SobaAddict70

Great meals all, especially the pig's tail. Mostly leftovers tonight, however this was something I threw together at the last minute... "Bacon and eggs". Soft-cooked farm egg, with baby Brussel sprouts and pancetta. Sprouts were steamed, then briefly fried with pancetta; then finished with a squeeze of lemon, salt and black pepper.

+1 for Scotty's leftovers. Pix from tonight: Cabbage, with onion and pancetta. Roasted cremini mushrooms, with garlic and parsley. Pan-seared Scottish salmon, with mussel and leek broth.

some other ideas, in case the above hasn't put in a sufficient dent in your bounty sorbet ice cream/gelato candied plums -- lovely in preparations where you would normally use candied citrus plum liqueur or cordial -- but since I am not a major drinker, I don't know how utilitarian this suggestion is Chez Pim has a recipe for Reine Claude plum and vanilla jam, and I see your plums are a Reina Claudia cultivar so maybe that could work: http://chezpim.com/bake/reine-claude-gr

nothing too exciting... a "burrito bowl" -- chopped beef, red kidney beans, Spanish rice, cheddar, salsa, lettuce and pico de gallo, sort of like a deconstructed burrito. $5 at a sandwich shop in my office building. a can of Pellegrino orange-flavored carbonated water a container of red bliss potato salad. this version of potato salad had no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. how can you mess up potato salad? that's like, just basic. fortunately, a couple of dabs of red chile oil from a container I keep in my office fridge helped save the day.

I like Elise's recipe "Chorizo and Eggs" at http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chorizo_and_eggs/

hi patrick. thanks for the compliments. nikki -- I just saw your comment. can you please find out from your chef whether the herb gnocchi are potato-, chestnut- or ricotta-based? I may just make at at some point in the future, although I'll skip on the goat cheese. (not a big fan of creamy cheese sauces in general) scotty -- I eat A LOT of pasta. I've been trying to make it a week without breaking open that part of my pantry, and failing. maybe, one of these days I shall succeed. rotuts -- I felt I needed more neutral-colored plates for the foodblog, so I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond. my purchases reflect my bachelorhood -- two pasta bowls which also double as soup bowls or suitable serving pieces such as for the haddock dish, for example; a salad bowl, a square plate which I frequently use to showcase appetizers or sides, and a couple of saucers. in general, I prefer white-colored plates, bowls or dishes so that no other elements appear in the frame of the photo that would otherwise distract a viewer from the food. I might have to pick up a couple more plates in the near future, along with an immersion blender. my regular blender somehow broke when the base became cracked. I don't even know how that happened. :blink: I really am clueless sometimes... rory -- I really like the third pic, the shot with the salad and the couscous.

Penne arrabbiata, with pecorino cheese. Originally this was going to be penne con aglio e olio but then I remembered that I had some Pomi chopped tomatoes that I had to use up, lest it spoil. Voilà, dinner in 20 minutes.

thanks Nikki. I've started a project, I guess you can say. I want to see if I can blog if not continuously, then on a nearly every other day basis by cooking meals whose ingredients are in season. it's especially challenging in winter as you might imagine. I'm sure that by the time March rolls around I'll be thoroughly sick of cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes, carrots and leeks. The temptation to buy a greenhouse tomato is really high right now. I'll get over it though.

Penne with turnips, leeks and ricotta cheese

I do try this, but it's not always so appetizing, especially with stews, curries and so on - there's just a big mound of food and you don't get a sense of the scale. At least in my experience so far. You could always try photographing things head-on. Like so: Okay, perhaps not a good suggestion, but you get the idea.

Orca beans. This is an heirloom bean that hails from Mexico. This was combined with: 2 cups of water 3 bay leaves a smashed garlic clove and simmered for a little over an hour, then combined with mirepoix Chinese chicken stock salt white pepper parsley leaves and stems thyme leaves and stems and cooked until the beans were tender. Haddock, with heirloom beans and aromatic vegetables

