Dinner 2025

[TdeV]

2 hours ago, liamsaunt said:

Fish tacos. I dredged the fish pieces in spices and wondra flour and pan seared them rather than deep frying it. 

 

 

All of your dinners look delish!

 

Could you please tell me all the ingredients of the tacos? (I'm going to try this).

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, Paul Bacino said:

NO TSP added---cooked on beef tallow

 

Sorry, please translate TSP in this context? I know it can't be "teaspoon" or "trisodium phosphate"....

[DesertTinker]

53 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Sorry, please translate TSP in this context? I know it can't be "teaspoon" or "trisodium phosphate"....

Probably referring to STTP.

[Shel_B]

11 minutes ago, DesertTinker said:

Probably referring to STTP.

Tri Sodium Phosphate,  perhaps.

Edited 20 hours ago by Shel_B (log)

[Honkman]

Goulash-Potato Gratin - mix of beef chuck and pork shoulder gets first braised with bell peppers, onions, rosemary, bay leaves, tomato paste and paprika in beef broth and red wine. Then topped with thinly sliced potatoes and gouda (tasty but turned out to be a bit soupier than planned)

[MaryIsobel]

On 4/3/2025 at 4:32 AM, Maison Rustique said:

Recently, I got a frozen pizza from my milkman. I baked it a few days ago. I doctored it, but it was still dreadful--dry and no flavor. I tried a second time with leftovers and I still couldn't like it. Trying hard not to waste food, yesterday I cut it into pieces, Put in a baking dish with more olives, tomatoes and onions, and poured over eggs, milk and copious seasonings. Topped with mozzarella about halfway through baking. A pizza strata. Not the best strata I've ever made but it was vastly better than the original pizza.

 

I love that you have a milkman. Haven't had any such thing for years. It was my job as a youngster to put the milk bottles out (with cash tucked in the neck) after supper for the milkman the next morning. Once a month we got to have a quart of chocolate milk - such a nice treat from the Nestles' Chocolate Quick.

[MaryIsobel]

Oh my gosh! I can just taste them = thank you!

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Milkman!!  Fabulous!    I remember in winter finding the milk had frozen, shot it lid and created a three inch column of frozen cream out the top!

Today the closest I have is Instacart!

[C. sapidus]

Liuyang black bean chicken: chicken thigh chunks marinated with soy sauce, twice-fried, and removed. Stir-fry a whole head of garlic, sliced ginger, fermented black beans, Shaoxing wine, red chile flakes, and rice vinegar. Finish with scallions and sesame oil. This is a long-time favorite.

 

 

Stir-fried Chinese spinach leaves with garlic: Yup, its that simple (plus a pinch of salt). I liked the Chinese spinach - nice flavor, and a bit more robust vs. regular spinach.

 

Edited 15 hours ago by C. sapidus (log)

[Smithy]

5 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Sorry, please translate TSP in this context? I know it can't be "teaspoon" or "trisodium phosphate"....

 

5 hours ago, DesertTinker said:

Probably referring to STTP.

 

4 hours ago, Shel_B said:

Tri Sodium Phosphate,  perhaps.

 

Until now, I had no idea that what I think of as a cleaning agent was used as a food additive. I stand educated.

[Shel_B]

32 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Until now, I had no idea that what I think of as a cleaning agent was used as a food additive. I stand educated.

I had but a vague recollection of it being used as a cleaning agent ... I guess we both learned something.

 

That junk is in Cheerios which, sadly, my sister eats quite often ... 

[Smithy]

I still hope @Paul Bacino weighs in with why his shrimp didn't have TSP: how he knew it didn't, and why it might have in the first place.

[Tropicalsenior]

58 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

That junk is in Cheerios

Hmm, now I know why I can't stand Cheerios. I can only imagine that the box that they come in has more flavor.

[Shel_B]

15 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Hmm, now I know why I can't stand Cheerios. I can only imagine that the box that they come in has more flavor.

 

I made a paste from ground up Cheerios and used it to remove a stain from my entryway carpet.

[C. sapidus]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I still hope @Paul Bacino weighs in with why his shrimp didn't have TSP: how he knew it didn't, and why it might have in the first place.

The issue with TSP and scallops is it causes them to retain water. This works against a good sear. 
 

Look for “dry packed” scallops to avoid excess water. 

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, C. sapidus said:

The issue with TSP and scallops is it causes them to retain water. This works against a good sear. 
 

Look for “dry packed” scallops to avoid excess water. 

 

Thank you. So why are they exposed to / packed with TSP in the first place? Fattens them up for a better weight?

[liuzhou]

4 hours ago, C. sapidus said:

Stir-fried Chinese spinach leaves with garlic: Yup, its that simple (plus a pinch of salt). I liked the Chinese spinach - nice flavor, and a bit more robust vs. regular spinach.

 

Another question. What's the difference between 'regular spinach' and 'Chinese spinach'?

I often buy spinach in China. Call me Popeye. But it's no different from spinach in Europe.

 

Wikipedia offers some clues but I wonder what it is you are actually eating. Malabar spinach?

 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by liuzhou (log)

[C. sapidus]

31 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Thank you. So why are they exposed to / packed with TSP in the first place? Fattens them up for a better weight?

 

I think that is correct, but I'm hardly an expert.

[C. sapidus]

21 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

Another question. What's the difference between 'regular spinach' and 'Chinese spinach'?

I often buy spinach in China. Call me Popeye. But it's no different from spinach in Europe.

 

Wikipedia offers some clues but I wonder what it is you are actually eating. Malabar spinach?

 

 

 

I suspected that you might ask. Unfortunately, my answer is unsatisfying: "Chinese spinach" is how they were labeled at the local international market, and a quick internet search was unsatisfying. This is the link for the product:

 

Chinese spinach: H-Mart (clicky)

 

I can say that the market also offered "regular" spinach, which had smaller, rounder leaves and collapses more easily when exposed to heat.

[liuzhou]

12 minutes ago, C. sapidus said:

I suspected that you might ask.

 

Damn! I'm so predictable.

It looks more like Malabar spinach in the H-Mart image but the greens are often so similar visually. 

When searching for real spinach in the markets, I look for the purplish tinge to the roots. I buy that more often.

Thanks!

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

Using leftovers. Sauerkraut, smoked sausage, dill pickles and provolone on grainy nutty bread. Very good, but if I do the same again (there's still some left), I will put mustard on it, too.

[Paul Bacino]

17 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Sorry, please translate TSP in this context? I know it can't be "teaspoon" or "trisodium phosphate"....

See later posts:   Not a WET scallop...Sorry

 

https://wildalaskancompany.com/blog/wet-vs-dry-scallops?srsltid=AfmBOorkCAxa8a7SCAuBoqcuoeD88pGq85zEbE1hPb7fu3gIkSyVcrrO

Edited 4 hours ago by Paul Bacino (log)

[weinoo]

This is actually my favorite product from Trader Joe's:

 

 

Their New Zealand rack of lamb, which usually runs right around $20 or so.  I cut it up into little chops, marinade in a little olive oil, s & p, rosemary, lemon...

 

 

And broil them.  With roasted potatoes and carrots.