Dinner 2024

[gulfporter]

Eggplant and Lamb with Yogurt topping thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi.  

 

This one's a keeper!  My convection oven here in AZ gives us those 'crispy bits' we crave.  Recipe said serves 4 to 6.  I'd say more like a dinner party for 8.  Not complaining.....happy to eat this every night for a week!

 

I ended up making it in a toss-away turkey roasting pan which are ubiquitous now in US.  EZ clean-up/  

 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020154-eggplant-lamb-and-yogurt-casserole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, gulfporter said:

 

 

I ended up making it in a toss-away turkey roasting pan which are ubiquitous now in US.  EZ clean-up/  

 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020154-eggplant-lamb-and-yogurt-casserole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice.

 

The pan is probably better for this than a heavy turkey anyway

 

 

[C. sapidus]

When I was in college, Marathon Deli was my favorite place to eat near campus. The restaurant was run by a Greek family, all with flaming red hair. Still there, lo these many decades later, but moved around the corner.

 

I ordered two old favorites, gyro and carrot cake. They seem to be using the same recipes - the carrot cake had a lovely, lemony, not-too-sweet icing, and the gyro was dressed with a sauce somewhere between tzatziki and creamed feta cheese. Nothing tastes quite as good as memories, but this came pretty close.

 

But sadly, no more red-haired Greeks.

 

 

[rotuts]

@C. sapidus

 

that looks fabulous .

 

I can taste them both .

 

and I bet each put a smile on your face.

 

 

Edited October 20 by rotuts (log)

[gfweb]

@C. sapidus You went to school in Philadelphia perhaps?

[YvetteMT]

First cooking post work trip- thighs, peppers, onions and mushrooms all done on a sheet pan and yellow rice. 

[C. sapidus]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

@C. sapidus You went to school in Philadelphia perhaps?

 

No, U of MD College Park. Grew up right down the street.

 

Why, is there a similar place in Philly?

[Maison Rustique]

@Smithy No, neither of those. I'll see if I can find it on Facebook.

 

My Medicare provider sends free meals after you've been in the hospital. Just tried one. They arrive fresh but you can freeze for longer storage. I am impressed with the varieties they sent. Just had this one. Was it great? No but it wasn't the worst thing ever either. Broccoli was crunchy and flavorful. And it was more than I could eat!

 

[Maison Rustique]

Here is the Tomolive recipe. Whoever I got it from was the person who had them at Temple Bar.

 

Tomolives

If tomatoes are larger, cut in half or quarters. If small, make a couple of holes or slits in them so the brine gets inside. Pack the tomatoes snugly into a jar. Add 4 cloves garlic and a tsp of pickling spice. Bring ¼ c. salt, a pint of Heinz white pickling vinegar, and a pint of water to a boil. Pour over tomatoes, let cool, and store in the fridge. The Temple Bar in Manhattan served an "old South martini," garnished with tomolives, which is where I first had them. They're also great in bloody marys.

[gfweb]

10 hours ago, C. sapidus said:

 

No, U of MD College Park. Grew up right down the street.

 

Why, is there a similar place in Philly?

 Marathon Grille.

Same deal.

[Norm Matthews]

I found a 2014 recipe on my computer from a really nice lady and very good cook from NOLA for New Orleans style shrimp. More than half way through the recipe, it wasn't working so I looked up the original from Chef Jared Besh and discovered a cup of oyster liquor missing so I had to make some changes in the recipe but it still turned out well.  One thing that helped the taste  was using wild caught Gulf shrimp. I had never noticed that kind before and it was much better tasting than what is usually available here in Kansas. It brought back memories of what shrimp used to taste like a long time ago.  If they continue to carry them, I will have to get one of those shrimp tools for shelling and deveining. It was no small chore to do them all by hand.

Edited October 20 by Norm Matthews (log)

[C. sapidus]

Halibut kaprao and cucumber salad

 

[Tropicalsenior]

2 hours ago, Norm Matthews said:

I will have to get one of those shrimp tools for shelling and deveining.

I use a small straight scissors for that. I just run it along the back of the shrimp deep enough to cut the shell and the vein. Then all I have to do is spread the shell and wipe out the vein and I'm finished.

[Smithy]

Grilled cheese, tomato and bacon sandwich, thanks to my panini press. The bacon had been cooked on said press some weeks before, then stored in the freezer. Lettuce and sauerkraut were added after the sandwich had been pressed and heated to the point of melty cheese and browned ridges.

 

 

By that time, some of the cheese had oozed out (as you can see) but most was still inside the sandwich. Here's what passes for a money shot, given my life these days:

 

 

A year ago I'd never have guessed this would be a filling -- almost overly filling -- meal. I've learned that a small dinner, slowly cooked and eaten, is more than plenty. And I'm down 25 pounds because (mostly) of that change.

