Baby, it's cold outside

[chow guy]

Andie . . . Try this for the pork leg. We love it for itself and the leftovers are gorgeous. It comes from a Taiwanese friend.

KJ’s Pork

8 – 12 pound whole fresh picnic ham (usually found cryovaced, skin and fat on)

1 large hand of ginger, about fist sized

1 bunch green onions

½ cup light soy sauce (regular Kikkoman will work)

¾ cup Chinese cooking wine (usually labeled “not for consumption”… no kidding)

¼ cup white vinegar

½ cup rock candy

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup dark mushroom flavored soy sauce (KJ uses Pearl River Bridge brand)

This sounds really great . I'll have to try it this weekend. Thanks

[fifi]

Andie, For a festive occasion you might want to consider this. One time, I had this wonderful pork picnic with smooth ivory skin. I used an Exacto knife to carve a bamboo design into that beautiful skin and continued to rub it with the dark soy when I basted it. It was gorgeous and very festive when it was presented.

[snowangel]

Andie, For a festive occasion you might want to consider this. One time, I had this wonderful pork picnic with smooth ivory skin. I used an Exacto knife to carve a bamboo design into that beautiful skin and continued to rub it with the dark soy when I basted it. It was gorgeous and very festive when it was presented.

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OK. So you go from being our LC hypnotist to the hostest with the mostest. I figured just getting the leg and doing it was enough. Little did I know.

[fifi]

Heheh . . . When I was shopping at my local Asian market, the butcher brings out the whole freakin' hind quarter, including the trotter, in response to my inquiry. After many hand signals, I realize that he is trying to tell me where he suggests that he cut it. (My Chinese isn't so good.) It was so beautiful, I was artistically inspired. I even went to the internet to get some classical bamboo patterns. What can I say . . . It was a "Martha Moment." The serendipity of the situation is that the cuts into the skin meant that it didn't need to be tied to keep the skin from shrinking back during cooking. The design was a sort of "stress reliever." Too bad that was pre-eGullet and pre digital camera. That one was worthy of capture.

[Marlene]

They are calling for a snowstorm here later tomorrow and Thursday. It's a good time to make chili. or soup or stew!

[NulloModo]

Darn it, I want some snow. I would love to make some great wintery feeling meals, but it was like 50 something degrees today, and will be like that at least through the week... I hope winter hits the Mid-Atlantic sometime soon...

[snowangel]

Darn it, I want some snow.  I would love to make some great wintery feeling meals, but it was like 50 something degrees today, and will be like that at least through the week... I hope winter hits the Mid-Atlantic sometime soon...

←

You are more than welcome to shovel mine anytime. I'll even feed you larb or stew or braised whatever.

[snowangel]

It is below zero, and dropping like a stone (to -25 F tonight), with no signs of seeing even zero for a few days.

Given that I am low on stock, I stopped at the asian market today and got a mess of bones (beef and chicken) and will simmer those tonight. That stuff shouldn't take long to cool down on my deck tomorrow.

And, just put a chuck roast in to the over for a long braise for dinner tomorrow night.

I have a feeling that my January natural gas bill is going to give me a heart attack.

[JSD]

Darn it, I want some snow. 

Be careful what you wish for! We've had 6 feet of snow in the past 2 weeks, and our street still hasn't been plowed. This morning it was down to 8 degrees F.

I've been making soup. We had clam chowder last night, and split pea before that. Tonight we're having chicken soup.

[snowangel]

This morning it was down to 8 degrees F.

←

Saw this and immediately started humming "Heat Wave."

[rosebud]

It is ridiculously warm here in DC for this time in January. However, the cold front that has hit many of you is on its way. The temps are going to drop like a rock overnight and the frigid (for us) weather will be here. Being a somewhat organized soul (only when it comes to food), I laid in some supplies, including the ingredients to make a batch of beouf bourginione (sp?), thanks to thread on braising here. We will have to eat it without letting it sit overnight in the fridge (it is much too warm to have the oven on that long today), but I will make enough to serve us and most of the people in this building.

Can you say "Leftovers?"

[JSD]

This morning it was down to 8 degrees F.

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Saw this and immediately started humming "Heat Wave."

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I know our temps are nothing to yours. Still, it was cold enough here that I was fearful when I went out to the fish pond with an ice pick to break open a bit for the birds, and hoped I wouldn't slip on the ice and kill myself.

Our neighbor hired someone with a front loader to plow our street! Yeah!

Our chicken soup was pretty tasty. I used some hot peppers off a plant I dug up from the garden this fall.

[suzilightning]

having just slid into my driveway after slip-sliding up rt 15n on about 1 1/2 inches of rain, sleet and snow here in nw nj with the temps sliding down from yesterday's high of about 60 - i am ready to cook!!!

just finished lunch - weiswurt, saurekraut and TATER TOTS.

up on the agenda:

blueberry cake

cranberry orange tea bread

bake off the country rye bread that is on it's final rise

unexpectedly have john home(he was heading north to his mom's) so i can't start the scotch broth soup - he can't abide the smell of lamb

have to feed the boy so i think i'll start some onions and make maltaushen for dinner. it will go well with the bread, some beer cheese and some cucumber salad.

[Smithy]

...snippo...

up on the agenda:

blueberry cake

cranberry orange tea bread

...

←

Would you please expand on the "cranberry orange tea bread"? It sounds interesting! A recipe would be even more welcome, if you aren't breaking trade secrets or copyrights!

