C. sapidus

Indian last night, served with crusty bread: Gingery cauliflower soup: Sauteed onion, ginger, and garlic, seasoned with aromatic spices, simmered with cauliflower florets, cubed potatoes, and homemade chicken stock, pureed with a stick blender, and then finished with a little heavy cream. We will make this again and again. ”Delicious chicken bits”: Marinated chunks of chicken breast with ajwan seeds, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, salt, and a little oil. Stir-fried to sear and then baked until done. I took the picture at breakfast – this looked better the night before.

For the veggies, what about a weed whacker in a clean, lidded plastic trash can?

I tried this tonight. We had two boneless ribeyes, probably two inches thick at the minimum (six bucks a pound at Costco). We cooked one in a cast iron skillet, the other in a copper sauteuse. The cast iron ran a bit hot, but the copper pan maintained a steady low-medium. Since the “steaks” were so thick, we finished them in a 170F oven for about 15 minutes. Call us philistines if you must, but the whole family preferred our usual approach: briefly marinate steak with soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper; sear over a hot grill; and finish in a cool oven. We enjoyed the experiment, though, and to be fair, little remained of 4.5 pounds of ribeye.

This lovely paragraph deserves to be reproduced. My strongest travel memories are not monuments or museums, but small illustrations of daily life. For instance, I always associate Siberia with the aroma of freshly-baked fruit pastries mingling with diesel fumes and wafting through our hotel window, open in December for temperature control. Erin, we like to pair tangy carrots (nice browning on yours, btw) with something rich and creamy.

Marcella seems very anti-fennel with regards to sausage. I'm not against fennel myself, in fact, I enjoy it in sausages, but she says it's inauthentic. Are you pro-fennel, or against? ← I favor fennel, especially in Indian food. Since Marcella is so adamantly anti-fennel, I was curious to try the recipe as directed. To my taste buds (probably somewhat chile-scorched), the presence or absence of fennel did not alter my enjoyment of the dish. Caveat: I am not particularly knowledgeable about Italian cooking. Furthermore, when cooking my ultimate goal is enjoyment rather than authenticity (ignoring the long and often interesting discussion of what is authentic). That said, authenticity can provide valuable insights along the path to enjoyment, and often turns out to be the final destination. Good luck tackling fish.

Nakji, I hope that every day, in every way, you are getting better and better. Another Tuesday, another meal from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen. Conchiglie col sugo di salsicce, panna e pomodoro [did I get that right?] (shells with sausages, cream, and tomato, p. 137). I must have made this frequently years ago, because the book splits to the binding at this page. We used Johnsonville mild Italian sausage, which helpfully lists “spice” as one of the ingredients, although I did not notice any fennel seeds or flavor. Grated parmigiano-reggiano not shown, but sprinkled on at the table. Carote in scapece (sauteed carrots with vinegar and oregano, p. 254). We made this first, and left it out for snacking before dinner. Good stuff. Belga alla moda del radicchio di Treviso (grilled Belgian endive, p. 249). Olive oil, pepper, salt, and delicious blackened leaf tips courtesy of the broiler. Yum.

I can’t imagine garlic shriveling at our house. We go through several heads in a typical week. How would you have used garlic if it had been available? The steak looks great, and I look forward to trying the method. Thanks for taking the time to document.

Good luck with the pre-holiday diet. Which Rick Bayless book(s) do you prefer? I have not cooked Zarela’s roast turkey, but I would be very interested to hear your evaluation if you try it. We made mostly Mexican food for our holiday dinner last year. It went over well, but this year we will probably try something different.

Gorgeous meals, Prawncrackers, thanks for sharing. Dinner from My Bombay Kitchen: Goan fish curry made with coconut milk, fried onion, curry leaves, tamarind, and a masala of garlic, dried chiles, coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, and turmeric. Just before serving, we added chunks of fish and cooked until barely done. Oh, man, that was good. Served with basmati rice pullao and stir-fried Swiss chard with ginger. Swiss chard is one of the few greens that the boys like.

Spicy basil chicken (gai pad gka-prow); stir-fried baby bok choy with garlic and oyster sauce; steamed jasmine rice. All from It Rains Fishes. Hot and sour shrimp soup (tom yam goong), from Thailand the Beautiful Cookbook. So far, this is my favorite version of this soup.

