C. sapidus

SIL leaves this afternoon so we went out for breakfast at Showroom, another Voltaggio place (used to be Family Meal). Me: Huevos rancheros with chorizo, frijoles refritos, avocado, tortilla chips, and (hidden) crema. SIL: Avocado toast flight. Mrs. C had bagel with lox, cucumbers, and capers (no pic).

For SIL's last meal here we went out to Wye Oak Tavern, a Voltaggio restaurant in a de-consecrated abbey. Instead of getting mains we dined on appetizers and sides. Started with coddies - salted cod brandade, cauliflower tartar sauce, cauliflower giardiniera (not pictured) Rest of the meal, from top left: House salad - iceberg lettuce, carrot vinaigrette, lime yogurt, chickpea crunch Shells & cheese - toasted panko, aged cheddar, chives Spiced sweet potatoes - pomegranate molasses, lime yogurt Broccoli rabe - broccoli chimichurri, crushed red pepper, crispy garlic Crab cake - shishito emulsion, blue corn tortilla, buttermilk lime crema Smoked beet pastrami - gruyere cheese funnel cake, thousand island dressing Macaroni - dry aged beef bolognese, fontina fondue My favorites were the sweet potato and broccoli rabe. After a little walking around we stopped for a flight of ice cream - roasted strawberry, caramel crunch, butter pecan, and honey graham.

Yes, roasted Poblano chiles over the gas flame on the cooktop, wrapped in a dishcloth to steam, and then the skin slips right off. Sorry you don't have Poblanos nearby. We can usually get good ones at the international market down the street, but these Mrs. C picked up at a farm stand.

Poblano chile and swordfish sausage tacos with thyme, Mexican oregano, garlic, half-and-half, and (non-traditional) shallots. Some (not pictured) were jazzed up with feta cheese and jalapeno salsa. Roasted Poblano chiles are a positive force in the universe.

Grill eggplant over charcoal: Grilled eggplant salad (yam makreua yao) from Thai Food: Cool and peel eggplant, then mix with mint leaves, sliced shallot, chopped scallion, lime juice, chile powder, and fish sauce. Serve topped with ground dried shrimp and steamed eggs. Temporary bachelor meal because Mrs. C is out of town and does not like the texture of mushy eggplant.

Not homemade - from Boston, apparently. Mrs. C picked them up at our local seafood market. Edit: I think she was hoping they were like the delicious smoked swordfish we had in Puerto Vallarta, which tasted like pastrami. No ideal why it hasn't caught on globally, I wish we could get something like that locally.

Swordfish sausage and yellow squash in spicy tomato sauce. The goal was to use up excess yellow squash, yellow tomatoes, and jalapenos from the farmer's market. Sauteed the jalapenos, onion, and garlic, added chopped tomatoes, and cooked everything down to a sauce with black pepper, fish sauce, ancho chile powder, and freshly-ground cumin. Added the swordfish sausage and cooked until nearly done. Added cubed yellow squash, sauteed until still firm, and then finished with Mexican oregano and crumbled feta cheese. Would make again, in the unlikely event today's circumstances repeat.

Catfish kebabs with cherry tomatoes and bacon. Marinated and glazed with Sriracha, habanero salsa, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rosemary. I was over-enthusiastic with the charcoal, to the bacon's detriment, but the fish and 'maters were perfect. Black-ripe platanos sauteed in butter

Mrs. C dragged SIL around the local farm stands and fish markets, so their bounty is what we had for dinner. Halibut cheeks, simply prepared with S&P. Yellow watermelon salad with tomatoes, balasmic vinegar, and Thai basil. Dry-fried green beans with chorizo, Tianjin preserved vegetable, ginger, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine.

Visiting SIL was curious about the sorrel we have growing in a pot, so we made a sorrel overload meal. Arroz verde with sorrel, cilantro, roasted chile Poblano, fried onions and garlic, and chicken stock, finished with cubed/fried plantain. Mrs. C made ground beef with some sort of sorrel sauce. Quite tasty mixed together! We also had a sliced local tomato, which I missed in the cell phone pic. SIL said she wasn't very hungry but went back for seconds, and is now talking about growing sorrel when she returns home.

