Anna N

So it has begun. This is from a couple of days ago. Pot roast with carrots and green beans worked its way to the top of the freezer drawer and so I decided it would be dinner. Here are the lessons I learned: I didn’t like it very much the first time. It didn’t improve one iota from months and months in the freezer improperly wrapped. Eating things that don’t especially appeal and are certainly not at their peak is not a plan that is going to work for me for very long. The first step in gaining control of one’s freezer is to discard those things that should’ve been discarded instead of being shamefully hidden. None of the starving children in ____ ( fill in the blank) will be a y better better off because I eat stuff like this rather than throwing it in the bin. The first thing that has to go today is the bag of frozen spinach which tasted disgusting when freshly opened and should’ve been consigned to eternity then. Why do we try to fool ourselves this way? It didn’t taste any better than it looks and I got it down with the help of the horseradish on the side. Life is too short for such nonsense unless compelled to by circumstances.

Not being much of a fan of Cheezies I have no idea why I picked these up. Now there are two things I’m not a fan of! These are faintly reminiscent of cheese and strongly reminiscent of some chemical that I can’t identify. I will pass them along to my adult son if he wants them!

I did need more wine but unfortunately I was heading from lunch to a medical appointment and didn’t think showing up tipsy was really a good idea. In hindsight it might’ve helped! Not quite napping yet but did change into PJs as soon as I got home! It really was an amazing lunch. And the icing on the cake is that I got to bring home the leftover pizza because there was leftover pizza. We were at the point where “one wafer-thin mint...”.

And here is the response to the Paul Young brownies:

I used a combination of sugars: Turbinado, Muscovado and raw sugar (because that’s what I had). I did use smoked salt but skipped the pepper for this group although if I was making it for myself I would’ve included the pepper.

So today once again I was tasked with finding a place where we might have lunch. It really needed to be in our neck of the words meaning the Hamilton Oakville Burlington area. I looked through my notes and found something from my cleaning angel about a bistro in Waterdown. What on earth could be better than an Italian bistro owned and operated by a Persian? So off we went to Kamoosh. Tea with milk (or milk with tea) for @Kerry Beal A large glass (but a small pour) of Cabernet Merlot for me. Bread and dipping sauce. We had already dug into this before I mentioned we needed photographs. Beef Crudo “Thin slices of beef tenderloin, red onion, capers, Italian parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil, on a Cognac Dijon tomato cream sauce. Accompanied with grilled baguette.” Marrow & Heart “Roasted canoed veal marrow & grilled lamb heart with our house made pickles. Accompanied with grilled baguette.” Lamb Pizza “Herbed extra virgin olive oil, Beverly Creek Farm Lamb loin, Riesling poached pears, brie, caramelized onion, Parmigiano-Reggiano & candied pecans.” We shared all the dishes. I couldn’t find fault with anything. Perhaps I should stop declaring that I don’t like Italian food. But then was this really Italian? It was darn good I’ll tell you that.

Same as yesterday. Gussied up instant noodles so I could use up the last of the Napa cabbage.

Here.

Friends don’t leave friends alone with these. Edited to add: If you do decide to bake these ignore any reference to time. After 30 minutes mine were still little more than batter. I kept adding time and adding time and I truly don’t know how long they actually took. They will be hard to over bake as they are so damn rich and fudgey. The recipe calls for a 6 in brownie pan whatever that is. I had a 7 in x 7 in stainless steel pan which I lined carefully with parchment.

I have finally figured out the real reason for their name. The blasphemous expressions that come out of my mouth when I see the photos of your ribs would definitely get me excommunicated from any religious affiliation I might claim—even satanism.

You can but first you would have to sign a release with my insurance company that you would not sue.

Paul Young’s Salted Fudge Brownies. Methinks these should require a doctor’s note in order to partake.

I’ll take anything. I’m not fussy.

After a few days of “settling” for something to eat rather than having what I choose to eat, I realize it’s time to revive my freezer challenge. I had to go back to the beginning and read the challenge for myself again. Here it is. Once again I invite participation from anyone who is interested and who feels that their freezer owns them and not the other way around. It may take me a few days to actually get started as I have some appointments coming up and I may be reaching for fast food. But if someone were to ask me right now what I would want more than anything in the world (that was attainable) I would say, “An organized freezer!” The gauntlet is thrown.

Gussied up instant noodles.

I was going to eat an apple but the two apples in my fruit bowl were looking a little long in the tooth when I inspected them. So A small apple crumble pulled together quickly with topping from my freezer.

I spent the morning researching Ochazuke. From Shizuo Tsuji’s Simple Art all the way to fusionistas on the web. I concluded that it would be almost impossible to break any rules. Avocado, (I still try to like them), who knew they had staying power? This one has been in my refrigerator since December 21. I expected to find mush. Next to the avocado some shrimp, then some pickled tomatoes and finally some shredded, seasoned nori. All are arranged over rice. I like tea even less than I like avocado so my broth of choice was dashi. On the side is a spicy condiment made of soy sauce, wasabi paste and mirin. To satisfy my didactic inclinations here is more information for those who are inquisitive — click

One of those “couldn’t do it again if I tried” meals. Noticed some leftover rib sauce that I had frozen at the same time as I noticed the boned and rolled chicken leg in the freezer. Combined those and added some blanched carrots and sugar snaps and served over a bowl of rice.

Mushroom donabe.

A mould makes a lot of sense. I have never seen single serving Spam packets. What an idea. However, I slice up my can of Spam and freeze whatever I’m not using between sheets of deli paper. Works very well. I just throw them into a nonstick pan when I want to use them and give them a bit of colour. P.S. I didn’t post photos of my first ones. Yours looks incredibly good compared to those.

Pickled tomatoes, braised red cabbage and duck breast with a sauce of soy, sake and mirin.

I will check next time I’m there. 😂

Pan-fried ginger pork belly with cabbage.

I don’t know but do remember that they are only good for a few days in the refrigerator. Not a reliable method for dealing with a glut of tomatoes.

Much more of a quickle than a pickle, I thought it was a good way to deal with some cocktail tomatoes that were reaching the end of their useful life. @Shelbywill be pleased to know the tomatoes are peeled. What makes them Japanese you ask. The brine which includes soy sauce, dashi, rice vinegar, salt and sugar. I tasted the brine and had to hold myself back from inhaling it. If anyone is interested here is the recipe. I cut down on the sugar somewhat to suit my own taste.