# Cooking thread, anyone?



## DuaeGuttae

I’ve seen some cooking pictures recently that I’ve enjoyed, and so I thought I’d start a thread where folks who are so inclined can share pictures, recipes, or stories.  I’ll start with a photo of my sourdough einkorn bagels.





What was really fun about this batch of bagels was that our family of six (ages three to fifty-five) all sat together at our large table, and the four kids helped me shape all 28 bagels that we made.  It was a nice time, and many hands made lighter work.


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## SpaceBus

My second from scratch pizza attempt. The bread sticks I made last night from the same dough were great. I'll update the thread after I try it.


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## DAKSY

Papa Bob's Sweet Potato Pies.


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## thewoodlands

DuaeGuttae said:


> I’ve seen some cooking pictures recently that I’ve enjoyed, and so I thought I’d start a thread where folks who are so inclined can share pictures, recipes, or stories.  I’ll start with a photo of my sourdough einkorn bagels.
> 
> View attachment 254380
> 
> 
> What was really fun about this batch of bagels was that our family of six (ages three to fifty-five) all sat together at our large table, and the four kids helped me shape all 28 bagels that we made.  It was a nice time, and many hands made lighter work.


I think the next meal I'll cook is chicken parm for New Years.


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## DAKSY

This will be OUR NYE Dinner...
It's a good one...









						Lobster Mac & Cheese with Cheddar & Gruyère | Sweet Paul Magazine
					

Lobster macaroni and cheese




					www.sweetpaulmag.com


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## begreen

DAKSY said:


> This will be OUR NYE Dinner...
> It's a good one...



That sounds delicious!
I cooked our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey breast on the wood stove in a dutch oven. It came out great! The T6 trivet top lends itself nicely to slow cooking but a trivet on a regular stove with about a 400-500º stovetop should also work. You could also use a crock pot. Here is the recipe:








						Crock Pot Turkey Breast
					

Crockpot turkey breast cooked effortlessly in a slow cooker for tender juicy meat. The spice-rubbed meat is served with homemade gravy.




					www.jessicagavin.com


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## SpaceBus

I'm calling this attempt a success, even though it stuck to the pan a bit.


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## begreen

Keep at it. Maybe get a pizza stone and try a hotter oven too.


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## blades

Dang, now I'm hungry.  Cooked a pork loin in the Nesco couple days ago -nothing fancy just the pork and water and a packet of brown gravy mix. turned out ok - not all dried out.


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## DAKSY

begreen said:


> That sounds delicious!
> I cooked our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey breast on the wood stove in a dutch oven. It came out great! The T6 trivet top lends itself nicely to slow cooking but a trivet on a regular stove with about a 400-500º stovetop should also work. You could also use a crock pot. Here is the recipe:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Crock Pot Turkey Breast
> 
> 
> Crockpot turkey breast cooked effortlessly in a slow cooker for tender juicy meat. The spice-rubbed meat is served with homemade gravy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.jessicagavin.com



The Gruyere really adds a distinctive taste. The down side is the cost...somewhere around $60, depending on the Market Price of lobster...Sometimes, I substitute Langostinos...


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## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> Keep at it. Maybe get a pizza stone and try a hotter oven too.


I had one, but it won't fit in this oven. You are right, the oven wasn't as hot as I'd have liked. I forgot to put the mushrooms on so I had to take it back out. Two extra door openings can really take a toll.


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## pjohnson

Nice job on pizza and bagels. I got the wife a new bread machine gonna try some bagels, making pizza dough right now. Smoked up some home made bacon so every thing has bacon on it.


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## begreen

DAKSY said:


> The Gruyere really adds a distinctive taste. The down side is the cost...somewhere around $60, depending on the Market Price of lobster...Sometimes, I substitute Langostinos...


Yeah, lobster on the west coast is a real luxury. Good gruyere is not cheap either, but I love it.


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## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> I had one, but it won't fit in this oven. You are right, the oven wasn't as hot as I'd have liked. I forgot to put the mushrooms on so I had to take it back out. Two extra door openings can really take a toll.


Well, you get an A for effort. It looks better than the pizza I tried to make in our woodstove. We make ours in the electric oven now.


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## begreen

begreen said:


> Well, you get an A for effort. It looks better than the pizza I tried to make in our woodstove. We make ours in the electric oven now.


