Dinner 2023

[liuzhou]

I didn't know what I wanted tonight, but I knew what I didn't want - 中餐 (zhōng cān), Chinese food or, really anything Asian. But, not being up to cooking for myself, I only had the chance to sort out something from the least bad western places. I remembered a recently opened place that I'd ordered from before, but couldn't remember what I had eaten.

 

I perused their offerings looking for whatever I ate before but failed to spot it, then saw this

 

 

Normally, I stary clear of pizzas in China, but I'm a sucker for parma ham and arugula which this is offering, so I decided to risk all.

 

Ingredients listed are black truffle sauce, Parma ham, sauteed mushroms, onions, mozzarella, arugula etc. I knew they black truffle sauce would be tasteless; Chinese black truffles always are, Howwever, the pizza was fine, if not as good as the similar one I ate in Saigon five years ago (last time I ate pizza!); this one was a bit oversalty. Also, the arugula arrivedseparately in a plasic bag for me to scatter over the dish, presumably to wilt in the residual heat - it didn't.

 

It did come with a free decal for me to stick onto my cell phone though, not that I will do so.

 

 

 

 

¥40.40 = $5.54 USD

 

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[KennethT]

51 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

I didn't know what I wanted tonight, but I knew what I didn't want - 中餐 (zhōng cān), Chinese food or, really anything Asian. But, not being up to cooking for myself, I only had the chance to sort out something from the least bad western places. I remembered a recently opened place that I'd ordered from before, but couldn't remember what I had eaten.

 

I perused their offerings looking for whatever I ate before but failed to spot it, then saw this

 

 

Normally, I stary clear of pizzas in China, but I'm a sucker for parma ham and arugula which this is offering, so I decided to risk all.

 

Ingredients listed are black truffle sauce, Parma ham, sauteed mushroms, onions, mozzarella, arugula etc. I knew they black truffle sauce would be tasteless; Chinese black truffles always are, Howwever, the pizza was fine, if not as good as the similar one I ate in Saigon five years ago (last time I ate pizza!); this one was a bit oversalty. Also, the arugula arrivedseparately in a plasic bag for me to scatter over the dish, presumably to wilt in the residual heat - it didn't.

 

It did come with a free decal for me to stick onto my cell phone though, not that I will do so.

 

 

 

 

¥40.40 = $5.54 USD

 

 

I think it was pretty thoughtful of them to pack the arugula separately - if they put it on the pizza directly while going into the box, it would be a slimy soggy mess by the time it got to you.  Personally, I think arugula on a pizza shouldn't be wilted.

[KennethT]

First time using my new batch of curry powder. This one came out a little spicier than the last (by design).  With a fast acar (pickles).

 

[liamsaunt]

My nephew cooked dinner for us last night.  Grilled chicken and macaroni and cheese.  I added corn on the cob and marinated tomato salad as my contributions once I found out that there were not any vegetables on his planned menu 🤣

 

[liuzhou]

56 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I think it was pretty thoughtful of them to pack the arugula separately - if they put it on the pizza directly while going into the box, it would be a slimy soggy mess by the time it got to you.  Personally, I think arugula on a pizza shouldn't be wilted.

 

I'd agree, but the shop is only five minutes away and I do like it a bit wilted. Certainly not to sogginess, though.

[Kerala]

OK, OK! Same-same, no argument.

Butterflied leg of lamb in the air fryer, salad with nectarine, apple, orange and pistachio. There's a smear of gochujang at 6 o'clock, on my plate only. Family loved it. They had some nice bread to go along with it.

I'm trying to do a carb-light diet, which I've never done before. I never understood people getting hyped up about carbohydrates before- that's just the stuff you eat protein with, right? Now after 5 days I find myself thinking about carbonara, pizza, ramen bowls, fish and chips, and it's the carbohydrate that's uppermost in my anticipation! That morning slice of toast I allow myself daily is so appreciated.

