Dinner 2022

[Annie_H]

14 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I used to have the same problem - I decided to keep all of the "small portion" stuff - like coconut milk, I also have small amounts of fire roasted crushed tomatoes, small amounts of pasilla salsa I made, etc. all in the freezer door section.   This way, it's always easy to see if I have any lying around or not.

I have a small shoe box sized drawer in my freezer--came with the fridge, that I can pull out onto the counter. Holds all the 'smalls'--parm rind, extra chipotle peppers from the tin, etc. Previously, I used the door shelf and all the bits into a bigger gallon zip-lock. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Annie_H (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

My little chest freezer came with this handy rack that works just like a file drawer for small bags. You should be able to find something similar in home storage stores or dollar stores. Looks like I need to defrost. A job I hate!

While I'm here I might as well post some of the meals that we've had lately. Last night was salmon cakes with Bechamel and peas.

The night before was barbecued ribs, Tuscany beans, potato cakes and deviled eggs.

Sunday was Mexican empanadas

Other meals were Mexican tostada with Spanish rice,

Beef daub with popovers,

 Cottage pie,

Finnish meat pies

Chicken enchiladas,

The ever humble hamburger,

Most served with the ubiquitous green salad.

And last but not least, deviled eggs and chicken and dumplings.

Edited August 11, 2022 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

I didn't think to mention that I have these containers in my back fridge for Smalls that won't lay flat tend to get lost in my other freezers.

They are just long plastic shoe boxes.

Edited August 11, 2022 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[Kim Shook]

@Captain – yet another delicious creamy pasta dish to lure me!

 

@Ann_T – Like @Shelby, it never occurred to me to make Italian sausage patties.  What a great thing to go with pasta and tomato sauce.  You could even put some cheese on it to make it into Sausage Parm!  And the beef burgundy looks wonderful. 

 

@Shelby – thank you!  We are lucky to have avoided spending the money for either a service call or (God forbid) a new fridge. And, so far, everything is fine.  I really wish ours had the beep.  I think we bought it just one year too early for the ones in our kitchen at church have it and so does our friends’ who got theirs a couple of years after us.  I’m so sorry about the poison ivy.  I’ve been lucky as an adult, but I remember repeatedly getting into it at my grandparents’ farm.  My grandmother would bathe me in the yard in a galvanized tub (they didn’t have a finished bathroom for years and used a makeshift shower) and then dab me all over with calamine lotion.  It was miserable.  Take care!!!  Your gyros looks really good.  I’ve actually never had chicken!  I need to try that. 

 

@Tropicalsenior – stunning meals.  I now have no interest in what I’ve got planned for tonight.  I want salmon cakes, and ribs, and those amazing beans, and deviled eggs, and potato cakes, and empanadas…and on and on and on and on.  Even the humble burger.  Good LORD what a roll call of great meals!

 

 

Dinner was Nathan’s hot dogs:

 

With chili (purchased) and sauerkraut, fixed up baked beans, and tots:

 

And marinated cukes.  Because it’s summer:

😁

 

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

7 hours ago, Tropicalsenior said:

My little chest freezer came with this handy rack that works just like a file drawer for small bags. You should be able to find something similar in home storage stores or dollar stores. Looks like I need to defrost. A job I hate!

While I'm here I might as well post some of the meals that we've had lately. Last night was salmon cakes with Bechamel and peas.

The night before was barbecued ribs, Tuscany beans, potato cakes and deviled eggs.

Sunday was Mexican empanadas

Other meals were Mexican tostada with Spanish rice,

Beef daub with popovers,

 Cottage pie,

Finnish meat pies

Chicken enchiladas,

The ever humble hamburger,

Most served with the ubiquitous green salad.

And last but not least, deviled eggs and chicken and dumplings.

Do you. Do table d”hote?   Or overnight shipping?   Or looking to adopt a youthful senior?

[heidih]

@Kim Shook Sucks on the fridge but in my experience it is so annoying that one either tunes it out immediately if still moving things around or it times out after you leave room so not hugely helpful. I try to remember to hip bump the doors.

[Tropicalsenior]

47 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Nathan’s

And I would give my left arm for those Nathan's Hot Dogs. You wouldn't believe what passes for hot dogs down here.

[Captain]

A lovely bowl of spicy beef chili to warm us up.

[Tropicalsenior]

34 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Or looking to adopt

I don't see any reason why I couldn't. I kind of adopted my 55-year-old Nicaraguan housemate who thankfully enjoys good food, something besides beans and rice. If I was just cooking for myself it would probably be ham sandwiches and those things that pass for hot dogs here.

[BeeZee]

Perk of my neighborhood, DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies (a Trenton legend for many years, moved to the suburbs when the neighborhood got too dicey). Pie with mushrooms and a white pie with garlic and chopped clams. Super crisp charred crust. You'll notice one of their trademarks, it is cut in irregular shapes instead of the usual slices.

 

[Shelby]

8 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

Perk of my neighborhood, DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies (a Trenton legend for many years, moved to the suburbs when the neighborhood got too dicey). Pie with mushrooms and a white pie with garlic and chopped clams. Super crisp charred crust. You'll notice one of their trademarks, it is cut in irregular shapes instead of the usual slices.

 

What I wouldn't give for this right now!  YUM

[gfweb]

Broiled cod with chorizo and sweet potato hash

 

[MaryIsobel]

2 hours ago, Tropicalsenior said:

And I would give my left arm for those Nathan's Hot Dogs. You wouldn't believe what passes for hot dogs down here.

