Susan in FL

Last night I fixed the Turkey Thighs in Red Wine Garlic Sauce & Oatmeal "Polenta Style" from Wine Spectator and succotash made with fresh corn & edamame. We drank oatmeal stout! Here's the link to the turkey thighs and oatmeal, in case anybody is interested. It's good and very interesting... worth making maybe once a year, perhaps.

So how do you like white asparagus Susan? I'm curious, because from the discussions on EGullet I get the impression that Americans generally prefer the green ones. Our dinner: meatballs with chickpeas and spinach (Claudia Roden recipe) couscous salad with mint, coriander, raisins, toasted pepita's, chopped tomatoes. I think I'll have some greek yoghurt with chestnut honey for dessert.. again. ← I really like it, but mostly for the novelty when it's available. If it were always available along with green asparagus, I would choose green for flavor. I also like to serve both together sometimes, and notice the taste and texture difference (not to mention it's a cool looking presentation ).

I can go with that... good response! Let me know if you "happen to be in the neighborhood"!

Thank you! I didn't know that.

DivaLasVegas, I would love to have you cook for me, but I would be too intimidated to cook for you!

We had "Chufi's Classic Asparagus Feast" last night. Mmm-mm good. Another Asparagus Dish Coming Soon: Basilgirl's Marcella Recipe.

I'm with that attitude. And add that I cook "impressive" stuff to push my boundaries, to present excellent food that I want to eat, but only get the chance when there are enough people to make the effort worthwhile. Let's face it you're not going to bother with a 10 course meal for yourself are you? ← Not 10 course, but I've made some fine multi-course meals for myself when I'm home alone. I'm pretty much with those attitudes, too -- especially what Dean said about wanting to educate others about good food, or introduce them to something different. I've been following this thread since it started and every time I read a new post, I've asked myself if I do cook to show off. I really don't think I do. Given so many posts with affirmative replies, I wondered if I do, but maybe I'm in some kind of denial about it or something. ...But, I think not. Maybe it's because I was taught not to show off when I was growing up, or somehow attached a negative connotation to that. Or maybe this is just semantics. I cook because I love to cook and because I love to eat, and when I do cook for others, I want to please them, and I suppose that means I am trying to impress them. I like to see people enjoy what I cook, and I enjoy the compliments. If that is showing off, I guess I must plead guilty, but I don't think of it in that way. Do any others of you look at your cooking in this way, rather than view it as cooking for others to show off?

Yum is right! Both of these are dishes I want to make. Basilgirl, in which of Marcella's books can I find that recipe?

OK. Humor me and take a look at the "Welcome Back to Regular Food Dinner" (Feast) that Russ cooked last night, and then I will stop whining about how awful it is to be restricted to soft foods. ...At least until I have the second surgery. I still am not feeling well, so I have been taking advantage of being waited on as long as I possibly can... not to mention being able to "order" what I want to eat. Grilled Strip Steaks with a deliciously intense red wine reduction sauce and mashed potatoes, with an appealing "retro" presentation Sauteed sugar snap peas and mushrooms Grilled heart of romaine, with a salad-vegetable vinaigrette Vidalia Onion grilled with butter and balsamic vinegar Poached pear with ginger and Port, with tastes of Stilton and Saga Bleu We drank Rodney Strong Cabernet with dinner and Graham's Port with dessert. Thank you, Russ.

There you go again, Percy. I have said it time and time again, but have to repeat. You are The Breakfast Man!!! After the brief discussion about various alcoholic beverages for breakfast or brunch, we decided to take a break from the oatmeal stout kick and had Mimosas this morning. The food was baked eggs with artichokes, herbs, and parmesan garnished with prosciutto and sliced tomato, and a bagel. I had butter and Johnnybird's Toast Dope on my blueberry bagel. It was a cloudy and rainy morning, but nevertheless the view from the porch was very enjoyable.