[Katie Meadow]

In keeping with trying to find locally grown foods, and trying not to break the bank, today we scored some fresh, shelled purple hull peas and some chard. We're making do with limited supplies. Tonight we will make sautéed chard in olive oil with garlic and the previously acquired shelled black eye peas. The peas we will do simply as we did the butter beans, lacking anything hammy: just boiled and eaten with butter and salt. Apps, which we are eating right now, include goat cheese and Beemster on Panzanella crackers. Glad to find pansanella! Also some very good fresh lightly salted pistachios. A bottle Italian wine that's better than I would have expected. These kinds of makeshift meals are pretty much how justify going out on vacation. We had planned on being in Decatur with our daughter this weekend, but one of the girls is getting over a cold and the other came down with it today. So it goes. We'll go down midweek and do a lot of shopping and cooking, for which my daughter and SIL are always very grateful. At least the twins love to eat, Well, except for most green vegetables, like most two year olds I have known.

[MaryIsobel]

24 minutes ago, Kerala said:

OK, OK! Same-same, no argument.

Butterflied leg of lamb in the air fryer, salad with nectarine, apple, orange and pistachio. There's a smear of gochujang at 6 o'clock, on my plate only. Family loved it. They had some nice bread to go along with it.

I'm trying to do a carb-light diet, which I've never done before. I never understood people getting hyped up about carbohydrates before- that's just the stuff you eat protein with, right? Now after 5 days I find myself thinking about carbonara, pizza, ramen bowls, fish and chips, and it's the carbohydrate that's uppermost in my anticipation! That morning slice of toast I allow myself daily is so appreciated.

I tried the low carb approach to weight loss and quickly decided it was not for me. I had brain fog and muscle spasms for as long as I eliminated most carbs. I decided just to be mindful about how many and what type of carbs and that was worked best for me.

[C. sapidus]

 

Shrimp in chile pasilla sauce with roasted garlic, cumin, and Mexican oregano. Green rice to go with.

[Okanagancook]

2 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

I tried the low carb approach to weight loss and quickly decided it was not for me. I had brain fog and muscle spasms for as long as I eliminated most carbs. I decided just to be mindful about how many and what type of carbs and that was worked best for me.

Lower glycemic carbs are a smart choice.  Loads of charts on the internet.  That combined with eating less is a relatively healthy approach to getting a few pounds off.

[liamsaunt]

Chicken and eggplant parmesan over penne.

 

[mgaretz]

Grilled pork chop, with Brentwood corn.

 

[billyhill]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:37 PM, Ann_T said:

@OlyveOyl Great dinner and dessert and love the photos. 

 

Fresh halibut poached in my Cioppino broth served over rice noodles.

Used tomatoes from our garden.

 

On 9/22/2023 at 7:06 PM, OlyveOyl said:

Brats (uncooked) from the German butcher were delicious.

They were steamed for a bit with the Yukon gold potatoes and then sautéed in the same pan as the sauerkraut.

Plum /raspberry tart with a pâte sucrée , sprinkled with amaretti crumbles.

@Ann_TI am so envious of your husband, you produce so much amazing food.

 

@OlyveOyl

I had a friend that spent some time in Germany and then hosted a series of German exchange students. I was transported back to a dinner long ago by your post.

 

Not much new happening in the kitchen. Revived the tradition of dirty rice but have altered it so much it is no better than a made for TV "based on real events". Tasty, none the less. Smoked a chuck roast (Serious Eats style) after 27 hours in the sous vide. I will definitely be doing that again.  The chuck...

[Katie Meadow]

Another no-name farmers' market melange in the NC cabin. From the market: purple cherokee tomatoes, big and juicy. Shelled purple hull peas, similar to black eyed peas but I like them better. Fresh okra, dark in color and very tender and tasty. Bacon, not local I don't think, but good. Everything sort of sautéed separately and then mixed with rice and seasoned with Cajun Blackening Spice that I brought with me from CA, believe it or not, because all the ones I've tasted so far in Atlanta are ninety percent salt. For dessert, scuppernongs and double dark chocolate Milano's.

 

How southern can you get? Does this dish have a name?  To drink we had Asheville Highlands Gaelic Ale, always available in these parts on tap or in cans. I'm not a big beer drinker, but I like this stuff. Believe it or not my daughter and her husband now have some kind of setup that keeps two kegs cold and you can have beer on tap whenever you desire.. What I love about it is that I don't need a giant glass, and can have a half glass at a time, nice foam and all. Highlands Gaelic Ale is a standard, and the other keg is on rotation, I think. The tap handle is only a few months away from being reachable by the taller of the two year-old twins. The two girls are like mountain goats; they'll figure out a way. Too bad I won't be there to see them get sozzled. 