I've been considering getting a Camp Chef Artisan or an Ooni Koda portable pizza oven. They get hotter, quicker.


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## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> I've been considering getting a Camp Chef Artisan or an Ooni Koda portable pizza oven. They get hotter, quicker.


I plan on building an outdoor pizza/wood oven in the future for summer cooking. I made some cookies earlier with Almond and coconut flour that turned out amazing. I've been trying to get away from using white flour in anything, but my wife says she "hates" whole grain. This is my way of making the the transition smoother. Today I learned that the cooker works best with a short hot fire. It doesn't run like a normal wood stove at all


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## SpaceBus

The earlier mentioned coconut and Almond flour chocolate chip cookies. I usually don't bake so much in one day, but I really wanted some cookies. As you can see they didn't last very long.

The chocolate chips are Bixby which are made in Maine. I try to use as much Maine made/grown ingredients as possible. I've gotten a source for Maine grown whole grain flour that I used for the pizza. Last week I made a banana bread loaf that I froze for later. I have even found Maine made butter, cheeses, and of course coffee (roasted here anyway). Unfortunately growing season is over, so I have to buy imported produce, but at least it's organic. I've only been using fresh organic produce for the last year or so and I can't believe how much better everything is. I will never go back to shopping at a regular grocery store and hope to grow my own food in a few years. With 25 acres I hope to hunt my own protein as well.

I never saw myself as a homesteading/hippy/whatever type, but my stomach has convinced me. I met my wife at a social dinner gathering with especially good prime rib


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## thewoodlands

Chicken Parmigiana is on the menu for New Years Day with pasta so I'll make the sauce tomorrow and the rest on 1/1/2020.


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## fbelec

sauce or in my family we call it gravy tastes much better the next day. sounds great


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## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> Today I learned that the cooker works best with a short hot fire. It doesn't run like a normal wood stove at all


Wonder if that is because it's steel. The antique cook stove that I used eons ago, ran from morning to night. I got my best baking after it had been fired up for at least a few hours. It was a mass of cast iron that didn't react rapidly, except for the cook plates. Of course that meant momentum so you didn't want to push it with a high fire or you would overshoot the desired oven temp.


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## thewoodlands

fbelec said:


> sauce or in my family we call it gravy tastes much better the next day. sounds great


I think it taste better the second day too. The chicken breast will be stuffed (piped in) with ricotta and some other ingredients, I've made chicken parm before but not like this.


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## Seasoned Oak

begreen said:


> Yeah, lobster on the west coast is a real luxury. Good gruyere is not cheap either, but I love it.


We brought back about 50lbs  from Maine. Was about $5 Lb at a fish market outside portland. Most of it still in the freezer along with Maryland Blue crabs.


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## Seasoned Oak

SpaceBus said:


> I'm calling this attempt a success, even though it stuck to the pan a bit.


I make a pretty good home made Stromboli. Hot Capicola ham,pepperoni and pepperjack cheese . Goes good with beer.


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## SpaceBus

Seasoned Oak said:


> I make a pretty good home made Stromboli. Hot Capicola ham,pepperoni and pepperjack cheese . Goes good with beer.


Sounds pretty good. I think this dough would have worked better as Stromboli. The garlic bread I made with the other dough half was fantastic.



begreen said:


> Wonder if that is because it's steel. The antique cook stove that I used eons ago, ran from morning to night. I got my best baking after it had been fired up for at least a few hours. It was a mass of cast iron that didn't react rapidly, except for the cook plates. Of course that meant momentum so you didn't want to push it with a high fire or you would overshoot the desired oven temp.



When I run it like a cast iron stove the oven never gets above 350, no matter how much wood, what size splits, or how long the fire. When loaded with five or six small splits, maybe even kindling, and the under fire air at half way, airwash at full (secondary intake is non adjustable) the oven hits 400. The manual clearly states that the under fire air is the primary air, but I've just been nervous to really let it rip, especially with 6" splits. More specifically the manual says 1/2 way open on the "primary" air for baking/heating. With a small load in the Morso and maybe seven 2-3" splits total added to the firebox since lighting cookstove the house is still climbing over 77df at 32df and wet outside. I guess I should trust the manual! Cooking on the glass top can be done with any kind of fire. The glass top heats very fast so even just a kindling fire would be plenty for a meal.

