HungryChris

My latest score on Amazon. These 2 items would have cost me more at the local Asian market, not to mention the cost of gas and the wear on my car. I am a huge fan of 'click and wait'! Plus, I love being able to buy a 1 pound bag of tree ears, not an option near me. HC

The last of my mortadella with the usual suspects (lately this includes baby Swiss, marinated zucchini, and roasted red peppers). Today I added some homemade garlic dills, some tomatoes, blistered shishito peppers and a cold beer. It was just about all I could handle, but just enough to make me wish I was immortal. HC

Being called away from the dinner table just after plating, the other night, has left its mark on me. Last night, it was dinner that we could bring with us, if need be. HC

After carefully preparing a dinner of local corn (picked while I waited), powerful garlic bread and Love Salads, last night, this meal was never 'consummated' , but rather, packed up and put away, just after being photographed, as we had to respond to Deb's daughter's car failure with emergency relief and a loaner car. After bringing Deb to work this morning, I made a stoic effort to recover, and it wasn't half bad. Here's breakfast: Here's the dinner that never was: As they say in so many sports, 'It's the recovery that counts.' I was pretty happy with mine! HC

Mortadella, baby Swiss, marinated zucchini and roasted red peppers on a corn Kaiser roll, along with a little reading material to help me decide on who will get my votes in the Connecticut primary when we vote this evening. HC

Why thank you, @ElsieD. These were ground beef that had been cooked in a fry pan and drained of most of the fat, then seasoned with salt & pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin, hit with a splash of beer for moisture and put in the taco shells. That was covered with a layer of pico de gallo followed by a layer of sharp cheddar cheese and baked in a casserole dish lined with non-stick aluminum foil at 375 F for 15 minutes and served with more pico de gallo, fresh salsa, finely shredded cabbage and sour cream (which I brought out after the camera was put away). HC

Dinner tonight was tacos. Even though the boxes have 12 shells in them, I have staged a mild revolt, and only cook the 8 that we will actually eat. We have taken to finely shredded cabbage instead of lettuce. HC

I ran errands this morning and did a bit of grocery shopping for dinner. I was hoping to spend some time in the garden this afternoon, but a steady rain has thwarted those plans. Today is the 13th of the month and we already have 5 1/2 inches of rain. I can almost hear my tomatoes cracking from here, in the dining room. For lunch, I went with a bowl of spicy chicken ramen, a cold beer and perhaps a nap. HC

Once again, lobster was on sale. I believe the Chinese tariffs are the cause: https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/07/20/lobster-prices-plummet/kCVziDHnOiDZrTusfTrRZK/story.html Nevertheless, we could not resist. HC

Let the sauce making begin. HC

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day (especially in August!). HC

Steak night for Deb, lamb night for me. Bakers and garden tomatoes on the side. HC

Usually, when it is hot and humid, I don't want much for breakfast, but because we decided to skip dinner last night, this morning was an exception. Poached eggs on a toasted snowflake roll, scrapple, home fries with onions and roasted peppers. HC

I did try it and it worked well. The only surprise was that in 3 days, they were ready. I was expecting it to be a week or more. HC

Pork tenderloin schnitzel on a snowflake roll with lettuce, tomato and mayo. Deb's favorite tomato and cuke salad on the side, with dill and garlic mayo, a bit of fried zucchini, this batch is served with a spicy ranch dressing. HC

Mortadella, baby Swiss, roasted peppers and marinated zucchini on a poppy seeded roll with mayo and Dijon mustard. On the side are the garden tomatoes leftover from dinner, along with a quality control check of the half gallon of garlic dills before Deb brings them in to the truck shop tomorrow. The guys seem to love them and when it's 90 F in their work area, I figure they can use a little salt. HC

Korean BBQ wings, local corn and garden tomatoes. HC

Shelby, I bet I am not the only one waiting, patiently (until now) to hear about the results. Has the cat got your tongue? HC

I live quite near the boarder to Rhode Island, which has a few benefits, not the least of which, is cheaper gasoline. By driving just a few miles down the road, I can save a few dollars on a fill-up. Another advantage is the fact that I can buy canned soda, without paying the 5 cent deposit on each can, which is made even better by the fact that I can redeem these same cans here in the state of Connecticut for 5 cents each, but, I digress. The point I wish to make is this: I regularly venture into the Stop & Shop near me in RI, to get gas, and will usually bring a cooler with me and take a quick sprint around the store to look for any bargains I can find, and perhaps zero in on dinner. Today was just such a day, and in my quick sprint around the store, I noticed lobsters at $5.99 pp. Dinner plans were made! The tomatoes are coming in fast and furious, so fresh herbed tomatoes with kosher salt and robust olive oil are standard procedure this time of year. The lobster went quickly, but the tomatoes only lingered briefly. HC

I spent the morning in the garden, until I could barely stand up and came inside as the temp approached 90 F. I made a small chef salad with lots of tomatoes and topped it off with the first shishito pepper of the season. Speaking of barely being able to stand up, take a closer look at this beer glass. I think it wasn't quite ready for the cooling rack. I was pretty upset, when I first noticed it, but find it kind of comical now. HC

It's not really a recipe, but a description. https://forums.egullet.org/topic/156030-dinner-2018-part-1/?page=141&tab=comments#comment-2163242 Hughies restaurant was in the same neighborhood and fell victim to the same eminent domain debacle that is the subject of the recent movie "The Little Pink House".

Chorizo stuffed clams, 'Love Salads' and Cheddar Bay biscuits. HC

Here, they are written about and listed on menus as if they are the same thing. These are dark brown to black. So, I take it they are wood, or tree ears. I always wondered where the cloud ear term came from. In either respect, it must be the texture that puts them on the table, as they, like you say, have no flavor, but I do enjoy them in combination with the ramen, broth and other vegetables. HC

Nothing new, but I am compelled to document even the ordinary. Ramen, with par boiled tree (or cloud) ears, snow peas and half moon slices of zucchini that have been sautéed in a bit of used peanut oil and some home grown garlic and tajin, some kimchi and a healthy glug of chili oil, topped with fresh chives and a garnish of pickled ginger. HC

Hot day today and supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. I went the simple route, and cooked steaks and bakers, outside, on the grill. Deb likes her steak (the one in the foreground) medium wellish. I have learned to get the grill screaming hot, put the 2 baked potatoes that I have miked for 12 minutes, on a small sizzle platter, on the grill for 6 minutes, (it is over 500 F at this point) then turn off one burner and put Deb's steak over the turned off side. This will put the first grill marks on her steak. I will turn it after 5 minutes, turn it again, after another 5 minutes. At this point, that side of the grill is no longer leaving grill marks, but the heat of the grill is baking it, and her steak is just passing medium. I then put my steak on the hot side, long enough to mark it, turn it, and bring in, and plate the crisp skinned potatoes. At that point, I put the final grill marks on both our steaks, over the hot side of the grill, plate them, and shut everything off outside. As complex as this system sounds, Deb's steak is cooked to her liking, but still juicy and mine is still quite rare. Here is my very rare steak. HC