Thanks, Kalypso. I need to try mole verde next time I get a free weekend. For an informal chile cook-off, we made Rick Bayless’ traditional variation of manchamanteles de cerdo y pollo (simple red mole with meat, fowl, and fruit) from Authentic Mexican. Manchamanteles (“tablecloth stainer”) is usually listed as one of the seven moles of Oaxaca. I couldn't resist making a dish that promised to stain tablecloths. Chorizo sausage, pork shoulder, and chicken thighs provided a variety of meaty flavors. The delicious sauce contained ancho and pasilla chiles (toasted and soaked), onions and garlic (browned), peanuts and almonds (toasted), cloves, canela, and black peppercorns (ground) and bread, all smoothly pureed in the Preethi before straining. We fried the sauce to deepen the flavor and release the fond, thinned the sauce with water, and then added the pork. While the pork simmered we fried chorizo sausage, browned chunks of chicken thigh meat, and deglazed the frying pan with some of the simmering sauce. When the pork was tender we added the chicken and chorizo, and then finished with a sweet-sour combination of cider vinegar, fried plantains, and cubed pineapple. Multiple cycles of browning and deglazing gave the sauce a lot of depth. Generous salting is often necessary to coax out the complex flavors of a mole, and that was the case today. We will definitely make this again. None of the manchamanteles survived, so unfortunately no pictures.

Erin, I hope your arm is on the mend. If you can’t cook, would you write anyway? Election night with Marcella: Fricaseed chicken with onions (pollo con le cipolle), from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen. Six cups of thinly-sliced onions morphed into a concentrated, delicious mass after two hours or so. This method reminded me of brown-frying onions in Indian cuisine. Thin spaghetti with anchovy and tomato sauce (spaghettini con sugo di pommodoro e acciughe), from The Classic Italian Cookbook. Quick, simple, and disappeared completely. Sauteed zucchini with tarragon and white wine, from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen. The recipe called for sage, but none was available so we used tarragon. Not bad, even though I missed the part about adding the wine in stages.

Looks delicious -- was the flavor unbalanced or simply strong? I would love to chow down on your steelhead gkaprow. Of course, I have never met a gkaprow I didn’t like. Shrimp stir-fried with roasted chile sauce and Thai basil: We refreshed the shrimp in brine, and stir-fried until barely done with lots of garlic and roasted chile paste, finishing with fish sauce, sugar, slivered chiles, and Thai basil. Adapted from Dancing Shrimp – simple and very good. Cucumber salad: sliced cucumbers and minced scallions with a warmed sauce of fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. From Cracking the Coconut. Served with jasmine rice, sliced cucumbers, and wedges of Savoy cabbage.

David, that is a pretty plate. Kim, mmm, chicken pot pie. Chicken kabuli: A fried puree of garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and yogurt, simmered with chunks of chicken breast, thickened with ground almonds, spiced with mace, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and fennel seed, and finished with heavy cream, black peppercorns, and cilantro. We made the chicken this morning and reheated for dinner. The sauce tasted wonderful, but next time I will reduce the amount of oil and use smaller pieces of chicken thigh meat. Patiala pullao: Basmati rice pilaf with onions, garlic, cumin, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves. Broccoli smothered in garlic oil: Whole garlic cloves sauteed until golden, with turmeric and peeled broccoli spears. Younger son grabbed an extra piece of broccoli while leaving the table – high praise for a vegetable.

Thanks, Kalypso. Yes, we also found the dish a bit oily, so after the first time I reduced the oil from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup. I would love to hear about what you are cooking, whether at home or at work. Any mole verde tips to share?

From The Classic Italian Cookbook: Fillet of flounder with piquant tomato sauce (filetti di sogliola con pommidoro e capperi): No sole, so we used flounder. Onions, garlic, capers, oregano, tomatoes, s+p, simmered down to a sauce in olive oil. We dipped the fillets in the sauce, folded them over, and then baked until just done. I liked the tangy sauce very much, and would have preferred a higher ratio of sauce to fish. Spaghetti with garlic and oil (spaghetti “ajo e ojo”): Lots of garlic, simmered until golden with salt and lots of olive oil. Toss with spaghetti, parsley, and pepper. Dead simple and very good. Green bean salad (fagiolini verdi in insalata): Blanched green beans tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Again, simple and very good.

