robirdstx

Lasagna! I used eggroll wrappers for the pasta.

I have two copies of his A Wok For All Seasons - one if covered in splash marks and the other is pristine and autographed. I loved his shows and bought the first book, a cleaver and a wok in the late 80's. When he came to Austin about a dozen years ago to do a demo at the World Market I had to go and see him. I bought the second copy there and he autographed it with a note saying I was a terrific, charming, talented lady and a sensational cook. I wonder how many times he's written that!

I still have turkey in the freezer leftover from Christmas, so I used some of it to make Turkey and Andouille Gumbo for dinner tonight.

We had lamb chops to go with our gratin for dinner last night too! Grilled Lamb Chops were marinated in olive oil, crushed garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, sea salt and a pinch of cayenne. Gratin Dauphinois as posted on the gratin cook-off thread.

I wish I hadn't waited so long to make this. It is so luscious and couldn't be easier to make!

Thanks percyn I'd like to try the smoked duck. Have you tried D'artagnan's Smoked Magret Duck Breast? The crispy skin looks wonderful. Is it the skin from the smoked duck? robirdstx, D'artgnan's smoked Duck breast is what I use (including the one above). I usually keep a couple in my freezer. Great! I'll add some to my next order.

Thanks percyn I'd like to try the smoked duck. Have you tried D'artagnan's Smoked Magret Duck Breast? The crispy skin looks wonderful. Is it the skin from the smoked duck?

Crispy Applewood Smoked Bacon and Tomato on home-made Toasted Poppy Seed Bun.

Tamarind Paste - picked up a jar at the asian market several months ago. Tahini and Quinoa - bought both last fall for a visiting family member but ended up not using them so they are still sitting in the pantry. I've never made hummus so will use some of the tahini in that, and will cook some of the quinoa in my new rice cooker, but don't know how I will use the tamarind yet. Use suggestions for any of these ingredients are welcome!

Everyone's dishes are looking so good! Tonight we had a Pork Tenderloin, Snow Pea, and Mushroom Stir Fry with steamed jasmine rice.

They are calling it the "Big Chill" here in the Houston area, so New England-style Clam Chowder seemed to be the order of the day.

Another vote for Herdez Salsa Verde. I buy it in the jar and always have some on hand. I use it as a dip for tortilla chips and in the sauce for my chicken enchiladas.

I'm watching too - but don't tell anyone.

*THOSE* look amazing....any chance at a recipe or technique outline? Thanks Pierogi. This was my first time trying this recipe and I was very happy with the results. I have adapted the recipe posted here on the Homesick Texans Blog. Here is what I did: Savory "Kolaches" Adapted from the Kolache recipe on the Homesick Texan's Blog. 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 package) 1 cup warm milk (about 115F) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, 120 grams/cup (divided use) 2 large eggs 3/4 cup melted butter (divided use) 1 tsp table salt 24 2-inch sausage links 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 12 pickled jalapeno slices, diced 3 Tbs olive oil, for oiling rising bowl and sheet pans 1. Combine yeast, warm milk, sugar and one cup of the flour in bowl of stand mixer with a wire whisk. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in warm place, like microwave, until bubbly and double in size. 2. When the yeast mixture has doubled, lightly beat together the eggs, 1/2 cup of the melted (but not hot) butter and salt in a medium bowl. Add this mixture to the yeast mixture and mix (stir speed 2 on Kitchen Aid stand mixer) with the paddle until the dough mix is smooth. 3. Change to the dough hook and add flour (1/2 cup at a time) to the dough mix. Knead (stir speed 2) after each addition and continue until the dough pulls away from the sides and just sticks at the bottom of the bowl. Depending on humidity, etc, you may only use 2 cups or up to all 3 cups of flour. 4. Put dough on a lightly floured surface and knead dough for about a minute to form a smooth ball. 5. Put dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, rolling dough to cover with a thin film of oil and let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled. 6. After dough has doubled, turn it out onto your work surface and lightly punch it down. Divide the dough into 24 equal size pieces with a knife or pastry scraper. 7. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flattened the piece into a rectangle about 3 inches by 4 inches, sprinkle with a large pinch of cheese, half a dozen diced jalapeno pieces, and top with a sausage link. Roll it up like a little burrito, being sure to pinch all the edges to seal the filling inside. 8. Place each filled piece on an olive oil greased sheet pan. Leave about an inch between each piece. When the pan is full, brush the pieces with melted butter, cover with waxed paper and a kitchen towel. Let rise again for another half-hour to an hour, until well puffed up and almost touching each other. 9. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden in color. Serve warm. Servings: 24

Today I made Texas-style Savory "Kolaches" with sausage, cheddar cheese and jalapenos.

My in-laws sent us a Cuisinart stick blender. Lovely thought but we already have one, so off to Macy's to return it and select something else. We spent a few dollars more and replaced our old chef's knife with a new one by Henckels. We also received a Zojirushi 3 cup micom rice cooker that Santa's elf, aka the UPS guy, delivered just before Christmas.

Shelby, thank you so much for your terrific blog. I think I'm already in withdrawal!

I've had the gratin dauphinois recipe in Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook bookmarked long enough, so count me in.

Libby's Blue Lake Cut Green Beans. I was raised on Del Monte, which I could take or leave, but then I grew and canned the Blue Lake variety when I had a garden way back in the 70s and early 80s. Libby's have the same taste and texture as my canned beans.

I've never made kolaches, but, when I was little and lived in Colorado, the bakery there made them. They were sooooo delicious. You've inspired me to try. Yesterday, I spent several hours searching the internet for the right dough recipe so I could make my own kolaches. I want to make the savory sausage "kolaches" that are so popular in Texas. I finally settled on the recipe here and plan to make them later this week.

I discovered the powdered buttermilk not too long ago, so, my can is just opened. I wonder if we should dump the powder out into a ziplock bag and store it in the fridge? Or if just storing the can in the fridge would help? I LOVE this stuff because I never seem to have buttermilk when I need it. And, I agree. The flavor comes out more in the powdered version. Hi Ambra and Shelby. FWIW, I've been using the same brand of powdered buttermilk as Shelby for over a year now. In fact, I'm still on my first container. I've stored it in the fridge and it has not clumped or turned hard.

I've not tried it but I found a couple of recipes on cooks.com for a baked chuck roast where the meat is completely wrapped in foil.

Re: gumbo. Our usual go to is chicken and andouillle but I adore duck, goose, or turkey with the andouille as well. Loving this blog!

I am in favor of doing it slow (for about twenty minutes) but in the pan on the stove, not in the oven. Start out with the cold cast iron pan but then cook it low and slow to melt off most of the fat (skimming the fat as you go) and raising the heat at the end for crisping the skin, then flip the breast and cook the other side for a minute or two, remove from pan and rest. Check out this thread: Duck Breast

I haven't used that box mix but I have had wonderful success with this recipe for Classic Dinner Rolls. It worked the very first time I tried it and I hadn't attempted any sort of bread making in 30 years because that time I had made a very nice brick that could have been used as a doorstop.