snowangel

We didn't really have dinner per se tonight. It seems that about every two weeks, we have a night where no one really wants to sit down at the table, and lord knows, I sure didn't feel like cooking. But, I had some leftovers. Grazing. Paul and I started off with a mess of these The leftover tenderloin, sliced not too thin, topped with a mixture of cream cheese and horseradish (thanks for the idea, Marlene, way back on New Year's Eve!) with a caper on top. After I tasted this one, I upped the number of capers. Diana was home today with a touch of the stomach flu, and finally felt like eating before she went off to volleyball practice. For her, ultimate comfort food is peanut butter toast. Skippy crunchy. Or, do they call it chunky now? Another one she sort of likes is this with bacon bits on top. Does anyone remember a Skippy with bacon bits that was available a long time ago? Or am I going crazy? Peter wanted ramen noodles. Now, I should state right off the bat that my family is very picky about ramen noodles. For us, they must be MAMA noodles. In the packet. Not the cup. Don't argue, please (I'm a little on edge these days anyway). We've tried the Japanese ones. The Korean ones. They all pale in comparison. Should you not have tried the MAMA ones, please do! I buy these things by the case (30 packets per case; $5.99). They are not only available at the Asian markets, but most large supermarkets with an international section also carry them. I currently have a case of the minced pork flavor. End of ramen lecture. In addition to the noodle "pillow" there are two other packets. The first one is grease with some bits of brown stuff. These have been stored in the basement (cold) so the grease is congealed. The other packet is really two packets -- one with seasoning, and the other with hot peppers. The seasoning side also has a few minced dried green onions. Peter doesn't like it with the hot peppers (dried and finely ground). In the pan, before the addition of water. You can see the powder and the grease. Three minutes later! Peter was one happy camper. Marlene, how many donuts are left?

I met a friend for a long, leisurely lunch at Fugaise, a newcomer on the Minneapolis dining scene. Since my friend knows Don Saunders, the chef, we were treated to an amuse. Impecibly fresh tuna (raw) wrapped aound the diniest of dice -- mised pickles onions and celery root. Capers and a triangle of pumpernickel toast. This was absolutely outstanding, and left me wanting a lot more! My friend started with Butternut squash soup with shaved percorino and pumpkinseed oil. I started with the mixed greens with orange, radishes and tarragon-peppercorn viniagarette. This was probably the best salad I've ever had. Dara Moskowitz at the City Pages said Note how tiny the croutons are. If I thought I could cut bread cubes that small, I'd be making tiny croutons myself. My friend had the pappardelle pasta with beef short rib ragout with tomato and olive. Wonderful. The olives were a nice foil for the rich ragout. I opted for risotto with winter vegetables, oyster mushrooms and truffle cream. It was topped with a net of crispy fried onions. We each had two glasses of a bright white wine for which the name escapes me. It was a wonderful lunch. I don't often get out for lunch (other than to a school cafeteria) and it was and felt totally indulgent. This is the first time I've ever taken pictures in a restaurant, and tried to be discreet. It's clear I need to work on my photo skills in restaurants! Now, I suppose my family is really going to want something for dinner. Holding up OK. I think. But, I'm heading into the rough part of the day for me.

And, I had so hoped to have leftovers from last night! I couldn't believe how the gang plowed through the food! I'll have to try Picasa. It's a download, right? No need to go shopping?

I'm up and getting caffinated. More after the kids are off to school. It's looking like a brighter day today!

Sandy, I think what made these wings so great was that I baked them, like you said, and then dressed them. Then, I returned them to a very low oven (170) for some time (not sure how long; we were drinking!), so that the sauce sort of lost some of it's liquid, rendering the wings still somewhat crispy without the flab that's often associated with dressed wings. And, yes to baked bacon. Minimal tending and no grease to clean on the stovetop. Just run the oven clean cycle!

Susan, do whatever you have to do. If you take time off, we'll still be here when you come back. It's often been said that it's harder to quit cigarettes than heroin, yet many people quit every year, so give yourself a break when you struggle, but remember that it's been done many times before, so it really can be done. (I have no idea how that came across, but I hope it helped.) ← Thanks, Pan, for the kind words. I think one of my big mistakes was not going public in advance with friends and family. I figured it would be easier without them "bugging" me, not realizing that they would be a terrific support for me. Actually, you will hear from me tomorrow. I am meeting a friend at a very nice place for lunch and treating myself! But, be warned, you just might see leftovers on my table tomorrow night!

