patti

Round steak, mashed cauliflower.

Not pretty, but sometimes life is like that. Garlic butter oyster mushrooms to go with cabbage and Italian sausage.

Charles Brooks Hamaker Obituary

@pastameshuganaThank you! I’d considered crumbling Gorgonzola over my serving of pork and topping it with the sauce, but at the last minute, I added to the potatoes, instead. I will be making Gorgonzola mashed potatoes again! @TdeV Thanks! Here you go. I seared my seasoned (kosher salt, cracked black pepper, dried thyme) pork tenderloin on the stove top, then wrapped it in foil (after topping with a few pats of butter) and baked for 25 min at 350. Made the sauce while it was baking. Balsamic Fig Sauce 1 Tbsp butter 1 shallot finely diced (or red onion) 1/3 C water 1/3 C balsamic vinegar 1/4 C chopped dried figs 1/2 tsp dried thyme The recipe didn’t call for pomegranate molasses or cayenne, but after making and tasting the sauce, I thought it needed something. I added sweet and heat. Just a few squirts of the pomegranate syrup. Also, I used a very small tenderloin. I would double the sauce if you have a 2 pound one. Last night’s dinner was a brisket salad. Dinner on Monday night was scrambled eggs with brisket, spinach, mushrooms and goat cheese. I am not successful with omelets when I greedily add too much “stuff.” It was actually delicious, though.

I'm very sorry to see this. Only a few days ago I was rereading a gumbo cook-off thread in the Louisiana forum, from back in the day when I posted here a lot. He really was a memorable character. RIP.

Wow! Those shrimp look good. Popeyes is my fave, too. My husband doesn’t love fried chicken, so we don’t have it often.

Happy days are here again! Pork tenderloin with balsamic fig sauce. Over Gorgonzola mashed potatoes.

Popeyes fried chicken, peas, and potatoes.

Things are looking up, thanks! Beef and veg stir fry.

Had plans for a relatively healthy stir fry. Changed to stress eating carbs, with a side of high anxiety.

@Kim Shook- shredded mozz, and a garlic, Parm, parsley, olive oil sauce. ETA: What is that dessert? Looks delish! Tonight, pork noodle soup leftover from last night.

@Shelby Thanks! I love shrimp and am lucky enough to be able to get some easily. @mgaretzThat chicken looks gorgeous!

When I cooked the shrimp for last night’s salad, I cooked enough for another meal, which ended up being shrimp flatbreads.

Happy Anniversary! Looks like a great meal!

Shrimp salad.

Thank you! The plate was a gift. World Market!

Last night, naan flatbread, with Genoa salami. Tonight, pork chops and sweet potatoes. This pork chop is huge. After the photo, my husband and split it.

Pasta with cherry tomatoes, spinach salad.

The recipe is easy peasy. Also, I forgot to add the sugar and didn't miss it. http://www.kathrynbruton.com/recipes/chicken-liver-with-pomegranate-molasses/ Ingredients SERVES 4 500g chicken liver, washed and trimmed of any sinew 4 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses 5-6 garlic cloves, sliced thinly Knob of butter 1-2 tbsp of olive oil 1 tsp of caster sugar Pomegranate seeds and coriander to garnish (optional) Method Heat the oil in a pan big enough to hold the chicken livers When hot, fry the chicken livers until browned on each side, about 7-10 minutes, depending on how you like them cooked Remove from the pan and set aside momentarily Add the butter and allow to melt, it should foam Add the sliced garlic and fry for about 30 seconds Return the chicken liver, add the pomegranate molasses and sugar and stir Allow the molasses to bubble on a very low heat for about 1 minute Season to taste - I like to serve mine garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander or parsley PS - I had some pomegranate seeds in the freezer and they may have been there a while. The color didn't pop.

We make rice dressing a couple of different ways. These days after we make the meat mixture, we freeze half as it's just too much. Half is ample for the two of us, plus leftovers. (I say "we" because both my husband and I make it, but we do it pretty much the same way.) 1 lb of ground beef 1 1 lb container of dressing mix. Frozen dressing mix is easily found in south Louisiana. Depending on the brand, it usually contains pork, chicken liver and gizzards. Our favorite brand is Harold's, but Richard's and Savoie's brands are more popular. Harold's was the first commercially made one and we've stuck with it. When we don't have a prepared mix, we use 1 lb of ground pork and don't add in chicken livers or gizzards, cuz we're lazy like that. 1 diced white or yellow onion 1 diced bell pepper (we use red, traditional is green) A stalk or two of diced celery is traditional. I use some if I have it, but I don't worry about it if I don't. 1 cup of stock, either beef or chicken 4 or so cloves of minced garlic White rice (3 cups of raw rice, cooked) Green onions. Sauté the veg in fat of choice. Add ground beef, browning and chopping it up kind of finely as it browns. Add thawed container of dressing mix (otherwise, add ground pork at the same time as the ground beef). Mix and add a little stock. Season generously with Tony's (or salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika). Let it simmer for 20 minutes or so. If you're freezing some, remove half from the pot now. Add white rice, folding and mixing it in until it is well mixed. Taste for seasoning, adjust, and then add chopped green onions. Re: dressing mix. Some people don't mix it with ground beef, but use it as is. It's a stronger taste than we like. Some people don't want any hint of liver in theirs, we like some. Recipes vary over south Louisiana. My mother always used short grain rice for hers. My mother-in-law used long grain. I use medium grain.

Yes, I will come back a bit later and post it! Tonight’s dinner was chicken livers with pomegranate molasses. I’m so happy that it turned out as good as I’ve had it from a local restaurant, and was super simple to make. With parsley potatoes. Naan bread and salad didn’t make it into the pictures.

I added some more Chachere's to the whole dish after all was said and done.

My method: I sautéed one small diced onion, half a diced red bell pepper, and four minced garlic cloves in olive oil. I usually add kosher salt and black pepper to the veg while they sauté. Once softened, I added a 32 oz container of seafood stock and brought it to a boil. (When I have shrimp heads and shells, I make my own stock. I didn’t.) Spooned about five or six tablespoons of dark roux into the stock and let that simmer for 20 or 30 minutes. Thought it looked too thick (mistake!) and added some homemade chicken stock I had in the fridge. Hard boiled eggs are optional, but traditional in some parts of south Louisiana. It’s good! Potatoes are also optional. I didn’t use any last night, but added some today when I was reheating to thicken.* If you’re including potatoes, add them when you add the hard boiled eggs. I had some small red potatoes that I quartered. Simmer till potatoes are tender. Time for the shrimp. I had a pound and a quarter of wild caught Gulf shrimp, cleaned and deveined. I seasoned them with Tony Chachere’s and added to the stew. Three to five minutes later, it’s done. Taste for seasoning and then ladle over rice. *I removed all the shrimp from the stew when I was working on it today. I didn’t want them to be overdone. Once I was satisfied, I added them back in and turned off the fire, letting the heat from the stew bring them up to temp.

I didn’t. But I’ve now added a cornstarch slurry and it’s just right! And thank you!

I have brought shame to Cajun culture by making shrimp stew that is too thin. I’ll thicken it when I reheat. Maybe. (Flavor is on point, though.)