Doesn't $5.50/pound seem a bit excessive? They have a much richer flavor than Canellini or great Northern beans . Are they worth the extra money? It is all a matter of perspective I suppose. I notice lots of food items that cost as much as twice the price of similar items and they taste better but not twice as good. All things considered, to me, $5.50 is not a lot of money even though it may be high compared to more common beans. It's that all their beans are $5.50. Even ordinary beans such as Canellinis, Pintos and Yellow Eyes. Plus $12 for shipping to East coast. I'd sure hope for that much money they're extra special beans. I was at the local coop today and none of the bulk beans were more than $2, except (organic) Canellinis for $2.29. Got some of those and some Black Eye Peas. Since we're on dry beans, here's an article in the current issue of Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener that's interesting. White Runner Beans – the Northern Gardener’s Lima The author, Will Bonsall, is well known for his work in Maine when it comes to organic gardening. Speaking from previous experience, $5.50/lb. is a fair price when you consider that Rancho Gordo's products are truly excellent, top-of-the-line, quality stuff. In fact, at this price, what you're getting is a bargain. I have a bunch of beans from Cayuga Organics (from Union Square Greenmarket) that I'm slowly finishing off, but as soon as those are gone, I'll order some more from RG.

FYI, I usually do the whirlpool method but I've never poached eggs by turning the heat off. That's what caught my attention.

In the past, when I've done it, it's typically been for a little over an hour. Chicken is perfectly cooked, inside and out. The best part is the poaching liquid. Maggie, I'll have to try that method, like maybe this weekend. I may have pix depending on how things turn out.

the younger the bean (i.e., if it's early in the season), the less cooking they will need. I love them in a ragout, with tomato, lemon juice and lashings of the most excellent olive oil you can possibly imagine. also, do not forget the leaves. you don't hear very much about fava leaves, but I do assure you they are worth the extra effort to obtain and cook. delicate and vegetal, like the spring version of tender spinach.

I worry about using saturation sometimes, because there is a tendency sometimes as if you're in Candy Cane land, if you know what I mean. I think the strawberry pic might have had a touch of saturation but I can't be sure without looking at the original pic. I'm at work right now so can't be quite sure. I consider it a "win", for lack of a better term, if I don't have to do anything. Not even lighting. Pretty much the point I wanted to respond to. If I have to use Picasa to really doctor a photo, that's not a pic worth posting IMHO. Though it is a useful tool in a certain percentage of cases.

The funny thing is that the shot of the cod with the cranberries was a cropped picture that's partially blown up. It just seems like it was taken at a low angle. My main point is that anyone can take great-looking photographs, and they need not spend hundreds of dollars to be able to do it. Someone elsewhere asked about the camera specs, tripod, etc. My set up is really a Nikon Coolpix L3, an adjustable pair of overhead lamps and a piece of tissue paper or paper towel to mimic a lightbox effect. It's like taking digital pix with string and glue. I'm sure it could be improved if I had better equipment and a more in-depth knowledge of the technicalities. That being said, I don't think that's absolutely necessary. Here's a couple more as a case in point. FYI, these days I try to do very little post-processing other than a lighting-related touch-up in Picasa.

oh yes I think I shall go to Sripraphai this weekend so I can satisfy my laska craving thanks to RRO... Warm chicory salad, with shallots, Kalamata olives and blood orange Sushi Green tea with honey and ginseng Mochi stuffed with red bean ice cream

a tip, from someone who does not use a tripod... when you hold your camera, form two sturdy supports on the bottom of the camera with your thumbs, similar to that of an inverted "V". obviously this technique isn't for everyone. in my experience, it eliminated the "shake" effect completely.

I hsve been known to snack on an egg mcmuffin from time to time.

I don't believe that for a second. Page back through my food blog (the one linked in my signature) to the very beginning and you'll see some really cringe-worthy photographs. Some which use the word that dare not speak it's name, for example. (hint: 5 letter word, begins with "F" and ends with "H") If I have a magic touch (thanks for the compliment btw), it gradually developed over time. edit: bolded for clarity

Usually I'll make rasam or a bowl of sopa de ajo. Or chicken congee, with pickled mustard greens or Sichuan pickled and spicy turnips. A few lashings of vinegar with bird's eye pepper, and I'm set.

Fully agree. The camera I use is a little dinky thing from five years ago, and it still turns out photos like this:

As usual, I made too much arroz caldo so now I have leftovers. At least it improves with age. Had a side of this tonight: Sautéed watercress, with crispy fried breadcrumbs

To foodblog more often. If I can't do 365 posts, the next best thing is to do it every other day. I'm also limited, as you may know, in terms of the parameters I set for myself.