiments in my fridge. I like it and it adds a little bite to the salad. I just cut up how much onion I need, chop and put into a pyrex dish into the juice and marinate away as I prepare the rest of the ingredients. Today, I used the juice from pickled garlic cloves...nice.

Sounds good, but I generally make Guatemalan-style red pickled onions. And I usually have just olives and dill pickles (which might work).

I had a small sirloin, asparagus, and a tossed salad. Edie had spaghetti, garlic bread, and a tossed salad. I looked at her food with great envy.

I am stag tonight and enjoyed an almost totally cold dinner: I did toast some bread, but otherwise layered it with slices of very rare lamb (off the grill), smeary chunks of Bonne Bouche (VT version of Selles-Sur-Cher), and some sweet tomato jam (a very curious twist on ketchup, kinda). Served with roasted pepper and artichoke hearts on the side. Makes me happy and leaves me very little cleanup afterward.

Tomato jam is, indeed, very interesting. I have a jar in my cupboard.

[Jenise]

We had salad for dinner last night as well: a can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and lightly crushed mixed with a clove of pressed garlic, oil, vinegar, baby greens and an ample amount of dehydrated black garlic bits (a wonderful Trader Joe's product).

I love TJ's dehydrated black garlic. Not always available so stock when I see it. I find that you need more than you think for flavor. Do you find a method for delivering more flavor? Rehydrate in liquid? Oil?

[Jenise]

Yes, the dehydrated garlic isn't very strong and that's probably a good thing because the black speckles are so attractive. They look good when there's a lot. Our neighbors just returned from a month in Charleston where one of the stand-out dishes they had in a restaurant was grits with black garlic and they asked me about where to find this ingredient. I gave them a bulb of actual black garlic as well as a baggie of the dehydrated version to play with. Dehydrated would look great, don't you think?

This weekend I'll be making stock out of the carcass from a Costco rotisserie chicken and a bunch of chicken bones/wing tips/etc. that I've been collecting in the freezer.

-Paul W.

Tonight is a beautiful Birria, instead of chuck I used the Choice Round Sirloin Tip, much less fat and what there was, I cut off what I could. Not making tacos tonight, will eat a chunk of that tender meat with the amazing sauce. Had fun at Farmer's Market today, and picked up baby squashes and zucchini, young English peas, small golden beets with lots of beautiful leaves, colorful young carrots, some will go on a sheet pan with red onion, broccoli, olive oil, fresh thyme and other herbs to roast. Then making one of my favorite Bomba rice dishes,Tomato Paella. Rice has chicken broth, olive oil, garlic, onion, tomato paste, saffron threads, Spanish Pimeton, white wine, parsly and basil for garnish. Thick cut tomatoes cut into wedges are placed on top of the rice, and all is put in the oven to roast after the rice has cooked on the stove a bit. One can put the finished rice back onto the stove to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving, if desired.
Later in the week, I will have the meat for a couple of tacos, a taco bowl and whatever else I can think of.

[Jenise]

Karen, that tomato paella is one of my very favorite things. I'm excited that it's almost tomato season again, but good as excellent summer tomatoes are that dish works very well with ugly winter tomatoes. Not romas, as they don't have enough juice, but the typical pale red round tomatoes we all get work pretty nicely as they concentrate during cooking.

That's right Jenice, it is a great dish and I could not wait for garden tomatoes in July.
Growers are a month late with tomatoes because of our crazy spring weather early spring. I used an heirloom yellow tomato, and a red one. Will look pretty on the dish.
House smells so good with the Birria, and I have the rice dish made up to putting in liquid. Love the saffron.

[Jenise]

We went out for lunch yesterday so I made Bob a modest pasta salad out of some cold chicken and skipped dinner myself. Today I need to take an appie to a happy hour planning meeting for the wine club I've been running here in the neighborhood but am passing on to someone else. With Bob's issues, we just can't do it anymore. The next wine club event will be zinfandel and Mexican food, so in honor of that I'm making a meatloaf flavored like albondigas soup: heavy garlic, cumin and oregano with tomato and red chile accents. My own creation and a style of appetizer I'm partial to. I've made many different flavors of them using different ground meats (this one will be pork), and I shape them in a long, narrow half-circle mould. The half moon shaped slices are meant to be eaten with your hands, and each is only two-three bites. Presents like a $25 appetizer for $7 in meat cost and only a little work on my part. Also provides relief from the inevitable carb-loaded items others will bring.