Now to dinner. There were 7 adults and 9 kids. The cocktail sauce is from a local place, and not that what seems like pasturized stuff. Nor does it have that hint of horseradish. It has grated horseradish. Plus some citrus. Very good stuff. The shrimp were good, too. Not mushy. My mom made hummus and guac. She read in a Bittman column that if you put the avocado in with the guac, it won't turn brown. We found this to be very true. 3 hours later, what was left was still avocado green! The chips are Stacy's Pita Chips (the plain lightly salted ones) which I get in mongo bags at Costco for a pittance. They are very good. Not salty enough to satisfy the latest salt craving, but that's easily fixed with some salt on them. Half of the breast, sliced. We also ate the other half. The carcass and some of the skin is in the freezer for some smokey stock. Smokey salt is a pantry staple in my household. Nancy made some killer slaw with a bacony creamy dressing, bacon bits and sliced cuke and green pepper. Buffalo wings. Lighter on the butter than Susan mentioned upthread for more of a punch. These were a big hit. To satisfy the kids, we mixed some of the buffalo sauce with some honey. It was lacking. So, we added a couple of glugs of nam pla. Perfect. Remember, we also had the smoked wings, which were wonderful. They were especially great with the blue cheese dip. I will smoke wings again. We actually preferred them to smoked thighs! For the wings, we baked them, then had a drink, and tossed them with sauces and returned them to a 170 degree (F) oven until people were ready to eat. This was the way to go. The skin unflabbed from the sauce. The wings were perfect. I also made some blue cheese stuff -- plopping some mayo, cream cheese and blue cheese into a bowl and whizzing them with my immersion blender. We did add a bit of Worchestershire sauce. This is an embarrassingly blurry photo of the leftovers. We had some beer and two rather non-descript bottles of wine that people had brought as gifts some time ago that we needed to get rid of. Neither of the wines were great, but the weren't offensive, either. We had a wonderful evening. The kids shreaked over the football game, the women told stories of their kids' births, and no one wanted to go home, but tomorrow is a school day. Peter wonders why they have this game on a Sunday and not a Saturday. I should add that the kids topped off the evening with ice cream and topping.

Now I feel really terrible. Not only did I smoke turkey, but also two cigarettes. And, now I should explain something. I didn't clue my family in ahead of time, nor none of my friends. I came clean with them today, and Paul has agreed that whether he or not he quits during the day, there will be no more cigarettes in our house. Ironically, my friend Nancy, who was over tonight, and with whom I shared the last two cigarettes I will ever have, also called Kristen (my dr. and her SIL) yesterday. Nancy has requested some help with this as well. So, hopefully, tomorrow, my resolve will be such that I have had my last cigarette. It has to be. What's so puzzling to me is that I so want to be rid of them. I can't find a reason to want to smoke. Yet, I keep falling. Sigh. This is really, really hard. I do want to say, however, that the encouragement of all of you (and you have no idea of how many PM's I've gotten) are what's getting me through some of the tough moments. Keep the encouragement coming. It is also hard to blog and do this. Taking all of these photos, cropping, re-sizing, etc., all while trying to keep things together personally and at home are time consuming, so if you don't hear much from me tomorrow, please forgive me.

I've been absent, but I have had guests! First, the turkey. It's been too long since I smoked some meat. It was 10 degrees (F) when I started. The chimney takes much longer to get going when it's cold. It was 45 minutes from iginition to ready to roll. BTW, I light my charcoal like a real woman. With a propane torch. Now, I could have documented starting the chimney, but I didn't. But, as I do when smoking meat in the winter, as soon as I start the chimney, I put the meat outside. 45 minutes later, after doing the solo juggling act with removing the chimney, getting the drip pan on and filled with water, dumping the charcoal and adding some wood, the grate and the thermometer (an old fashioned oven thermometer, thank you very much), I gave it a minute to heat before I plopped the 9 pound breast (previously brined; not documented) onto my trust Weber Kettle grill. For those in the smoking meat know, I know I should probably think about a Bullet, but since I have absolutely no trouble regulating the heat and keeping things to a bare 225 degrees (F), and since we grill quite often, I'm of the opinion that less is more. Now this Kettle is old. We've had it almost as long as we've been married (just about 25 years). So, the top vent thing doesn't fit like it used to. The lid doesn't fit like it used to. Consequently, I can keep the lid on, all vents closed, and still get enough action, but not too much. If you look carefully, you can see wifts of smoke at the top of the lid and to the left side. It was hard to capture the wifts because it was so bright and sunny today. I checked the temp many times, and added the periodic briquette or hickory chunck (I have some apple wood, but it is too fresh to use on the smoker), and at a certain point, I realized I had real estate on that grill going to waste and a mess of wings in the fridge, so... I've never smoked wings before. Anyway, because it was cold and breezy, the temp on the grill never got to the 250 point. I can't remember how long the meat was on, but I pulled the meat when the breast got to 149 degrees. Brought it in and tented it with foil. Had another bloody mary and the guests started to arrive. More as soon as my camera charges and I get some photos up. But, I smell of smoke, an alluring smell to the Mr. I love smoking meat. It is fiddly stuff. You have to tend to it, just like a baby, and the results are almost as rewarding.