Another stop for tacos on the road, this time chorizo tacos with a zingy green salsa from a taco truck. Much more manageably filled this time . . . What looks like a Foley bag (medical folks will know) is actually a plastic bag full of passion fruit juice, with a straw tied in for drinking. Disappeared quickly on a warm day.

Yes it would have worked better with 3 tacos and the same amount of filling.

Stopped at a brewery with a disc golf course AND Caribbean-influenced taco truck near Richmond VA. Talk about full service! 😃 Had to try the oxtail tacos with mango habanero salsa. Unctuously delicious.

Firstly, that lamb looks delicious! Second, I do have one bit of experience with regard to Big Green Eggs. We had a large one, which was great for feeding hordes of people. But for routine cooking it took way too long to heat up, so we rarely used it and eventually passed it along to a nephew (who uses it all the time). So, for regular usage, I think smaller is better than bigger, unless you absolutely need bigger. Good luck!

I appreciate the kind offer, but I know I have found candlenuts locally. Or, as you said, just remember to mail order some. 🙂

"Candlenut" chile paste: Long red chiles, shallots, garlic, and macadamias subbed for candlenuts "Fish in spicy coconut gravy" (gulai ikan): Rub snapper fillets with salt and lime juice. Simmer chile paste above with turmeric, crushed galangal slices, lime zest (sub for lime leaves AND lemongrass - bad day at the Asian market), and coconut milk. Add fillets, tamarind, sugar, sliced long red chiles, and fish sauce. Would make again, preferably with all the ingredients. Cucumber relish:

Eggs with Poblano chile rajas and chorizo, flavored with shallot, bird chiles, garlic, feta cheese, cilantro, and Thai basil. Cucumbers and corn tortillas

Java salad with peanut sauce (gado gado, but I skipped quite a few ingredients 'cuz there's only two of us): Blanch sliced spinach, cabbage, and chayote, then dress with peanut sambal. Peanut sambal (sambal kacang): Blend together long red chiles, bird chiles, garlic, tamarind, palm sugar, and peanut butter, and season with fish sauce. Mrs. C is a peanut sauce fiend, so I'll make this again. Before mixing: Grilled scallops: Marinate scallops with blended cilantro stems, garlic, shallots, ground white peppercorns, ground coriander seed, curry powder, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Skewer scallops, mix a little coconut milk with the marinade, and grill over charcoal with oak smoke wood, basting with excess marinade. Next time I'll build a hotter fire. Served with Mae Ploy sweet chile sauce.

Garlic-black bean pan-fried monkfish: Coating was chopped cilantro stems, ginger, a head of garlic, fermented black beans, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cayenne, black pepper, and a little sugar. Fry monkfish fillets and remove. Stir-fry the coating, remove half, add the fish, and then slather with the remaining coating, turning once. A long-time favorite. Finish with cilantro. Jasmine rice to go with. Mrs. C has developed a serious muhammara addiction, and made another batch. Friend made a beet dip, which was very good. Sliced cucumbers and toasted naan to go with. Friend also brought dessert: it was like flan in a puff pastry crust, baked in the air fryer. No pics

Last of the Oaxacan chorizo with roasted orange bell pepper and an over-easy fried egg. Sauce was a paste of long red chiles, shallot, garlic, and cumin, plus the last of the "super spicy" kimchee, fish sauce, and a squeeze of lime. Mrs. C is going back to the fishmonger - I hope they have more chorizo.

What's wrong with wood? Preferably end grain. 🙂

Coho salmon with blackening spices, courtesy of Mrs. C and the air fryer. Parmesan-crusted yellow squash, courtesy of me. Bell peppers, carrots, and store-bought hummus, leftover from having friends for snacks and dessert on Friday.

Oaxacan chorizo, Savoy cabbage, and sliced onion with a sauce of cooked down tomato, long red chiles, garlic, black pepper, cayenne, and fish sauce, finished with feta cheese.

Stir-fried bay scallops with roasted chile paste, garlic, ginger, minced serranos, and fish sauce, finished with slivered serranos and mint. Didn't have enough lettuce for wraps so I made tacos. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Must be BLT season - this one with Sriracha mayo