Jenise, I’m sorry to hear about Bob’s illness. I can relate to the profound effects it can produce, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s 2 years ago myself. The main reason why I’m not cooking very much, it is physically difficult and my appetite is not what it used to be. I eat out when I can (any excuse) to maintain an interest in real food ang get out of the house.

[Jenise]

Hmmm... Barb, I responded to you yesterday morning, but apparently it didn't 'stick'. Sometimes happens. And I'm sorry it happened after you made that important revelation. But I said: I'm so so SO sorry to hear that you got this terrible diagnosis. It's a bad disease, and no one deserves it. Bob hasn't lost his appetite, but he doesn't relish food the way he used to and certainly the pounds would be falling off if I didn't go out of my way to feed him every calorie I can find. You've got the right plan--eat out often! Are there many restaurants around you? I have the impression that you life in a small village somewhat off the beaten path.

So sorry re your diagnosis. Have another friend who was diagnosed last year, Progression seems to vary greatly, wishing you the best.

We've had fun in kitchen after a week out. Betsy made meatballs with peaches, followed by duck with mango (guess it was fruit n' meat week). Saw garlic scapes and made pesto for pasta to accompany fish. But reason I was posting here was a shout out to Robin for a recipe (or really an idea) he posted many years ago here. Slivered/matchstick snow peas and onions, sauteed till a little browned, then just finished with a little sesame oil. Super simple, and I've done a dozen plus times, but first time in years.

Hmmm... Barb, I responded to you yesterday morning, but apparently it didn't 'stick'. Sometimes happens. And I'm sorry it happened after you made that important revelation. But I said: I'm so so SO sorry to hear that you got this terrible diagnosis. It's a bad disease, and no one deserves it. Bob hasn't lost his appetite, but he doesn't relish food the way he used to and certainly the pounds would be falling off if I didn't go out of my way to feed him every calorie I can find. You've got the right plan--eat out often! Are there many restaurants around you? I have the impression that you life in a small village somewhat off the beaten path.

I do live in a small village but at the moment I can still drive and there are a number of accessible places. My nearest restaurant is 5km away and I have been a customer since they opened about 10 years ago..the kitchen usually changes a couple o f dishes weekly and Jordan the chef will offer dishes ‘off piste’ for me. I usually get there once a week, sometimes twice like the weekend he had 2 new venison dishes, had to try both! .They also run a courtesy car if I don’t want to drive. Actually I live about 200 meters jfrom the pub but the food is pretty ordinary so I don’t go often.
Within 20 to 40 km I have a great Japanese restaurant and a couple of other good options so that’s doable for lunch.
I wonder if Bob doesn’t relish food so much because it doesn’t vtaste quite so good, that’s what I’ve noticed.
Cards dealt, play the best hand we can. O

So sorry re your diagnosis. Have another friend who was diagnosed last year, Progression seems to vary greatly, wishing you the best.

Thanks Dale. Neurological conditions seem to be quite variable in presentation and progression so all our paths are a bit different. Makes us unique!

[Jenise]

Last night a friend hosted us for Booze Group: Irish Whiskey Redux. There was a good stew, plus soda bread, crackers and cheese, potato chips, pretzels and green salad. Not only did I taste whiskey and drink several cocktails, I ate a lot of potato chips--totally blew my diet. This morning I am feeling terrible about that. Dinner might be a can of V-8.

And I just had French Toast and bacon for lunch, with butter and syrup. And coffee. I think dinner is going to be some cherry tomatoes tossed in a pot with some basil and a drop of olive oil (balsamic?) over bucatini.

And then I'm going to make angel food cake. I've got 10 egg whites waitin' for me....

Last night a friend hosted us for Booze Group: Irish Whiskey Redux. There was a good stew, plus soda bread, crackers and cheese, potato chips, pretzels and green salad. Not only did I taste whiskey and drink several cocktails, I ate a lot of potato chips--totally blew my diet. This morning I am feeling terrible about that. Dinner might be a can of V-8.

What were the whiskeys?