C. sapidus

Welcome, Michael! I look forward to reading about your food explorations, especially the spicy ones. 🌶️

Two old stand-bys tonight: Keema matar: Ground lamb with sauteed onion, ginger, and garlic, seasoned with cayenne, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala, simmered with crushed tomato and yogurt, and then finished with peas, lemon juice, serrano chile, and cilantro. Microwave cilantro rice to go with. Stir-fried peppers with black beans and garlic: Seared orange and yellow bell pepper squares, stir-fried garlic and fermented black beans, and finishing splashes of rice vinegar, chicken stock, and sesame oil.

I thought the same, and was very happy to see them still available.

After 25 years or so I finally broke down and replaced our Magnum Unicorn pepper grinder with . . . . . . exactly the same thing!

Mrs. C made halibut for dinner the other night, and there was a piece left over so I cut it into cubes for green curry. We also had sliced onions from last night's dinner. Blended Mae Ploy green curry paste with sliced jalapeno, garlic, ginger, galangal, palm sugar, and cilantro stems. Sauteed the onions with more garlic, fried the curry paste, and then mixed in cilantro leaves and microwave chopped spinach with a small amount of coconut milk. Seasoned with fish sauce and garam masala, and warmed the halibut in the curry. End result was sneaky-hot and aromatic, just what I needed.

Gyros from the Greek Orthodox church. They used to do this once a year, now I think they are up to three annually. Unpictured baklava to go with, naturally. The picture looks tatziki-heavy but these were meaty gyros off a rotating spit.

We had frozen strawberries, picked locally this summer, and ice cream. Mrs. C offered to make a boozy milkshake for watching the Packers. I suggested Pikesville Rye. So that is what we had.

Soft-scrambled eggs with shrimp, zucchini, and sliced fennel. Onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, fish sauce, garam masala, and feta to round out the flavors. I used the fennel tops in mole verde the other night, but I had never cooked with fennel bulb before. Just sliced it thin and sauteed with the onion. Man, I really liked the texture and subtle licorice flavor. I can see more fennel in my future.

Yes, I was going to suggest a ristra: How to dry chile peppers, plus how to make a ristra (clicky)

Friends came over for dinner – these pictures are next day’s leftovers. We started with Mrs. C’s muhamara, served with pita chips. This was her best batch yet. Mole verde Oaxaqueno: First time making this, but it won’t be the last. Simmer cubed pork butt (and the bone) with white onion and garlic, adding a can of drained Navy beans towards the end. When the pork is tender, strain in a colander and reserve the broth. Meanwhile, roast tomatillos, garlic cloves, and Serrano chiles and blend to a smooth sauce with freshly-ground cumin, cloves, and black pepper. I rendered some of the trimmed pork fat into lard, and used that to fry the tomatillo sauce. Add pork broth and simmer, then add green beans and cubed chayote. Mix masa harina with pork broth and then whisk into the mole to thicken. Add the beans and meat, salt to taste, and simmer some more. The last step was making a puree from parsley, epazote, fennel leaves, and cilantro. This gets mixed in just before serving, adding a lovely green color and fresh aroma. The stew nearly filled a Dutch oven, but seven diners nearly finished it off. Served with arroz blanco: Jasmine rice fried with white onion, then steamed with extra pork broth and roasted Poblano chiles. Mrs. C also steamed broccoli and roasted sweet potato two ways: one with curry powder and brown sugar, the other (skins on) with butter and Old Bay. Served with more muhamara. Guests brought ginger snaps and amazingly rich and fudgy brownies with chocolate chips.

Kimchi and feta omelet

Pollo con oregano: Simmer chicken drumsticks in chicken stock with sliced white onion and garlic. Rub with a paste of garlic and oregano, marinate for an hour or so, and then grill over charcoal. Swiss chard tacos: Slice Swiss chard and boil for a minute. Saute sliced white onion and garlic, then mix in the chard. Toss with crumbled feta and serve with steamed corn tortillas.

Chorizo, shrimp, and zucchini tacos with shallot, garlic, bird chiles, thyme, Mexican oregano, and a splash of half-and-half.

I like Tony Packo's Sweet Hots. Sadly, they seem to be no longer locally available.

Fried basmati rice with chorizo, rotisserie chicken (gift from neighbors), green beans, and zucchini. Also added cherry tomatoes, cilantro, sliced onion, minced garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, and fish sauce.