Yes, often we do have alcohol with breakfast or brunch on weekends -- more often on Sundays than on Saturdays. I think it's a beer lover thing, much like one would have Mimosas or Champagne or Bloody Marys with breakfast or brunch. Are those not customary in The Netherlands, either? We have been on a big long kick for having oatmeal stout for breakfast, since we have such a good supply from my husband's last beer shopping. I expect that as soon as most of the stouts are gone, we will go back to having Champagne or Mimosas on Sunday mornings. Can you find oatmeal stout? I would love to hear how you like it with breakfast food, if you give it a try. I know you like good beer.

Sounds wonderful! ...my kind of food. My last selection from the soft food menu -- hurray! -- was buttery baked flounder and angel hair pasta with a garlic and anchovy sauce. Tonight's dinner will include meat and vegetables!

Until today I wasn't allowed to have any beer -- or anything fizzy/carbonated/with any bubbles -- after periodontal surgery on Monday. So this morning after breakfast, we split a Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout.

So maybe that's what's wrong with me.I had never heard that, either. Actually, I'm not sure what honeysuckle berries are, but like you Linda, I've sucked many a drop of nectar from the blossum as a kid. Nice memories!

Smithy, I say BAYSel and that's the way I've always heard it pronounced.

More soft food... Polenta with Brie and Parmesan, and some smooth paté. One more night of this, and then I'll just need to be careful until stitches come out on Monday. Unfortunately, I'll have to use what I've learned about creatively cooking soft food again. This was one in a series; I'll be going through this again. Right now though, all I can think about is... I want meat, and crisp-tender vegetables!!

In accordance with my post-surgical soft diet, last night we roasted cauliflower and made it into a puree, to serve atop cold pea soup. Delicious, and a great combination! Naturally, since the plan was to puree the roasted cauliflower, it came out of the oven looking better than ever. Edited to add: ...and ice cream for dessert of course.

Thanks, again. I do want to check these places out. When it comes to looking for good ethnic food such as this, I don't care so much if the service is just OK or if it's not fancy, as long as I know what I'm in for. I would like to give Rice Paper a try, as well. ...Looks like I need to drive over to Orlando for a day or two!

Nope. I think that we have a more sophisticated understanding of authenticity to do that, Susan! From what I've read, NulloModo is right on the money; this is a classically intricate, and thus classically meddled-with, dish, a la cassoulet. ← That's what I was wondering, but I was looking for the words... That's it -- if "one of Mole Poblano's signature flavors" would be missing by leaving it out. I don't get too hung up and rigid about authenticity, but before I'm familiar with a dish I don't want to change it up so much that I won't have an appreciation of the taste of the classic version. But cloves.... I don't know if I can do that. Probably I will leave it out and just pretend for one mouthful that it's in there. Keeping out the clove won't ruin it, but for me putting it in there might!

I'll try that if I get my hands on some good chestnut honey. You sound much like me in my new craze of Manouri Cheese with Thyme Honey.

Well I'm overwhelmed. I'm considering simplification, including this recipe. Another issue for me is cloves. There are very few flavors I don't like, but that is one I cannot stomach. Is anyone going to say that if cloves are not included, I won't learn what a true Mole Poblano de Guajolote tastes like? It's a totally new dish for me. I haven't even eaten it in a restaurant.

I'm really happy to hear about these restaurants... what area of Orlando is this? Thanks for the post.

ROFL, picturing you rolling down the corner of your house hollering!

Thanks All for the dinner suggestions. I have some decent ideas now, and I do believe the blender will be my friend, especially today. I want to try pureeing roasted cauliflower! All the posts sound so good. Jason, I had never seen tricolored couscous. That dish looked nice... the piece of broccoli on top set it off. M., I know what you mean about missing the kitchen, even when you're taking a trip like that. I bet you will come home with a great many ideas of what to make upon your return. Have a good and safe trip! I had a Wendy's Frosty and three servings of mashed potatoes for dinner (in that order ), with Hydrocodone and Sauvignon Blanc. Not the best food & wine pairing ever, but it did the needed trick for me.

Thank you!!! I will be getting a Kaffir lime tree!After those rave reviews, I can't wait to try that chili jam.