 

Most astonishing, my husband baked bread this morning. As per usual for airbnbs the selection of pots and kitchen equipment is arbitrary as can be, but there is a bread pan! Four forks, a bizarre selection of bowls and some frighteningly ugly plates with a leapard-skin pattern that makes it just about impossible to see what you eating. There's one gigantic stainless steel skillet and two small pots. A dishwasher that's functional but obviously forks need to be washed by hand.  The coffee cups are stupidly wide and unbalanced. There is no dish drain. There is no water kettle for my tea. Behold, there's a quarter sheet pan that's heavy duty and gorgeous. That means biscuits for breakfast using White Lily flour!

[heidih]

1 hour ago, billyhill said:

Not much new happening in the kitchen. Revived the tradition of dirty rice but have altered it so much it is no better than a made for TV "based on real events". Tasty, none the less. Smoked a chuck roast (Serious Eats style) after 27 hours in the sous vide. I will definitely be doing that again.  The chuck...

 

 

So how would your today dirty rice be not like original?

[scubadoo97]

Dinner tonight was oven roasted brisket with my wife, son, his GF and my BIL attending.   Sides were a big salad and oven roasted root vegetables. The latter being one of my favorite things to eat.  

[MaryIsobel]

3 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

Another no-name farmers' market melange in the NC cabin. From the market: purple cherokee tomatoes, big and juicy. Shelled purple hull peas, similar to black eyed peas but I like them better. Fresh okra, dark in color and very tender and tasty. Bacon, not local I don't think, but good. Everything sort of sautéed separately and then mixed with rice and seasoned with Cajun Blackening Spice that I brought with me from CA, believe it or not, because all the ones I've tasted so far in Atlanta are ninety percent salt. For dessert, scuppernongs and double dark chocolate Milano's.

 

How southern can you get? Does this dish have a name?  To drink we had Asheville Highlands Gaelic Ale, always available in these parts on tap or in cans. I'm not a big beer drinker, but I like this stuff. Believe it or not my daughter and her husband now have some kind of setup that keeps two kegs cold and you can have beer on tap whenever you desire.. What I love about it is that I don't need a giant glass, and can have a half glass at a time, nice foam and all. Highlands Gaelic Ale is a standard, and the other keg is on rotation, I think. The tap handle is only a few months away from being reachable by the taller of the two year-old twins. The two girls are like mountain goats; they'll figure out a way. Too bad I won't be there to see them get sozzled. 

 

Most astonishing, my husband baked bread this morning. As per usual for airbnbs the selection of pots and kitchen equipment is arbitrary as can be, but there is a bread pan! Four forks, a bizarre selection of bowls and some frighteningly ugly plates with a leapard-skin pattern that makes it just about impossible to see what you eating. There's one gigantic stainless steel skillet and two small pots. A dishwasher that's functional but obviously forks need to be washed by hand.  The coffee cups are stupidly wide and unbalanced. There is no dish drain. There is no water kettle for my tea. Behold, there's a quarter sheet pan that's heavy duty and gorgeous. That means biscuits for breakfast using White Lily flour!

I would love that keg set-up as I am well known in our circles for asking "does anyone want to split a beer?"

[Dejah]

While trying to fit more protein into my freezer, I found I had enough chicken parts to make up about 10 whole chickens!

Pulled a couple of breasts, a package of drumsticks, and a package of thighs out and made Spicy Chicken and Vegs with Toban sauce. Didn't have peanuts, so almonds sufficed. Sent this container over to the neighbor next door. He's a land surveyor and gets home late. He appreciated meals, and we appreciate his help whenever... 

                                                                    

 

Next evening's meal was drumsticks and carrots simmered in Glico Curry paste. 30 minute meal!

