HungryChris

No, these were 1/3 LB. burgers that I got at Aldi. Normally, I will only buy local, freshly ground beef, but circumstances forced me to make a change yesterday. HC

Burger night here and I managed to finish mine for the first time in a while. HC

I brined another beef tongue for three weeks in a solution of Morton Tender Quick. I took it out of the fridge today and cooked it in the Ipot for 70 minutes. Here it is still in the cryovac. And here it is starting it's three week bath. Here is what it looked like when I pulled it out of the brine today. Into the Ipot with water to cover, more bay leaves, a splash of cider vinegar and several splashed of Crystal hot sauce. Out of the Ipot after 70 minutes with Natural release. And here it is peeled and headed back to the fridge to chill before use. You will probably be seeing this appear on the lunch thread, but definitely not dinner, as this operation is a covert one that will bring a rolled eye and a muttered "Oh, brother!", if discovered. HC

When you harvest your own clams, one of the things you have to deal with is using them up while they are still fresh and, God forbid, not wasting a single one. In that light, it was clams again last night. Deb and I mowed through another dozen or so, with linguini. I did not hear a single complaint. HC

We had a great lunch at Ruben's Empanadas in Manhattan some time back. I don't remember what I had, but the beef empanada I saw being eaten at a nearby table looked so good, it has haunted me ever since. Whenever I see Jamaican beef patties in the freezer section, I have been tempted to try them. I finally broke down and bought a 2 pack a while back and tried it today with some fresh salsa. Perhaps it's just the brand, but the experience was less than memorable. HC

I think of a chef salad as one containing a wide range of items. The love salad was one of the favorite menu items of a local restaurant, now closed, called Hughies. HC https://forums.egullet.org/topic/156030-dinner-2018-part-1/?page=141&tab=comments#comment-2163242

I have encountered Perdue chickens with broken bones a few too many times and I stopped buying them. HC

Tonight we had shrimp cocktail with "Love salads" (My own version of a ,sadly, extinct local favorite). Powerful garlic bread is a must with this dish! HC

Leftover chuck eye steak and roasted asparagus, with plenty of mayo and horseradish on Aldi white bread. It was already half gone by the time the photographer arrived. HC

Smallish chuck eye steaks, bakers and roasted asparagus. HC

Linguini with clam sauce tonight. I raked up these clams this morning. Chopping the garlic, parsley, basil and cilantro for the sauce with olive oil and white wine was a painful effort because I had not raked clams in months and the muscles in my back let me know about it. The payoff was well worth it though! HC

The clam beds finally opened up yesterday for the first time in months. Low tide was around 10:30 AM and I was there. I went home with a little over 7 dozen, a mixed bag of middle necks and little necks. For the first hour, my only companion was a striper fisherman, but by the time I left there were 2 other clammers. HC

This time I soaked 1 lb. of split peas for a few hours in the morning, rinsed them and cooked them at high pressure in the IP for 70 minutes with about twice their volume of water. I let it cool down, made sure it was smooth and added the ham bone (this was a half a butt ham on which I had left quite a bit of meat), let it cool down again, removed the bones and cut up the ham and seasoned the soup with a little hot sauce, garlic and pepper. We were both quite happy with it. HC

I cannot express how greatly I enjoyed this $9 Aldi ham, that has provided dinners, breakfasts and lunches for more than a week. Perhaps one of the best things was dinner tonight, pea soup with copious amounts of ham from the ham bone with a few carrots and a fresh batch of Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Another plus is the fact that Deb wants it for lunch tomorrow! HC

Grilled chicken thighs with peas and scalloped potatoes. HC

Normally, sushi is a solo event for me, but Deb decided to join me today. On Sundays, my favorite sushi joint, Mahzu, has all you can eat sushi and sashimi for $23. Usually, that is more than I would spend eating a la carte, but I took a chance today. Deb ordered from the a la carte menu and started off with some shrimp shumai and fried pork dumplings. I got a spicy tuna roll, eel roll and some uni. Deb countered with some shrimp sushi (once she learned from a nearby table, that it was cooked). I responded with a scallop and an eel sushi. I was surprised how much I liked the raw scallop, dipped in a tiny bit of soy but finished up with two more eel sushi. HC .

Posted in the wrong place. HC

I have pork tenderloins that I bought on sale, stacked up like cord wood in the freezer, so it was time to get busy with them. Pork piccata tonight, with mashed potatoes and sprouts. HC

More leftover quiche, home fries with onions, and salsa. HC

Still trying to use up the baked ham from a few nights ago, I opted for grilled ham and Swiss on rye with fries last night. HC

Even though my Darto pan was delivered last Thursday, I got this email today from DHL. It kind of makes you wonder just what kind an outfit it is. (Take special note of the description). AWB Number: 5976118610 Pickup Date: 2018-10-18 14:30:39 Service: P Pieces: 1 Cust. Ref: Description: FLYING PAN STEAL Ship From: Ship To: DARTO FRAY JUSTO SANTA MARIA DE ORO 2305 LOCAL A LA CALLE ARC CAPITAL FEDERAL, ARC 1425 AR HungryChris WYLIE SCHOOL RD 97 CONNECTICUT CT CT CONNECTICUT VOLUNTOWN, CTConnecticut 06351 US EVENT CATEGORY 22 Oct 18 12:37 PM - Shipment on hold - WEST HARTFORD,UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Further Details - The piece has arrived later than normally scheduled and cannot make its expected planned movement / delivery cycle Next Steps - The shipment will be processed in the next available movement or delivery cycle Of Course the names may have been changed to protect the innocent, but just as I sat down to type this, a DHL van pulled up the driveway and delivered pan number 2 ????? Not quite sure what to say.....keep 'em coming? HC

Ham & Swiss on rye. HC

Leftover ham and cheese quiche and home fries with onions. The fresh salsa was intended to go with the home fries, but I quickly discovered it went swimmingly with the quiche as well. HC

Ham, home fries with onions and poached eggs on rye toast. HC

Both flattered and honored, Shelby! HC