BeeZee

At $7/lb, I hand picked those 8 cherries😁

I treated myself to a handful of Rainier cherries since they looked good at Whole Foods. 8 cherries cost me close to $2., at least they were tasty.

I just ate some SC freestone peaches that were pretty good. Nectarines have been very good this year, cherries not so good, they have been from CA rather than WA, which I prefer.

As a child, I used to read cookbooks front to back, and had been given a Betty Crocker (IIRC) cookbook geared towards children. I'd pick something out and ask my Mom if I could make it. One time she had another couple coming over for dinner (friends since I was a toddler) and I asked to make Baked Alaska for their dessert. I don't think that was the first thing I cooked (my guess is grilled cheese or Kraft dinner), but it was an adventure and I was pretty thrilled that it turned out right!

The serving sizes continue to be laughable on the labels, I needed to pick up something for a quick desk lunch and purchased the plastic container "lemon chicken and arugula salad". The label states 2.5 servings - and the only think I can think of was the 5 little pieces of chicken divvied up as 2 per portion🤣. The salad was perfectly acceptable ($5.49), a bit of baby arugula on the bottom, topped with large/pearl couscous, scattering of dried black currents, some other grain (quinoa?), and a sweet/spicy red pepper dressing that was far too sweet.

Shelby, I make this up as I go and depending on what I have. This time it was 3 small squash (thinner=less seeds) and 2 carrots cut into strips lengthwise with a Y-peeler, one chopped up Roma tomato (I usually prefer halved cherry tomatoes). I made a vinaigrette using a small dab of anchovy paste, spoonful of dijon, S/P, Aleppo or smoked pepper flakes, some dried thyme, red wine vinegar + rice wine vinegar, drop of honey (reduced sharpness), olive oil. I just mixed it in a small bowl, it probably was around 1/4c of dressing. After tossing everything together, added more salt after tasting, and some crumbled feta cheese.

Raw summer squash “carpaccio”…it softens slightly after marinating about an hour, but retains most of its texture.

I found a couple of meals were OK, IIRC they had a chicken breast with peanut sauce that had good flavor. The chicken is good quality, none of that injected spongy textured stuff.

I had bought it a couple of months ago at T.J. Maxx or one of those types of stores that has random food items, bottle of "smoked pepper flakes". Seems to be smoked Aleppo pepper, and I am loving it on avocado toast, cheese toasties, or on hummous. Very smoky.

Negamaki!

Joann Fabric has a "Primo Days" special for 25% off everything, shipping is $1.95 under $75 (IIRC). They have a fair amount of Wilton pans and other supplies for casual home bakers.

Set of 3 mini springform pans, silicon baking mat, set of mini silicon tart molds. Have some visitors coming next month, so I figured I'd play around with small batch baking and maybe ice cream cake/icebox cake.

Arugula with baked (seasoned) tofu and tomatoes. Pretty good vegan bottled "caesar" dressing from Whole Foods on the greens. The tofu was a packaged product, I like my homemade version better.

Would have loved something like this in my dorm room. We were forbidden to have most appliances due to the electrical load (1800's era building) and the most anyone managed was to cook Kraft mac+cheese in a hotpot designed to (sort of) boil a couple of cups of water. Which had to be hidden when not in use😉

My source of fresh figs (and garden tomatoes) doesn’t work with me any longer, you’ve just reminded me🙁

My husband won't eat cold cheese, but he enjoys melted cheese (pizza, nachos, etc.). He says it's a texture thing, but I think its PTSD from when he worked for a large cheese manufacturer😁.

Many businesses are throwing in the towel with the actual holiday falling on a Tuesday, and choosing to close on Monday, giving many people a long weekend. Any summertime cooking/entertaining plans? After our month of lovely weather, of course we're now dealing with uncertain weather and possible thunderstorms, so planning is difficult. My husband and I are having some friends over on Sunday evening, and I've planned for things that don't rely on use of the grill outdoors if the weather doesn't cooperate. Tuna steaks + chimichurri sauce, corn/tomato/avocado salad, simple pilaf or cous cous. Guests are bringing desserts. Chilling some Gruner Veltliner and Rose.

The classic (NY style) sausage and peppers is a pile of cooked GBP and onion, with grilled sausage, on a good sturdy roll. Maybe all the sausage fat tempers the bitter flavor? I'm ambivalent about them (will eat, but prefer red or yellow bells), and if it is grilling season, they are OK if the skins are blackened/removed.

I was pondering the same question as @chromedome regarding vegans. If a vegan abstains from animal products, these "should" be off the table for most of them, since they are created using animal cells. Hell, vegans won't even eat honey, which is a product created by bees and doesn't kill bees (aside from a few unintentional casualties) in the harvesting process. I'm flexitarian, I'd just eat less actual meat (which I don't eat much as it is) before I'd eat a laboratory created product.

For any Trader Joe's shoppers... recall for potential Listeria monocytogenes in frozen Organic Tropical Fruit Blend. BEST BY dates 01/30/24, 01/31/24, 02/01/24, 02/02/24, and 02/03/24. Since I'm sure this product is supplied to other supermarkets, be aware before blending a smoothie!

Quinoa salad with cooked pesto shrimp, fresh basil, sliced grape tomatoes.

Reviving the topic for 2023, I tried a recipe using full-fat coconut milk for the dressing, as I had an upcoming event where it would be sitting out for a while in the heat. It had "tropical" inspired flavors - lime juice/zest, cilantro, fresh mango (good to use ones that are a bit tart) - and was very refreshing. It didn't taste of coconut, but next time I may add some toasted coconut flakes to the mix along with the cashew garnish. It is also vegan, if you have the need.

@rotuts, I've bought those dolmas several times, they benefit from a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before eating.

Pasta salad using some leftover grilled chicken (small dice), skinny asparagus cooked in the boiling water before the pasta (about 2 min), radiatore shape is my favorite for pasta salad.

Zimt, nelken, muskatnuss, ingwer, rosenblutenblatter. The rose petals are very intriguing.