Dinner 2026

[C. sapidus]

Leftovers from yesterday's family holiday meal: spinach soup (palak shorva) mixed with stir-fried cabbage with fennel, my brother's scalloped potatoes, and some crumbled feta. Too late, Mrs. C pointed out that we also had leftover ham, which would have been nice.

 

Mrs. C will only eat palak (or saag) dishes with the lights very low, claiming it looks too much like messes she had to clean up in patient rooms at the hospital . . .

 

[liuzhou]

Last night. Clams with bamboo shoot and Hunan pickled hot 🔥 peppers.

 

 

 

[sartoric]

There was a bowl of things, shredded roast chicken, baby pak choy, vermicelli noodles, crushed peanuts in bone broth.

 

Then, another bowl of things. Laksa with prawns, tofu puffs, rice noodles, more pak choy and toppings. Note a new bag of bean sprouts. Countdown is reset. 

 

[Maison Rustique]

@Duvel, I had not heard of baking cheese in the container like that. Fascinating!

 

 

Last night was yet another bagged salad from a kit--I buy this kit when I see it for the little cheddar cheese pretzel balls. They are delicious and I can't seem to find them to buy anywhere. Plus another meatball. I froze the remaining 2 meatballs.

 

 

[gulfporter]

Shiitake and scallion pancake.  A tad disappointing compared to what we get at Asian restaurants.  But my dipping sauce perked it up. 

[YvetteMT]

Pasta with bear sausage

 

 

And since I have dental work again this week,  I made one of partners favorites that I don't like- turkey. With mashed potatoes and stuffing (both should be soft enough for me post dental work)

 

[MaryIsobel]

9 hours ago, YvetteMT said:

Pasta with bear sausage

 

 

And since I have dental work again this week,  I made one of partners favorites that I don't like- turkey. With mashed potatoes and stuffing (both should be soft enough for me post dental work)

 

I don't know if this has been asked before - but what kind of bear? We have a lot of black bears around here but I have never tasted any kind of bear. I assume that it would be gamey but how does it compare "gamey wise" to venison or moose?

 

[Smithy]

11 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

I don't know if this has been asked before - but what kind of bear? We have a lot of black bears around here but I have never tasted any kind of bear. I assume that it would be gamey but how does it compare "gamey wise" to venison or moose?

 

 

The (black) bear I've had has been very mild, almost sweet.

[YvetteMT]

1 hour ago, MaryIsobel said:

I don't know if this has been asked before - but what kind of bear? We have a lot of black bears around here but I have never tasted any kind of bear. I assume that it would be gamey but how does it compare "gamey wise" to venison or moose?

 

 Black bear from Canada.  Not gamey at all,  quite mild.  Their taste is highly dependent upon their diet. The ones living on fish are actually fishy to the point that most hunters won't take a coastal bear to eat. Between deer and moose, closer to the sweetness of moose than the mildness of deer.

[liamsaunt]

On 1/9/2026 at 8:11 PM, MaryIsobel said:

Thanks for this - I got an eggplant in my Odd Bunch (similar to Misfits) box. My husband isn't a fan but maybe he would like it this way. I did think of parm - your version looks very appetizing compared to some I've seen. I assume that is toasted breadcrumbs on top?

Yes, breadcrumbs on top. I used Jamie Oliver’s recipe from New York Times Cooking. I like it because the eggplant is baked plain rather than breaded and fried. You can taste the eggplant more that way. 
 

 

[MaryIsobel]

1 hour ago, liamsaunt said:

Yes, breadcrumbs on top. I used Jamie Oliver’s recipe from New York Times Cooking. I like it because the eggplant is baked plain rather than breaded and fried. You can taste the eggplant more that way. 
 

 

Good to know - I avoid frying whenever I can, thanks.

[Honkman]

Campanelle with Squash, Walnuts, and Sage Brown Butter from “Anything’s Pastable” - delicata squash is roasted in the oven with rosemary. Sage leaves, crushed walnuts, garlic and red pepper flakes are sautéed in butter and used as a base for the sauce with pasta water, parmesan, lemon juice and zest as well as parsley. Everything is then mixed with the campanelle and finished with more parsley and parmesan