Indian tonight: Chicken and potatoes in spicy red sauce (lal shorve vala murgh): ginger-garlic paste, dried chiles, chopped tomatoes, and a cupboard full of spices. Nice flavors, but I should have reduced the sauce more. Served with warm whole-wheat tortillas. Green peas in creamy sauce (matar makhani): sizzled cumin and mustard seeds with a sauce of heavy cream, tomato paste, lemon juice, cilantro, chiles, cayenne, ground cumin, and a little sugar. A definite make-again.

Do you hear that scratching sound? That is the sound an asterisk being inscribed next to that recipe. I love choo chee hoi shel, and yours looks great, especially the beautifully-seared scallops. Mrs. C brought back a similar haul of apples and pears from a local orchard -- mostly Steadman apples, which have a crisp texture and plenty of tart to balance the sweet. They were delicious in an apple and pear crisp.

Pollo en adobo: Poached chicken thighs, baked with a sauce of ancho and pasilla chiles, garlic, vinegar, sugar, S&P, and topped with chile seeds. Perhaps it was Chufi’s southwestern tour, but I had been craving ancho chiles for days. I hope to make enchiladas with the leftover sauce. Served with heated flour tortillas. Tipsy carrots: Parboiled carrots, baked with melted butter, brown sugar, warm spices, and rum. Spinach with ginger and green chiles: OK, this is an Indian dish, but we didn’t get time to make it last night.

Percyn and NancyH, those are inspirational breakfasts. Curried tuna sandwiches on toasted multigrain English muffins. Onions, garlic, ginger, cilantro, curry powder, and thinly-sliced Serrano chile provided the flavor.

I still think that a laboratory hot plate with magnetic stir bar would be quite useful in the kitchen.

Hot fudge? Baklava? Coffee? Anyway, thanks for the kind words, Marcia. MiFi, beautiful sausage and 'kraut.

Crab fried rice (kao pad bpoo), from Dancing Shrimp. The recipe only called for a cup of crab meat, but crab meat comes in pound containers. Oh, well. We stir-fried generous quantities of garlic and crab paste, added the rice, fried the eggs, and finished with scallions, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and white pepper. Served with cucumbers, lime wedges, and Thai chiles in fish sauce (prik nahm bplah). From the other night: improvised green curry with chicken and mushrooms; stir-fried gai lan with garlic and oyster sauce; jasmine rice; and cucumbers.

We turned leftover green curry paste into a quick sorta-Thai meal: green curry with chicken, mushrooms, and Thai basil; stir-fried gai lan with garlic and oyster sauce; eternal cucumbers; and jasmine rice.

Lordy, Erin, can you ever tell a tale. How can I follow that? (and the soup looks gorgeous). Conchiglie with sausage and cream sauce (conchiglie con il sugo per la gramigna): The Classic Italian Cookbook, p. 104. I had my doubts about this dish, particularly while pouring heavy cream into a saucepan of sausage frying in butter, oil, and rendered sausage grease. Not to worry. When the small amount of ultra-rich sauce was tossed with pasta and parmigiano, the results tasted deceptively light. Hey, cardiologists need work, too. The boys could not stop eating this pasta and singing its praises. Elder son finished two heaping plates full, occasionally lying down to digest before reviving to eat more. I remember being able to eat like that while remaining rail-thin. Sigh. Chicken fricassee with green peppers and tomatoes (pollo alla cacciatore): The Classic Italian Cookbook, p. 299. Also quite popular, and definitely worth making again. Just the boys and I, so vegetables were notably lacking in tonight's meal. The Classic Italian Cookbook was one of my first purchases when I started cooking, but the book sat largely untouched for *cough, cough* years. Apparently, learning that Italian differed significantly from Italian-American came as quite a shock way back when, so I redirected my cooking explorations elsewhere. Props to Erin for triggering a much-delayed exploration of Italian cooking.