patti

The third time to make risotto, and most successful. The Instant Pot gets the credit.

One of my pet peeves only proves that I’m a hypocrite. Last night on a television show, jambalaya was mentioned. One character noted that the shrimp were heads on, and another character said that shows it’s authentic jambalaya. Oh, hell no. I’ve never seen head on shrimp in jambalaya. The hypocrisy is that while I want Cajun and Creole food to be represented authentically, I know that I don’t always cook other cultural/ethnic food authentically.

Corned beef and provolone on toasted Dave’s Good Seed bread. The store was out of seeded rye, and I prefer seedy bread. The corned beef is not homemade. Maggie in the background, trying not to look interested.

My husband grilled T-bone steaks last night. It’s not our usual choice for steaks, but he thought they looked good at the supermarket. They were YOOGE, so I reserved some of mine for another time.

I’m so glad you like it! Looks like you were smart enough not to put in an over abundance of tea leaves. I think I have about half of those left, but a lot of the other two elements in the kit. Not sure that I’ll get three salads out of it.

Shrimp lo mein. Snow peas, carrots, scallions, cabbage.

Bacon wrapped cheese stuffed chicken, from Costco frozen section. Better than I expected, although I had to bake it longer than the directions said to. Didn’t get dry, and it’s tender. Decent, but not fabulous. Great for a night when I didn’t feel like making much effort. Beet and goat cheese salad with toasted pecans and balsamic vinaigrette.

When my son called me and asked me how I cooked rice, “in my rice cooker” was not the answer he wanted. He called me back later to report that YouTube taught him how. (But now he uses a rice cooker, just like his mom.)

Best Stop definitely has good stuff. I wonder if cracklins travel well? There are now three other shops in the vicinity of Best Stop that are giving them stiff competition. My husband and I disagree on who makes the best boudin. If I’m picking it up, it’s from Billeaud’s. If my husband is picking it up, it’s from Chops. Have you tried crawfish boudin?

Someone mentioned headcheese. I bet I’d love it if I ever actually tasted it, but I can’t get past my childhood memory of seeing it regularly in a grocery store display case and seeing what I was quite sure were toenail clippings in it. My husband’s family is a family of picky eaters. Cooking for them is not enjoyable because of how narrow their likes are. I recall showing up to a holiday dinner (many years ago) with cute little mini cheesecakes, some topped with blueberries and some with strawberries. Not a single one was eaten. Cheese? In cake?! Another time, my B-I-L’s third wife was over for the first time. She hollered out to her husband, in another room, “You’re not going to like anything she’s making!” Oy vey.

Oh my! Strawberry shortcake! And I’ve never heard of lemon posset, but it looks very tempting.

@Kim Shook- Thanks! I hope you have a chance to have your shrimp and grits soon. Chicken livers with pomegranate syrup, potatoes, and peas. My husband eats two out of three of these, so he made a hamburger steak for himself.

I don’t use our instant pot often enough to feel confident using it, but my son swears by it. And if he can do it, certainly I can do it? I did IP pulled pork yesterday. Last night, pulled pork in brioche bun, topped with homemade coleslaw and pickles. Tonight pulled pork tacos with pico de gallo. Trio of noodle desserts I made for a noodle cooking challenge. A little fancy for a follow up of humble pulled pork. 😂 ETA: Lately my photos seem duller upon upload. Is anyone else experiencing that?

Fried catfish and asparagus.

Sandwich night.

Pork noodle soup with gochujang, black vinegar and soy sauce. I usually use fresh spinach but only had frozen. A little chili crunch on the eggs.

In the Before Times, we had a crawfish boil on Easter Sunday. Not as much fun when you aren’t having people over. We (my husband and I, my son and his wife) won’t have our second shots till the week after Easter. Two weeks after that, we’ll get together. All that to say I have not yet planned an Easter dinner.

I bought mine on Etsy. The kits looked the same, so I looked for the best price. Next time I make it I’ll try to make sure I have some limes, fried garlic, and scallions (which I thought I had on hand). I chose the spicy and it had a nice kick to it.

Ours was too small, as well! Will definitely make it again. Tonight’s dinner was a huge clash of cultures! Tea leaf salad and a cheeseburger, anyone? 🤪 I had a tea leaf salad at a Burmese restaurant a few years ago and it was so delicious that I couldn’t forget it. Unfortunately, I’ve never had an opportunity to have one again. I recently discovered that you could buy kits online, and so I did. While it’s not as good as the one in my memory, it’s still very good. I think having had it only once before I wasn’t sure about proportions. We had some ground beef that we needed to use immediately, hence, the odd pairing.

Your “carats” are such jewels!😍

Shrimp and grits.

My first time to make corned beef and cabbage. I must say, after tasting the vegetables, the desire to spice them up with a few shakes of Tony’s was great. Maybe a little too plain for me. Next time I do corned beef maybe I won’t use the seasoning packet that came with the brisket but will make my own.

@DuvelThose plates are great, but I’ve noticed your table is often set with interesting and beautiful pieces. @Kim ShookThat char siu looks so good! I bowed to peer pressure and tried a Fresh Market meal kit. It was easy, that’s for sure, and everything tasted nice, but I’m not completely sold on it. Bourbon peppercorn steak with mashed sweet potatoes and green beans.

It all looks so delicious, but that assortment of stuffed wings and shrimp and egg rolls and wontons! Oh my!

Shrimp and Pesto Pasta. Costco Pesto is pretty tasty, which makes for a quick and easy meal.