Margaret Pilgrim

I kinda learned my lesson in high school. I had a job after school, came home, dashed through the house, pausing at the stove to snag a good looking bite. "Croquettes?", I asked as I scarfed my score. "Brains", she answered. I now wait for plating and service.

Suggest that you make double batches and freeze half. Always wonderful to have on hand when the yen strikes. Just using excellent bacon, and a respectable knob of butter at the end will bring you close enough to the real thing.

Am tremendously interested in this topic. Our two twin, city and country, micros are roughly 40 years old. I mean, in that age range does a half dozen years really matter. No choice of power options. Just on or off. No buttons. Just a dial to choose minutes. Works a charm for steaming vegetables, heating leftovers, cooking a hot dog. We try to preempt appliance failure, but when you walk into an appliance store and describe the "stupid appliance" you are looking for, salesmen's eyes roll. I now have a new dishwasher and dryer that will never be used beyond the simplest factory setting because my life is too short to play 20 questions with something that is supposed to make my life simpler. I hate "gotchas". On and Off are my gods.

Husband asked for naked sliced cucumber which he would address He had designs on Blenheim apricot balsamic and blood orange olive oil brought by recent dinner guests. I didn't get a taste...so I guess it worked. Sausage and pepper pasta. Excellent.

Nuked sliced leftover boiled marble potatoes with leftover porkchop gravy. Husband had freshly baked orange "whomp" Danish. I can't eat them on an empty stomach.

Unexpectedly snowing outside. Hunkered down. Same old, same old short order dinner. Iceberg Pork schnitzel

One of the most predictable items on a bistro menu is "potage du jour", a delicious, often haunting, soup made from rescued kitchen tidbits, costing almost nothing and guaranteed to assuage the diner's hunger without costly ingredients. A staple in French homes as well as a personal stand-by for days when I've not shopped...as well as relief for the vegetable bin. Possibilities are endless. One or two vegetables, something from the onion family, water or broth and a blender plus oddments either dairy,veg or seafood or porky as decoration. This is truly one of my go-tos and is even requested by family. And leftovers = lunch. Les Papilles, a popular Paris bistro/wine bar, includes a tureen of this kind of soup with every meal. You are served a soupplate with a mirepoix of crunchy vegetables and crispy bacon plus a scoop of creme fraiche or fromage blanc in the bottom and you serve yourself soup as you please. Always different, always the same, always a highlight.

Indeed! As a culture, we're heavily "Cal-Med". A little French here, Italian there...

@David Ross This dish has brought me the best compliment about my cooking ever from my husband. I was enjoying this dish (oeufs en meurette) in a classic and famous little bistro in the Cote d'Or. Husband has never like this dish at home so I encouraged him to taste this, "the real thing". He took a spoonful, grimaced and said, "I still don't like it. It tastes just like yours!"

Tow jumbo eggs, poached, served on top of (last night's) zucchini latkes, with enchilada sauce and Salvadorian sour cream. Husband just stared at m e while he ate his maple syruped waffle and sauteed ham. 🤣

I think I just posted one of my favorites, oeufs en meurette, poached eggs in bacon and veg enhanced red wine sauce, often referred to as beef bourguignon with egg instead of beef. This is ultimate comfort food. Another recent venture was a pot of rillettes, pork shoulder cubes cooked down in a bit of water and their own fat. This is a staple pre-meal snack with baguette and cornichon, or a fine cafe lunch. This is incredibly easy to make but I should warn that you really need to add all of the fat called for in a recipe. I seldom allow myself to do so, and my end result would be better for it.

"Hamburger" pucks, zucchini pancakes Apple pie

LOVE La Tur.

First night in the country. Mustardy sprouts. Chiles rellenos Cossetting. I will add that it is cold here. 49.8F degrees indoors when we got up this morning, now an almost cozy 58.5. Potato soup simmering on tne stove as I type. An apple pie going in the oven soon, so at least kitchen will get warm.

Nice birthday bash. I kill for ripe Epoisses.

His and her salad followed by...recycled roast snapper tempura. Well, what are you going to do with super fresh, roast snapper after you do fishcakes? With choice of recycled caper sauce and cocktail. Surprisingly delicious.

I'm in!

Thanks, chromedome. These are words to read and reread and reread and reread. And thanks to joiei for making them relevant. Rest in gentle peace.

(Partial) leftover roast snapper -> fishcake, salsa, Salvadorian sour cream. Bok choy.

Small dinner last night started with boudin noir and caramelized pears, accompanied by sparkling pear cider. Went on to roast whole snapper, braised fennel and Camargue black rice; chenin blanc Red Hawk cheese with prune and walnut pate Chocolate sherbet with chantilly and crushed dried orange: late harvest zin Mint tea

Hidden Valley brand made ranch dressing a US household staple, now available from virtually every dressing maker. David Chang at his Momofuku restaurant served this "homemade" ranch dressing with grilled pork shoulder steaks. It's a useful fresh dressing for meats and vegetables. Chang's recipe = 1 cup kewpie mayonnaise 1/4 cup buttermilk Half cup pickled ramps or half pickled pearl onions and half scallion greens, finally chopped Juice of half a lemon or to taste Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. One need not use Kewpie brand mayonnaise. And as noted, pickled cocktail onions make an excellent substitute for hard to find and expensive pickled ramps.

Momofuku faux ranch dressing.

Broccoli and Momo Mississippi Roast, smashed marble potatoes, jus

Incomparable! You are so lucky!

@Kim Shook Lucky FIL's wife! Want that dinner, And love your "Moon and Stars" bowl.