We had company over for dinner. Jeffrey Steingarten's Gratin Dauphinoise (oh baby oh baby), a good green salad (wildly out of season and wildly welcome), New York strip steaks with a mushroom/wine sauce, good crusty bread from the oven. Wowza. There's something to be said for -20F at 8 p.m, but there's far more to be said about good company and friends willing to come over in this weather.

[suzilightning]

...snippo...

up on the agenda:

blueberry cake

cranberry orange tea bread

...

←

Would you please expand on the "cranberry orange tea bread"? It sounds interesting! A recipe would be even more welcome, if you aren't breaking trade secrets or copyrights!

sure thing. adapted from The New Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook from many many years ago.

1 orange

water

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup cranberries(if using fresh chopp them up; i many times mix fresh and the

craisins)

1/2 nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds, chopped pecans)

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Microplane the rind off that orange. Into a mixing bowl squeeze the juice and add enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup. Add the rind to the water/juice mixture along with the butter and stir to melt. In another bowl put the sugar and egg. Beat well and then incorporate this into the orange mixture. Add the cranberries and nuts. Sift together the dry ingredients then stir into the first mixture. Spoon into a 9" x 5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with baking spray or buttered and floured. Bake 1 hour at 325 F.

[suzilightning]

...snippo...

up on the agenda:

blueberry cake

cranberry orange tea bread

...

←

Would you please expand on the "cranberry orange tea bread"? It sounds interesting! A recipe would be even more welcome, if you aren't breaking trade secrets or copyrights!

sure thing. adapted from The New Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook from many many years ago.

1 orange

water

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup cranberries(if using fresh chopp them up; i many times mix fresh and the

craisins)

1/2 nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds, chopped pecans)

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Microplane the rind off that orange. Into a mixing bowl squeeze the juice and add enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup. Add the rind to the water/juice mixture along with the butter and stir to melt. In another bowl put the sugar and egg. Beat well and then incorporate this into the orange mixture. Add the cranberries and nuts. Sift together the dry ingredients then stir into the first mixture. Spoon into a 9" x 5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with baking spray or buttered and floured. Bake 1 hour at 325 F.

sometimes i will also add a little more dried orange peel or zest another orange.

[Smithy]

Thank you, suzilightning! It sounds like just the ticket for tomorrow morning. Happens I have some fresh oranges from "home" that should work wonderfully.

[riboflavinjoe]

i have been on a short rib addiction of late, and this totally wins for the cold weather!

[Mabelline]

For the better part of this last week the temps have been icebox--last night was -17*. So this morning I put on an old fashioned dutch oven of ham hocks and pinto beans. We had it tonight with cornbread, hot tea, and a (canned) peach cobbler. Now my toes are warmed up again. Am thawing venison sirloin for tomorrow.Real heat wave right now, 4*.

[suzilightning]

For the better part of this last week the temps have been icebox--last night was -17*. So this morning I put on an old fashioned dutch oven of ham hocks and pinto beans. We had it tonight with cornbread, hot tea, and a (canned) peach cobbler. Now my toes are warmed up again. Am thawing venison sirloin for tomorrow.Real heat wave right now, 4*.

←

ohh, ohh, ohh......

venison sirloin with a nice mushroom sauce?????

[Mabelline]

Yep, with green peppercorns, too. I am thinking a nice casserole dish of au gratin potatoes, a loaf of fresh bread, and an old fashion egg custard. That ought to keep my kitchen warm all day!

[snowangel]

My local butcher is open tomorrow. He has pork shoulders (butts). I'm thinking I need to try some zero degree (F) smoking. The Weber Kettle looks forlorn, and I just about tripped over a bag of charcoal and another bag of wood chunks when I went out to the garage today to check the washer fluid in my Bronco. I need to smell smokey. I need to eat home-smoked pork.

And, I'm still wearing my Birkies to get the trash out and to pick that frozen rosemary in my garden. A die hard!

[jsolomon]

-17F right now... I'm going to make some onion soup... I also have some bread dough that I'm going to bake.

[Smithy]

Would you please expand on the "cranberry orange tea bread"?  It sounds interesting!  A recipe would be even more welcome, if you aren't breaking trade secrets or copyrights!

sure thing. adapted from The New Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook from many many years ago.

1 orange

water

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup cranberries(if using fresh chopp them up; i many times mix fresh and the

craisins)

1/2 nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds, chopped pecans)

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Microplane the rind off that orange. Into a mixing bowl squeeze the juice and add enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup. Add the rind to the water/juice mixture along with the butter and stir to melt. In another bowl put the sugar and egg. Beat well and then incorporate this into the orange mixture. Add the cranberries and nuts. Sift together the dry ingredients then stir into the first mixture. Spoon into a 9" x 5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with baking spray or buttered and floured. Bake 1 hour at 325 F.

sometimes i will also add a little more dried orange peel or zest another orange.

←

Oh, oh, oh! Oh, my. Oh, my. Oh, mymymy. That is goood tea bread. Thank you very much for making my morning! (Well, almost noon. No matter. It was darned good.)

[Jake]

Definitely a day for cooking today. Bones and veg have been roasted and veal stock has been simmering on the stove for a few hours now. Chocolate macademia nut cookies are cooling on a rack. Baked beans are in the oven to go with ribs tonight. Next up is a sweet potato/chipotle gratin, some cornbread to go with the ribs and beans and a pot of black bean/pork/corn soup to use up some leftover pork and have lunches for the week. That should do it for today!