I've not noticed anything yet with the tastebuds, other than a desire to eat really spicy or salty food. But, the sense of smell is definitely more acute. Anyway, while I'm smoking (meat, that is), I gotta have a drink. No beer, but a bloody mary. The bloody mary mix is just OK, nothing great. But, add some pickled jalapenos and some of their juice, and, way, way good.

Welcome to the club! If you haven't already, you might want to take some time to read this topic. While the recipes are terrific, we have pretty much found that the temperatures are too high in a lot of cases. ← We've also made other comments on some of the recipes. Like how that Rancheros dish needs lots more poblanos and no peppers. Yes, do read this topic and start making notes in the cookbook.

One of those turkey help sites says to take the breast to 170. This seems high. I need help, in a hurry.

Is blue cheese dipping sauce just blue cheese, mayo and sour cream? Some garlic? Worchestershire sauce? Turkey is coming along nicely. Edited to add: to what temp should I take this? Breast only.

I'd rather avoid cooking a big hunk of pork on Wednesday since we're smoking butts on Saturday. Jason, some tips on Ropa Vieja? Edited to add: Never mind, I just read upthread.

Breakfast photos, finally. Things have gotten busy. As I said, Eggs Benedict. It is a production, and I haven't made them in ages. I did make some notes on a recipe card about streamlinging the whole thing. I don't particularly care for Canadian Bacon, or rather I should say I prefer other things, and I had a package of this in the freezer. The Miltona meat market reguarly wins blue ribbons at the Minnesota State Fair, and with good reason. Their breakfast sausage is another winner. On the stove in a skillet. (But, I usually cook regular bacon in the oven, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper). Blender Hollandaise I got this immersion blender on a whim about 6 months ago. It was an impulsive $14.99 purchase at Costco (clearance, I think), and I'd have to say I use it constantly. Poaching eggs. This was interesting. I forgot and the first two were put into rapidly boiling water. Oops! Not pretty. But, I fished as much of the junk out as possible, reduced the heat, and then it was easy. I completely forgot to take a picture of the finished eggs sitting in the warm water bath. But, I didn't forget to take a picture of my breakfast! These were really yummy, but I could only eat one. They are a tad bit heavy and rich. I'm really liking my placemats. A Target purchase, the pink is reversible to orange, and the blue ones reverse to lime green. I got a late start on breakfast, and could have done a better job of multi-tasking everything, so right after breakfast, it was time to start the smoking project. The turkey is on (more on that later) and now it's time for me to start "gently" reminding the kids that they promised ( ) to pick up the crap they've strewn throughout the house. So far, so good today. I'm starting to want a cigarette, but not ready to kill for it yet.

Gadget Goddesses. I want a syrup dispenser that is drip proof. I buy the mongo sized things of syrup at Costco (a recipe for disaster with kids), so I was using an old smaller syrup bottle, which is always sticky and icky.

Good morning! Although up late, when I finally fell asleep, I got the first good night's sleep this week. So, I slept in. I deserve it. Eggs Benedict coming. Wish me luck poaching eggs!

Don't rub it in. Am I the only one who can't sleep? If I hadn't had a martini or two, I'd be hitting the vicodan. I need a good night's sleep.

Yes, the rice needed shallots. Some added close to the end, so they don't dissolve totally. Perhaps some chix broth?