Edit: I could have just said the stove is very responsive. Hopefully you enjoy detail and rambling


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## DuaeGuttae

All this talk of doughs and sauces and cheese must have inspired my cooking tonight.




Einkorn dough, tomato sauce I had in the freezer, Skellig and mozzarella cheeses, with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers.  I make two pizzas for our family to eat along with salad; there were four pieces left over.

I did use a bread maker for this dough, and I do find it a lovely convenience. I also have an old bread bucket that I use when I want to make large batches of something like bagels or multiple loaves of bread for the freezer.  We purchased a used bread maker this summer so that I could cook bread without heating up the kitchen with the oven.  Once the sun went behind clouds this afternoon the extra heat from cooking pizza was welcome.


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## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> All this talk of doughs and sauces and cheese must have inspired my cooking tonight.
> 
> View attachment 254500
> 
> 
> Einkorn dough, tomato sauce I had in the freezer, Skellig and mozzarella cheeses, with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers.  I make two pizzas for our family to eat along with salad; there were four pieces left over.
> 
> I did use a bread maker for this dough, and I do find it a lovely convenience. I also have an old bread bucket that I use when I want to make large batches of something like bagels or multiple loaves of bread for the freezer.  We purchased a used bread maker this summer so that I could cook bread without heating up the kitchen with the oven.  Once the sun went behind clouds this afternoon the extra heat from cooking pizza was welcome.



I hadn't thought to use a bread maker in the summer. We have an old automatic bread maker kicking around, maybe I can find some good recipes.


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## PaulOinMA

Nan just made waffles for New Year's Day.  Made the batter the night before.









						Belgian-Style Yeast Waffles
					

Belgian-style yeast waffles, with rich flavor, a golden, crunchy crust, and soft, smooth interior.




					www.kingarthurflour.com
				




I'm making chili later.  Nan always made chili on New Year's Day growing up.  Will be making a variation on Perry Como's Favorite Chili from The International Chili Society Official Chili Cookbook.  Have made a lot of varieties of chili, but that's our favorite.









						The International Chili Society Official Chili Cookbook by William Neely and Martina Neely (1982, Trade Paperback) for sale online | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The International Chili Society Official Chili Cookbook by William Neely and Martina Neely (1982, Trade Paperback) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




The ICS web site: https://chilicookoff.com/


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## DuaeGuttae

Apparently the state legislature made chili the official dish of Texas in 1977.  The statute is quite a read.

My nine-year-old son cooked pancakes for the family this morning.





The menu for the day is grilled cheese and salad for lunch, split pea soup for dinner.  It should be black-eyed peas (yum), but I was using ingredients in my freezer and pantry.

Chili is on the menu for Friday when my stove insert is supposed to be installed.  My husband and I like to offer to feed workmen when they are at our home for long days.  Only after I asked if I could make a pot of chili for him, and he accepted, did he tell me that he had trained as a chef.  Gulp.


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## thewoodlands

This was the stuffed chicken parm that I cooked today, it tasted very good. The next time I make it, I;ll do a better job making the cavity bigger for the filling.


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## begreen

I made a slight variant on Bob's Lobster Mac and Cheese, added some scallops to it along with 3 lobster tails and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs on top. It was very popular. Everyone had seconds.


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## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> I hadn't thought to use a bread maker in the summer. We have an old automatic bread maker kicking around, maybe I can find some good recipes.


My wife is a trained baker that worked commercial for several years. She loves her breadmaker, but is pretty fussy about them. It took a couple months for her to come up with a good wholewheat bread recipe that works well, but since then her bread has been perfect.


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## PaulOinMA

Chicken parm looks good. Yum.


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## SpaceBus

Another batch of chocolate chip cookies. This time whole grain from scratch using the Joy of Cooking recipe. Since the chips we can get locally are large and flat I use 2/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup. The chips for some reason always end up on the bottom. This is the first whole grain recipe that my wife has agreed is just as good or better than using white flour.


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## Seasoned Oak

begreen said:


> I made a slight variant on Bob's Lobster Mac and Cheese, added some scallops to it along with 3 lobster tails and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs on top. It was very popular. Everyone had seconds.
> 
> View attachment 254583


"
Only thing that possibly could make this even better is some Crab Meat.  Fried Rice is good with those as well.


