LBNoble

I am almost embarrassed to admit (not really) that I’m adding the last of my Aldi white cheddar/cranberry cheese to my mac n’ cheese (yes, I use the blue box) tomorrow-

This is the curly kale, so we’ll see- I had lacinato kale in my last box & made a frittata w/ kale/bacon/Gruyere for Xmas morning, it was delicious (had chopped Roma tomatoes w/ basil & balsamic on the side)-

I don’t have collards either, so I will cook my kale & Swiss chard w/ a little bacon for greens for tomorrow, already cooked black eyed peas & will make cornbread, too. Happy New Year, everyone!

I use 2 of those generic glass jars that pizzerias use for red peppers (i also have different sea salts in their original containers)they're on the side of the stove w/ 3 pepper mills-2 black, 1 white. Szechuan peppercorns are in a plastic container in the cupboard.

I have been going crazy w/ soup-lentil & pulled pork, turkey broth, & a good hit of balsamic. Today, I used a smoked turkey carcass to make pho broth, added Szechuan pepper, star anise, half a cinnamon stick, lots of white pepper, & a small piece of orange rind. I added rice noodles, leftover brisket & turkey, to make a faux pho. Next up, blackeyed peas w/ leftover ham...

I have smoked a lot of stuff on my Weber Smoky Mt this fall, & I'm kicking myself that I haven't set up anything for today, because it's beautiful (72 degrees) here, but we're still eating turkey & brisket that I smoked 4 days ago. I love my smoker.

Guess I'm the heretic who said I could bake my own pita bread-have a bread machine recipe, pop on the pizza stone,3-5 breads for a day or two, works for me...now if I just had some convenient olive trees, I'd be set...I'd much rather have other folks cooking for me, those kishk & shanklish look wonderful...

I think I have 4 clay pots, oldest is the cazuela, I use that for bean dip & casseroles, used at least monthly, it's probably 10 years old, so it's paid for itself. I have a romertopf, purchased at a thrift store, used once, a new Chinese clay pot, only purchased a month ago & used once, & this past year for Xmas, got a La Chamba covered casserole (2x/ so far). The cazuela is my favorite, probably because of longevity. I don't notice a huge difference in the use of clay cookware, but the runner-up is the La Chamba casserole-it's just beautiful! Personally, I wouldn't bother buying a clay skillet-regular ss or nonstick are fine for quick sautes.

Thanks for the tips, I'll have to try Me Jana for lunch sometime. What's the grocery in McLean that has good stuff? I live in southern Fairfax county, closest to me is Mediterranean Gourmet Market, I'll be visiting this week. I make my own labneh (basically, drained yogurt, right?) & make a bastardized 'Greek grilled cheese', w/ melted provolone on pita, topped w/ yogurt, feta, marinated cukes, lettuce, tomatoes, olives. I'd like to pick up some za'tar & start baking my own pita (just because it's dead easy, & overpriced in the grocery store).

I'm really enjoying your blog & photos, that grilled fish looked delicious. When you're back in DC, are there any places that are similar to the food you can find in Beirut? I know this area has a lot of kabob & falafel places, but they're all different-Lebanese, Pakistani, Afghani, chains like Maoz...what do you do to try & approximate the flavor, or do you just cook for yourself, & enjoy different stuff?

It seems more logical to put some veg on the bottom, but I try to get the majority of the meat's surface in contact w/ the pot (& I don't use much added liquid, preferring fatty cuts, like chuck or chicken thighs), so my vegetables go on top, but eventually get stirred around....

Kosher salt & limes or lemons...

We're having blackeyed peas & collards, ribs & cornbread-the first 2 are a given (need some luck & money this year)...

liver, beets, chickpeas, bell peppers-not totally ruling out sweet potatoes or winter squash, although I've never had any that I've liked...

Serendipity!-Just back from vacation, not much in the kitchen, but rather than chucking the slightly tired cabbage & green onion, I sauteed them w/ a dab of oil, soy sauce, & pepper, topped w/ some frozen salad shrimp, mixed 2 eggs w/ some flour & water, poured it over the top, & after flipping, had a lovely little mini okonomiyaki. I topped it w/ a smear of sriracha mayo & it was delicious! Next time, I'll add some bacon...