C. sapidus

Scrambled eggs with roasted chile Poblano, onion, garlic, serrano chiles, cumin, thyme, Mexican oregano, and feta cheese

We have way too many mugs but these are notable. My mother used to pick up mugs from local craft fairs and these were two I kept from her collection. We have mugs from some, uh, unusual federal sites. I got the CDC mug for giving a pre-conference lecture there. Sorry, hard to read the lower right but that is from Camp David, the presidential retreat. This mug has seen some adventures in the past 25 years. It has a rubberized bottom and survived a several-block trip on the roof of my car. Eventually I figured out that the driver next to me was not being rude, he was letting me know I was about to lose a coffee mug. The mug also survived a car crash that caused several thousand dollars worth of damage without spilling a drop of coffee.

What I had: Opened cans of coconut milk, crushed tomato, and chipotle in adobo. Spinach and shrimp in the freezer, and Mexican chorizo in the fridge. Usual procedure after that. Sear shrimp and remove. Fry chorizo and remove. Saute sliced onion and minced garlic, fry dry spices (coriander, cumin, cloves, canela, black pepper, cardamom seed) then deglaze the pan with blended chipotle and tomato. Simmer with spinach and a roasted chile Poblano then finish with fish sauce and coconut milk. Spicy, rich, and aromatic, but I knew this would not be a pretty meal.

Where did you have these crab cakes? With regard to the title of this thread, sorry but I have never used bechamel in crab cakes. Not opposed to the idea, just never tried it. But I am curious whether these were Maryland-style mostly-crab cakes or whether the filler played a larger role.

I gave Red Dog a pink collar when she was 1-yo because everyone called her "he". Within a week the collar was mud brown. She's just not a pink collar kinda gal. Hope the pink collar works better on Scoutie. One of my favorite things I ever ate was a duck salad at a long-defunct local restaurant. Wish I had paid more attention to how they made it, but I think it was a warm salad with a balsamic vinegar dressing and some mushy but flavorful cheese. 🤷🏼‍♂️

A friend came over for dinner and I cooked a couple of South Indian dishes from 'Curry Cuisine' Kerala lamb: This was interesting in two ways. First, it was prepared like a Malaysian rendang - starts like a stew but the liquid cooks down to a spicy, aromatic glaze. Second, it contains a spice paste of grated coconut, sliced ginger, minced garlic, curry leaves, bay leaves, canela, cloves, and black pepper, all dry-roasted until the coconut browns. Other ingredients included shallots, ground coriander seed, cayenne, and turmeric, and a tadka of mustard seed, more curry leaves, and sliced chiles, quickly seared in hot oil. Mixed vegetable curry (rasa kayi): Carrots, potatoes, green beans, and cauliflower with lots of minced onion and sliced serrano chiles, flavored with ground coriander seed, cayenne, and turmeric, plus a spice paste of garlic, ginger, serrano chile, crushed tomato, and fennel seed. When everything is cooked swirl in coconut milk for richness. Very popular. Microwave cilantro rice to go with.

Potato soup with chipotle, crushed tomato, onion, garlic, chicken stock, cilantro, and a dollop of Greek yogurt Black beans with bacon, garlic, crushed tomato, ancho chile powder, roasted chile Poblano, and cilantro

Leftover lemongrass pork and broccolini with a meaty roasted chile Poblano, turned into an egg-thickened breakfast soup/stew. Sauteed shallots and the last of the bird chiles for flavor, cumin seed and thyme for aroma.

Grilled lemongrass pork chops: Marinate thick pork chops with minced lemongrass, garlic, scallions, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, whiskey, white pepper, sugar, and coconut milk. Grill over charcoal. Turned out well, will make again. Stir-fried broccolini with garlic, serrano chile, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and a little sugar.

Another "make a virtue of necessity" meal after returning home. Made a spice paste of toasted shrimp paste, Thai chiles, garlic, red curry paste, and red bell pepper in the Preethi. Seared shrimp and removed. Seared sliced red and yellow bell peppers and removed. Sauteed sliced onions and minced garlic, fried the spice paste, added fermented black beans, and adjusted seasonings with fish sauce, lime juice, cayenne, and brown sugar. Mix everything together and finish with Mexican oregano. Spicy and complex, so it didn't matter that there were only a few shrimp left in the bag.

Tonight’s dinner was called “use up everything at the AirBnB because we’re leaving tomorrow.” Shrimp, zucchini, green beans, and mushrooms, all seared separately. Sautéed shallots, chiles, and a head of garlic, then added spinach, cilantro, scallions, and thyme. Mixed in leftover salmon, a little half-and-half, feta cheese, and fish sauce and warmed through. Pretty decent, all considered.

Sauteed green beans, spinach, shallots, chiles, garlic, cilantro and thyme in bacon grease with some leftover bacon, then scrambled in eggs, heavy cream, and crumbled feta. Topped mine with Cholula

Seared shrimp with mushrooms and mashed sweet potatoes: Boiled sweet potato cubes and mashed with butter and heavy cream. Sautéed mushrooms with butter, S&P, and a sprig of rosemary, then added the shrimp. Discarded the rosemary and deglazed the pan with bourbon and heavy cream. I thought I made a lot but I had forgotten just how much food the boys eat. Peas with butter, thyme, and sage.

Molly Steven’s recipe from ‘All About Braising’ - something like this: Worlds best braised cabbage recipe (clicky)

Non-traditional Thanksgiving in an Indiana AirBnb. Looks like the menu will be salmon, mashed potatoes, world’s best braised cabbage, green bean salad, and dairy and non-dairy ice creams with bittersweet hot fudge sauce.

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.