kayb

Didn't much like veggies, did he?

Damn. I wish I had some fried rice. Wonder if the Chinese joint is delivering?

My Broadbent's order came in today; I hadn't expected it so quickly. I guess I thought Thanksgiving would have delayed it, but perhaps they thought I was counting for it for my holiday dinner. I'm not, but it'll surely make some good ham and biscuits over the long weekend. Yum. I may be more excited about day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast than I am Thanksgiving dinner. This is, btw, something less than $100 worth of country ham. Plus shipping, which is not outrageous.

We had red beans and rice. Didn't manage to take a picture. Good housemade sausage from some little meat market down in Louisiana. Plenty of ham and chicken, too.

There are a lot of similarities between Delta (which is Monticello) and Ozarks cuisine. Things like greens and dry beans are the same; cured pork is about the same (though barbecue is decidedly different). The Delta has more African influences in its cuisine, as well as more Spanish/Creole influences (tamales, gumbos, etc.). Fish is bigger in the Delta, game in the Ozarks. Cornbread is common to both regions, but it's more likely to be sweetened in the Delta (an abomination, IMHO). There tends to be a bigger variety of vegetables these days in the Ozarks. Tomatoes are big in both regions.

Monticello's not quite the Ozarks. Southeast part of the state; Ozarks are north central, northwest.

I will NOT buy meat at WalMart. It's loathesome. I've never had any luck with produce there, either. So I just don't go, except when I get to jonesing for their black bean and white corn salsa, which is pretty doggoned good salsa.

I LOVED Kappabashi Street! Bought my Misonos there. If you have the chance, go to the Imperial Hotel and have a drink in the Old Imperial Bar. Only portion of the Frank Lloyd Wright version of the hotel that's still extant. And they have a marvelous selection of Cuban cigars and Scotch!

Grape salad is about as simple as can be. White grapes, black grapes, red grapes, all cut in half. Chopped pecans. Dressing is my late mother-in-law's "fruit dip" -- a blend of a 7 oz jar of marshamallow cream, an 8 oz block of cream cheese, and a tablespoon of lime juice. Put as much as you want on the grapes, put the rest in the fridge to dip apple slices or other fruit in later. Apple cranberry walnut crisp -- This is a recipe I saw somewhere over the weekend. Roughly chop a cup of fresh cranberries. Add in a cup of chopped walnuts. Peel and slice four or five apples. Add a cup of sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice, stir it all up and let it sit a bit. The recipe called for a double crust, but as Child B has celiac disease, I just put it straight into a deep dish pie pan and covered it with a GF crisp topping of butter, brown sugar, oats and Bob's Red Mill GF pancake mix. Curry spread is Da Bomb for leftover turkey sandwiches! My recipe came from the grandmother of one of my friends. Here 'tis, and sorry it's hard to read. And I saw a recipe last week for mimosas with apple juice. Just know I'm trying that! See you Friday!

Re: Olives, Lemons and Za'atar.... I'm in love. Get this book. Quick, before the sale ends.

The cooking marathon has begun, and apparently my ability to take photos has departed. Please forgive horrible pics. Done so far: The cranberry salad: The grape salad, for tomorrow night: An apple cranberry walnut crisp for tomorrow night's dinner: Tomorrow, I'm cooking red beans and rice for an early T'giving dinner for the middle child and her family, as they can't be here Thursday. The apple-cranberry-walnut crisp is gluten-free on her behalf, and red beans and rice is her favorite meal at Mama's house. The grape salad features her grandmother's fruit dressing. Cranberry salad will serve for both dinners. I'll make GF cheesy corn muffins to go with the red beans, which are presently soaking and will go on to cook early tomorrow. Also cooked the sweet potatoes for the casserole; I'll finish it Wednesday and bake it Thursday morning. Boiled some eggs for deviled eggs. I hope to have time tomorrow to break down the turkey and bag him and sous vide him, but that may wait until early Wednesday. I'm planning on smoking the legs and thighs and roasting the breasts. Also need to pick up the dressing Wednesday (local diner does a much better job of it than I do), make the curry spread for leftover turkey sandwiches, make the the broccoli/cauliflower salad, and make some kind of dessert Leaning hard toward pumpkin cheesecake. So Thursday, I'll roast and smoke the bird, bake the dressing and sweet potatoes, make the mac and cheese and roast the Brussels sprouts. Oh, and make rolls. Friday I will drink mimosas, eat turkey sandwiches, and shop online. Ain't moving from my den.

I LOVE okonomiyaki! Easy to make at home, too. There's a great recipe on Food 52.

Oh, YUM! That looks lovely, and I skipped dinner as I was busy cooking for two Thanksgivings.

I have a Le Creuset covered baker I won in some contest. I like it, but I don't like it well enough I'd have paid LC's price for it. It's this one: clickety. Does make a fine pot roast. I have the Tramontina enameled Dutch oven. Like it just fine.

Well, THAT send me to google. It has been a successful day. I have learned two somethings on eGullet today. Saved the recipes, too.

I'm so glad I have access to local, farm-raised beef, pork and chicken.

Visited some friends over the weekend and they cooked us some gorgeous steaks. I have no pic after they were cooked because we fell upon them like the Visigoths on Rome. He made the best sauce for them, though...olive oil, garlic, wine vinegar, lemon pepper, not sure what all else. It was to die for. We had baked sweet potatoes and a salad and copious quantities of wine with it, with the result I could not stay up to watch the Memphis Tigers beat Yale in 2 OTs.

Dang! I hate that!

Well, biscuits are always a good bet. And redeye gravy. In the grease left in the skillet where you fried the ham, fry a tablespoon or two of flour to make a dark roux. Add strong black coffee. Gravy should be thin. Scrambled eggs are a fine accompaniment as well. For the dinner steaks, or for an evening meal, country ham is good with home fries and maybe green beans. Use it anywhere you would use proscuitto, although it's sliced thicker.

I wish you the very best of luck!

I'm fond of coffee with Jameson's and Bailey's Irish Cream. Needs nothing else. It will certainly chase the chills.

It occurs to me my small paella pan would make a marvellous deep-dish pizza pan for one big eater or two smaller appetites. Must put that on the to-try list.

The discussion inspired me to order, being that I have gone through my stash. Breakfast steaks, biscuit pieces, some sausage and a seasoning combo package. Should be here sometime this week.

I've got your pork cake recipe saved. One of these years, I'm going to get ambitious enough to attempt it. Have not decided what Thursday's dessert should be. I' thinking either a pumpkin cheesecake or maybe a caramel apple cake. Or maybe a pecan pie. Or some combination of the above.

Was always strongly in favor of anything that made me look like I had my shit together.