C. sapidus

Keema with spinach and coconut milk. Usual flavorings (onion, chiles, ginger, garlic) and spices (black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cumin, garam masala, fenugreek seeds) plus some unusual additions/substitutions (dried fenugreek leaves and lots of basil). Turmeric rice with sweet potato to go with.

Dungeness crab and Sichuan peppercorn broccoli scrambled eggs

Mrs. C steamed pre-cooked Dungeness crab. Not bad. We picked the leftovers so there should be plenty for a nice breakfast. 😃 Broccoli with Sichuan peppercorns, dried chiles, fermented black beans, and fish sauce, finished with sesame oil.

Can't recall the last time I cooked with bananas. Apparently I'm cooking Maryland-style wrong. I do like plantains? Probably when the port of Baltimore was actually busy. The B&O railroad and the National Highway (now US 40) connected the port of Baltimore with the interior, and the city was one of the US top ten by population from the earliest census through 1980, rising as high as #2 from 1830 to 1850.

Haha. I have never heard the term in a lifetime of living in Maryland. So it is not like we are running around all proud of ourselves over a cut of chicken. 😉 Preparation, from the link I posted upthread: Escoffier’s Chicken Maryland is a breaded, pan-fried chicken garnished with bananas. According to Francis Beirne’s 1951 classic “The Amiable Baltimoreans,” bananas were one of the Port of Baltimore’s 10 leading imports, and they made their way into all sorts of dishes. Sounds like fuzzy nomenclature whether "chicken Maryland" refers to the cut or the preparation. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Sourdough bread (from Mrs. C) and borscht (from Russian neighbors). Yesterday's dinner and today's lunch.

Looks great! I have never heard of chicken Maryland, even though I live here. Was your recipe anything like this? Escoffier’s Chicken Maryland is a breaded, pan-fried chicken garnished with bananas. According to Francis Beirne’s 1951 classic “The Amiable Baltimoreans,” bananas were one of the Port of Baltimore’s 10 leading imports, and they made their way into all sorts of dishes.

Quick chicken korma. Stir-fried cabbage and bell peppers with fennel seeds. Microwave cilantro rice.

Sweet potato and salsa negra tacos, with white onion, garlic, jalapeno, crushed tomato, Mexican oregano, cumin, and feta cheese

Wow. Quite a few of my absolute favorite foods, right in one meal. Fantastic! Invite me next time?

Thank you! Sautéed onions, garlic, and the ground turkey, and then simmered with chicken stock, crushed tomato, ground cloves, cumin, Mexican oregano, and a big dollop of the salsa negra I made the other day:

Asparagus soup topped with ground, spiced almonds from Mrs. C Ground turkey in chipotle salsa and arroz Poblano from me. Still cleaning our the fridge and freezer after being gone for a month. Relative was in DC yesterday so we met at The Hamilton. Crab cake, coleslaw, tartar sauce, and a side salad for me. Pic won't upload. Oh well.

I think that is just bottled salsa that I drizzled on before serving. Maybe on the sauteed onions?

Breakfast tacos with salsa negra, green beans, and feta

Mrs. C bought a set of Caraway non-stick frying pans maybe 9 months ago. I think they were discount because of a couple of minor dings. They have held up well, although the canary-yellow outsides look like the pans get used (which they do). The main thing I notice is that the Caraway pans cook more like cast iron: they are slow to heat but have good heat retention. This took some getting used to compared with the responsive aluminum and copper pans I am used to. We have been happy with them, but price matters because non-stick pans are basically disposable. I hope that helps.

Welcome! Can't remember the last time I saw "squeeed" used in a sentence.

Made enough salsa negra for a few meals. Morita (dried chipotle) and pasilla chiles, fried in oil and soaked in a syrup of brown sugar and molasses. Garlic cloves, fried until golden brown. Whomped in the Preethi with crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, and then simmered for 20 minutes until dark and thick. One of my favorite sauces ever: hot, sweet, smoky and mysterious. Quite different than if made with canned chipotles in adobo. Shrimp and green bean tacos with salsa negra, cinnamon, cumin, Mexican oregano, and a little crema.

Leftover sauerkraut, frozen meatballs, and carrots with ketchup, hot sauce, lime juice, and bay leaves, finished with Mexican crema. This time I rinsed the sauerkraut, which was better.

We had leftover pork loin and sauerkraut. Simmer with mustard, horseradish, fennel, bay leaf, garlic, and hot sauce and then call it lunch. But now I'm hankering for a good Reuben . . .

For the Packer game Mrs. C made beer brats, served with sauerkraut and grainy mustard. Troegs doppelbock to go with.

Younger son's friends stopped by with a freshly-baked lemon pound cake. Really good as is, or sliced and toasted with butter.

Have fun with the music, and I hope the medical misadventures resolve quickly. Dunno if you will be anywhere near Las Cruces, NM but if so, I can strongly recommend the getting chile rellenos at El Jacalito Restaurant. One of the best things we ate in a month on the road.

Easy but good dinner: rockfish and smoked salmon salad on toasted bagel. Dressing was mayo, brown mustard, horseradish, and diced Tony Packo's Sweet Hots (pickles). We brought back the canned fish from our trip to Alaska last year. The rockfish was packed with sumac and dill, both were quite delicious as is.

Two thoughts: 1. Consider Ikea cabinets before you hand $$$ to a cabinet store. We installed ours 15+ years ago and they have held up great. 2. Regarding cabinet layout, first inventory everything you have (pots, pans, dishes, pantry, etc.) and - very important - how many linear feet of shelving each takes up. Next, consider what should be where (convenient prep area; trash near the sink; dishes near the dishwasher; pots, pans, and cooking utensils near the stove; etc.). With that info you can figure out where you need drawers, shelves, etc., which gets you 80% of the way there. Good luck!

Green beans and leftover pork loin, stir-fried with shallots, dou ban jian, Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce, and an egg, and then finished with a drizzle of sesame oil.