[liuzhou]

4 hours ago, Norm Matthews said:

If they continue to carry them, I will have to get one of those shrimp tools for shelling and deveining. It was no small chore to do them all by hand.

 

 

I'd send you a set of these if you weren't on the other side of the world. I have about ten of each. A couple of years ago I was in the habit of buying live, wild caught shrimp online from the nearby seaport city. Every delivery, they included another set.

 

 

[Neely]

Typical for us…roast lamb for dinner on Sunday evening. Roasted only to quite pink and do you know, I like the meat better a little more cooked not grey and dry of course but just a bit more than that top piece shows.

Peas, carrots and roast potatoes with mince sauce and gravy.

[rotuts]

@Neely

 

another fine looking plate of food.

Edited October 21 by rotuts (log)

[Dejah]

Our son, who works off-site from St. John's  Nfld with his company in Manitoba, was home for "their yearly summit meetings". Took the opportunity to come home for a few days, still working , then a few days off.
He loves lamb while his wife and kids don't, so I feed him as much as I can with his favourite protein.

Moussaka with eggplant and lamb:

 

                                                                                    

 

I had 2 saddles of lamb in the freezer. Boned both, rolled and roasted. Our oldest son and 2 daughters joined us next evening for supper. The girls didn't know it was lamb, so they ate it up and loved it! LOL!

                                                                                       

Thanksgiving was Baked Ham, Scalloped Potatoes and various vegetables.  I made a BIG scalloped potato as the grands love them. Sent most of it and the ham home with them.

 

                                                                                

                                                                                              

A final meal before our son left for his flight home to Nfld: a single bone prime rib:

 

                                                                           

                                                                                                    

Had picked up a case of mangoes, and they are not ripening well. A waste to use in cooking but made something with chicken:

                                                                                      

Lean Ground Beef on sale this week: $4.49 / lb. Picked up several trays, vacuum sealed some packages, then used some to stuff acorn squash. Made a threee-peppercorn gravy and eaten with Cavendish fries, peas.

 

                                                                                      

 No point making Fish 'n' Chips while the kid was home, but we needed a fix, with pickerel!

 

                                                                                     

Edited October 21 by Dejah (log)

[Norm Matthews]

19 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

 

I'd send you a set of these if you weren't on the other side of the world. I have about ten of each. A couple of years ago I was in the habit of buying live, wild caught shrimp online from the nearby seaport city. Every delivery, they included another set.

 

 

 

Would you recommend one or the other, or are both?

[gulfporter]

 

5 minutes ago, Norm Matthews said:

 

Would you recommend one or the other, or are both?

 

I'm going to butt in to say we have owned one of these for 20+ years and they are so simple in design and work every time.  Removes the shell and the vein in one easy slick motion.  No sharp points or blades.   Watch the video at Amazon.  

 

(eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

 

 

Edited October 21 by gulfporter (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

5 minutes ago, Norm Matthews said:

 

Would you recommend one or the other, or are both?

I've seen some of these in my local Chinese restaurant Supply. If you have one locally you might check there for some of these. They are quite similar to the scissors that I use.

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, Norm Matthews said:

 

Would you recommend one or the other, or are both?

 

It depends. If I want to remove the shell then I find the scissor type more useful.

 

 

However, I often cook shrimp shell-on, so I use the small knife style one to devein them.

 

 

 

[Honkman]

Variation on Tom Kha Gai - chicken legs are cooked with lemongrass, ginger, chili and makrut lime leaves in chicken broth. The chicken legs get diced and the broth filtered. Chicken, sugar snap peas, king oyster mushrooms and baby corn are cooked in the chicken broth and coconut milk and finished with fish sauce and cilantro.

[Maison Rustique]

Yesterday's fine meal. Doctored with butter and cheese.

 

A friend brought me some of her famous chili (She developed it for PBS' Great American Recipe), posole, cornbread and toppings yesterday. I did not dive right in as my system was feeling a bit off and I didn't think spicy would be good. Will play it by ear today.

 

 

[Dejah]

I don't have the luxury of fresh shrimp here on the prairies, but I get lovely big frozen shelled ones from Sysco, the company that supplies local restaurants. They come individually frozen, with only the shell on the tails. I never bother to de-vein them unless they are really noticeable, then it's just the tip of the toothpick somewhere along the top of the shrimp, and out it comes.
A friend gave us some wurst made locally at a butcher's close to their summer cottage. The butcher's name is Kurt, so the label said Kurtwurst!
It was lovely, coarse grind, well seasoned, and the casing was "crisp".
Didn't have red cabbage, but bok choy and a yellow zuchinni needed cooking.