As much as I envy you living in Costa Rica, I was surprised at a lot of things or lack thereof in the grocery stores. We mused about how people who obviously earn less of a living wage than a lot of people in Canada do, can afford groceries.

[KennethT]

Mapo tofu... This time made with bison

 

[Tropicalsenior]

3 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

As much as I envy you living in Costa Rica, I was surprised at a lot of things or lack thereof in the grocery stores. We mused about how people who obviously earn less of a living wage than a lot of people in Canada do, can afford groceries.

A lot of them are living on beans and rice. When I went to the grocery store today, I was amazed at some of the things that have doubled in the last year. However, the government sets minimum wage for each class of jobs and it hasn't risen in 7 years.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

@Captain – yet another delicious creamy pasta dish to lure me!

 

@Ann_T – Like @Shelby, it never occurred to me to make Italian sausage patties.  What a great thing to go with pasta and tomato sauce.  You could even put some cheese on it to make it into Sausage Parm!  And the beef burgundy looks wonderful. 

 

@Shelby – thank you!  We are lucky to have avoided spending the money for either a service call or (God forbid) a new fridge. And, so far, everything is fine.  I really wish ours had the beep.  I think we bought it just one year too early for the ones in our kitchen at church have it and so does our friends’ who got theirs a couple of years after us.  I’m so sorry about the poison ivy.  I’ve been lucky as an adult, but I remember repeatedly getting into it at my grandparents’ farm.  My grandmother would bathe me in the yard in a galvanized tub (they didn’t have a finished bathroom for years and used a makeshift shower) and then dab me all over with calamine lotion.  It was miserable.  Take care!!!  Your gyros looks really good.  I’ve actually never had chicken!  I need to try that. 

 

@Tropicalsenior – stunning meals.  I now have no interest in what I’ve got planned for tonight.  I want salmon cakes, and ribs, and those amazing beans, and deviled eggs, and potato cakes, and empanadas…and on and on and on and on.  Even the humble burger.  Good LORD what a roll call of great meals!

 

 

Dinner was Nathan’s hot dogs:

 

With chili (purchased) and sauerkraut, fixed up baked beans, and tots:

 

And marinated cukes.  Because it’s summer:

😁

 

 

 

Hot dogs.

 

If I can find the hot dog rolls and if it turns out they aren't moldy, my dinner will be Black Bear natural casing hot dog, leftover reheated Rancho Gordo beans, leftover coleslaw, half-sour pickle, and the last Sunset organic Campari tomato.  Maybe some Romain.  If I can't find the hot dog rolls or if it turns out they are moldy, my dinner will be leftover reheated Rancho Gordo beans, leftover coleslaw, half-sour pickle, and the last Sunset organic Campari tomato.  Maybe some Romain.

 

[Tropicalsenior]

36 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

natural casing

There is no such thing here in Costa Rica. Unless you can find some imported ones, they come wrapped in plastic that you have to take off before you cook them. Everyone has a story about some dumb Gringo that they knew that tried to eat them with the plastic on.

[MaryIsobel]

2 hours ago, Tropicalsenior said:

A lot of them are living on beans and rice. When I went to the grocery store today, I was amazed at some of the things that have doubled in the last year. However, the government sets minimum wage for each class of jobs and it hasn't risen in 7 years.

That is what we assumed. Even some produce that is grown in CR was more than what we pay for the same thing in Canada, it's sad. We found the Ticos to be such warm and generous people. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I found my not yet mouldered hot dog rolls.

 

[Honkman]

Potato and red/yellow pepper curry with ground cumin, coriander, cardamom, curry powder, garlic, almonds, vegetable broth and a little bit of heavy cream at the end - served over rice

[weinoo]

14 hours ago, gfweb said:

Broiled cod with chorizo and sweet potato hash

 

 

Espelette and/or pimentón?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Handmade tamales (bought in Home Depot parking lot).    I made extra sauce of simmered chopped onion, tomato, chili powder, cumin, pureed with immersion blender.    Salvadorean sour cream.   $13/6    Son joined us for this excellent first night in the country dinner.    Too eager to tuck in to these to take plated pic.

 

 

Thanks to the mama who made these.

 

[liamsaunt]

 

On 8/11/2022 at 9:23 AM, KennethT said:

I used to have the same problem - I decided to keep all of the "small portion" stuff - like coconut milk, I also have small amounts of fire roasted crushed tomatoes, small amounts of pasilla salsa I made, etc. all in the freezer door section.   This way, it's always easy to see if I have any lying around or not.

 

In theory, that is how my freezer is organized too.  The second door shelf has ziplocks of various stuff such as coconut milk, pesto, chipotles in adobo, tomato paste, compound butters, etc.  It's just that I often forget that I have coconut milk in there and then I end up with multiple ziplocks of the stuff.

 

I got a huge bunch of Thai basil and various types of peppers in yesterday's CSA delivery, so we had Thai basil, pepper and chicken stir fry.

 

[heidih]

38 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Handmade tamales (bought in Home Depot parking lot).    I made extra sauce of simmered chopped onion, tomato, chili powder, cumin, pureed with immersion blender.    Salvadorean sour cream.   $13/6    Son joined us for this excellent first night in the country dinner.    Too eager to tuck in to these to take plated pic.

 

 

Thanks to the mama who made these.

 

 

Nice find! What were the filling options?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Puerco, pollo, queso