 

                                                                    

 

One of the Chinese elders is a master gardener when it comes to Chinese vegetables. She always shares her bounty, especially Bitter Melon, which she knew we loved. I usually just stir-dry with beef and black beans, but decided to take a little time and stuffed the melons for this meal. I used ground pork, shrimp, ginger, Shitaki mushrooms for the stuffing

                                                                   

 

Last night, I was babysitting the grands and got home after 8 pm. Wonton soup was the easy fix when I have prepared filling in the freezer.

 

                                                                   

 

It's been raining all day, so no garden cleaning. Had several bags of Snow Crab clusters in the freezer, but hubby just had carpal tunnel surgery beginning of the week. Didn't think he could manage, so I cracked the crab, pulled out all the meat, and made Crab Cakes with Panko. Not the best recipe but it was quick, other than the hour I took to pick out the meat! They were ok, but not as good as the Emeril Lagasse recipe I used before.

                               

 

                                     

[weinoo]

 

Sunday gravy with meatballs and sausage, served over Faella gemelli.  Braised peas with.

 

Actually took the time to run the 2 big cans of Italian tomatoes through a food mill; made the sauce a bit more silky, if that makes sense.

[gfweb]

Parm with salad.  I had a plantain that was about to go south, so I made maduros for the salad.  Odd but not bad at all.

[liuzhou]

Before coming to China in 1996, I had never thought of aubergine / eggplant / brinjal as being associated with Chinese cuisine. How wrong I was. 30 years ago Sichuan cuisine was almost unknown in western ‘Chinese’ restaurants. So, famous dishes such as 鱼香茄子 (yú xiāng qié zi), or 茄子肉末 (qié zi ròu mò) were unknown. That has changed.

 

Tonight I went for the latter, 茄子肉末 (qié zi ròu mò), Aubergine / Eggplant with minced pork. This common Sichuan dish is stir-fried with 豆瓣酱 (dòu bàn jiàng), known in America as Toban sauce, or similar. You may see the two parts of the Chinese name, 茄子 (qié zi), eggplant and 肉末 (ròu mò), reversed to become 肉末茄子 (ròu mò qié zi). In restaurants in China, the predominant ingredient is listed first; some restaurants have both on their menu. I go with the eggplant first variety, the most traditional.

 

This was accompanied by 空心菜 (kōng xīn cài, literally ‘hollow heart vegetable’), water spinach / Kangcong / ong choy/ morning glory etc. Another multiple-named ingredient (in both English and Chinese!)

 

 

Served with rice. That dish is deep, and I couldn't finish it, so I have leftovers for tomorrow' s lunch. Bonus.

 

¥22.60 / $3.11 USD inc delivery.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[heidih]

11 hours ago, Dejah said:

                                                                                                                              

 

One of the Chinese elders is a master gardener when it comes to Chinese vegetables. She always shares her bounty, especially Bitter Melon, which she knew we loved. I usually just stir-dry with beef and black beans, but decided to take a little time and stuffed the melons for this meal. I used ground pork, shrimp, ginger, Shitaki mushrooms for the stuffing

                                                                   

                                                              

 

I                               

 

                                     

I also trend to the bitter melon, beef, black bean prep. But my comfort dish is bitter melon stuffed with ground pork, mung bean noodle, wood ear poached in a light chicken broth. Used to be able to get it at a little Vietnamese market w/ hot food counter. like this  https://www.hungryhuy.com/bitter-melon-soup-canh-kho-qua/

Edited September 25, 2023 by heidih (log)

[mgaretz]

Really simple stir fry with char siu, snap peas and carrots.  Not even any sauce (request of wife).  After taking the pick I added some soy and hoisin sauces to mine!

 

 

[chileheadmike]

7 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

Sunday gravy with meatballs and sausage, served over Faella gemelli.  Braised peas with.

 

Actually took the time to run the 2 big cans of Italian tomatoes through a food mill; made the sauce a bit more silky, if that makes sense.

I run mine through the fine plate on my KA sausage grinder.  Works pretty well. 

[BeeZee]

A healthy version of “baked ziti” (vegetarian), cleaned out the freezer of some homemade tomato sauce and TVP crumbles. Roasted eggplant cubes, sauteed zucchini before combining. No ricotta, just mozzarella, and we enjoyed the lighter take. Only used 4oz penne for the 11x17 pan (6 servings).