My experience in the Twin Cities is that outside of Panera, you have to look little and local. When I worked downtown, I mourned the demise of Cafe Metro. Great sandwiches on great bread (as little as 6 years ago, a to-die-for egg salad sandwich was $2.25), neat salads and really wonderful soups. Order and get food at the counter for take out or eat in. THere are some other places like this around the Twin Cities, but most of it is Potbelly (think Quizno's) and Jimmy John's. I love a great sandwich, and they are getting hard to find. Oh, just remembered that the deli counter at Marketplace in Dayton's (it is still Dayton's, not Marhsall Field's to many of us) used to have the best pre-made sandwiches I've ever had. Don't know if that's still the case now that the guard has changed.

I'll check my supermarket next time I'm there. Where in the grocery are you looking? It might be by popcorn, not with the rest of the salt in the spice section.

Hummus is very popular with my kids, and I even have some frozen mashed chickpeas in the freezer. Thanks, Rachel, for the suggestions! ← Susan, just as a reminder, my name is Russell, not Rachel. I understand ... You can call me whatever you want, but don't call me late for dinner. I wouldn't mind trying some of that venison. ← Russell, I'm not quite that fuzzy. What I should have said was "and Rachel, thanks for all of the suggestions you made"! But, I need more help for tomorrow. Diana has declared that she wants two kinds of wings. Buffalo and honey garlic. So, for the former, I think I need to just bake the wings (in deference to my dad) and then toss them with some Frank's hot sauce (mixed with butter????). For the honey garlic, do I just mix together some honey and garlic? Add some soy? Bake them ahead of time and use the stuff as a glaze? Marinade them in something? Add some soy? Time for a tag team recipe!

Quite frankly, I didn't think that dinner was going to materialize tonight, but Diana called just before they left the volleyball place and said that yes, both of them wanted dinner. Most often when we get home at 9:30 after v-ball, it's just grazing. So, I got the oven going (400 degrees) and got that bag of new potatoes that needed to be used. Quarterered, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled lightly with Goya Adobo. This is the venison. Two backstraps (they weighed just over 3/4 lb). Since I was worried this wouldn't be enough, I also removed this little package of "venison" chops that I had espied. This was from the professionally butchered deer, so I haven't a clue what part of the deer they came from. Rubbed with a little olive oil and salt and peppered. Paul and Diana got home about 15 minutes after I started, and the potatoes were in a very hot (450) oven to get them going. I reduced the heat to 400, and the potatoes were doing very nicely, so I heated up a pan and seared the tenderloins. Peter thought they looked like strange thick bacon at this point. After fully-seared, onto the pan in the oven with the potatoes. I seared the chops. They look sort of like scallops, don't they? I had intended to just do these in the pan, but as the pan started getting black and things started to get a little smokey, I added them to the pan in the oven. Promptly when the tenderloins reached 120 at the thickest portion, out they came for a foil-tented rest. Meantime, Diana started on salad. A clean it out salad. A bag of mixed greens. That handful of dried cranberries that was rolling around. The half a handful of chopped almonds (I always wonder why I save those little bits, and tonight I was reminded why). A simple vinegarette of dijon, cider vinegar, a bit of apple juice and olive oil. And, the meat. This is wonderful venison. Tender, with none of that gamey quality that is so often associated with venison. The chops were like butter, and the tenderloin had a bit more tooth. Sort of like a a porterhouse, if you will. This was an absolutely fab meal, and, since the meat was defrosted, was on the table in about 40 minutes. Peter had eaten (ramen noodles) earlier because he couldn't wait, and Heidi had eaten at her PCA's, so it was a delightful meal with Paul, Diana and I. An adult meal. Volleyball went very well, so she was in a great mood. The meal was absolutely divine. The salad was a perfect foil for the meat. We didn't feel like wine, so it was gin and tonic with tons of lime for me, and beer for Paul. Diana opted for her normal post-volleyball water. Dinner was so late, and I can't sleep right after eating that I'm losing my resolve to get to church in the morning (plus I have a ton of stuff to do to get ready for the party), so there may be a breakfast in my future tomorrow.

I lapsed, too, today. I was at the volleyball game. Another mother which whom I have become pals was there, too. She's also a smoker. It's not uncommon for us to go for a walk. So, she offered me a cigarette and I smoked it. It should have been pleasurable but I felt guilty. So, after Paul left to do the volleyball duty, I did penance. I mopped the laundry room floor. Yikes. So, I pick myself up and dust myself off and keep going and keep trying.

Interesting that you are eating all of the time and I can't seem to find anything I want to eat more than one or two bites of. Hmmm.