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## DuaeGuttae

thewoodlands said:


> This was the stuffed chicken parm that I cooked today, it tasted very good. The next time I make it, I;ll do a better job making the cavity bigger for the filling.


 
Yum.


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## begreen

Seasoned Oak said:


> "
> Only thing that possibly could make this even better is some Crab Meat.  Fried Rice is good with those as well.


My wife makes a seafood pasta for Christmas Eve with crab and shrimp. 

Most of the time crabbing comes in the summer during super low tides, but then it never makes it into a prepared dish. We always eat it right after the catch. Impatient I guess.


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## DuaeGuttae

We had a chili dinner last night for which I had made a sourdough einkorn cornbread.  I processed some of the leftovers tonight with garlic and salt and pepper and fried up some cornbread crusted tilapia.  It turned out nicely, and I put the bag of leftover breadcrumbs in the freezer.  We had English peas on the side.


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## SpaceBus

It was so good I forgot to take pics, but I made Lamb Vindaloo with roasted potatoes and broccoli on the side. All from scratch and the lamb soaked in the marsala for 24 hours.


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## thewoodlands

Since we were having some White Bean soup with a salad, my wife wanted some parm twists, pictured is the first batch minus 1 .

Ingredients :
Puff Pastry
Egg Wash
Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese
Preheat Oven to 375 and bake for 15-20 minutes


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## thewoodlands

Great Northern White Bean Soup​
8 oz. dried Great Northern White Beans
4 Cups Chicken Broth
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1 cup of minced onion
2 stalks of celery, minced
4 gloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teasp. Lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. Grated parm cheese
Soak beans overnight. Cook bacon in stock pot until crispy, remove bacon. Over medium heat add onion, celery & garlic to the bacon fat, sauté until tender. Add beans, chicken broth and bay leaf. Simmer until beans are tender – about 2 hrs. (Add stock or water as needed). When beans are cooked, discard bay leaf.  Adjust consistency with stock or water as necessary. Serve with , pepper, salt and grated cheese.


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## fbelec

great northern white bean soup recipe looks very similar to pasta fazool (white not red) minus the bacon and add the pasta and take a quarter of the beans out mash them then put it back in. it thickens up the soup.


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## SpaceBus

fbelec said:


> great northern white bean soup recipe looks very similar to pasta fazool (white not red) minus the bacon and add the pasta and take a quarter of the beans out mash them then put it back in. it thickens up the soup.


I prefer to cook the beans until they turn to mashed consistency


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## SpaceBus

Slow cooked chicken korma made from mostly local ingredients. My first korma and it has passed the wife test.

Recipe: https://www.vahrehvah.com/chicken-korma


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## SpaceBus

Also baked some sugar cookies from this recipe:https://rumblytumbly.com/2014/02/25/shopping-mall-mm-sugar-cookies/ 

I used whole grain and six quail eggs. They are delicious and I'm trying not to eat them all.


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## DuaeGuttae

My husband and I used to have a lot of fun cooking various Indian dishes together.   He loves lamb Vindaloo, but it’s a bit too hot for me.  I’m more of a Korma of Biriyani type.  Sadly one of our children is allergic to a chemical in many plants and spices (similar to an aspirin allergy).  We don’t eat much Indian food as a family because of that, though this summer I did make smoothies in the style of a mango lassi, and that was a big hit.

Today I used the rest of my cornbread crumbs to make chicken nuggets.  I cooked half for lunch and froze the rest for another time.  
	

		
			
		

		
	




Tonight’s dinner was a slow cooker French onion soup.


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## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> My husband and I used to have a lot of fun cooking various Indian dishes together.   He loves lamb Vindaloo, but it’s a bit too hot for me.  I’m more of a Korma of Biriyani type.  Sadly one of our children is allergic to a chemical in many plants and spices (similar to an aspirin allergy).  We don’t eat much Indian food as a family because of that, though this summer I did make smoothies in the style of a mango lassi, and that was a big hit.
> 
> Today I used the rest of my cornbread crumbs to make chicken nuggets.  I cooked half for lunch and froze the rest for another time.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 254934
> 
> 
> Tonight’s dinner was a slow cooker French onion soup.


Cornbread crumbs sound like an awesome breading.


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## begreen

This thread is killing me. I have to wipe the drool off of my keyboard.


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## thewoodlands

begreen said:


> This thread is killing me. I have to wipe the drool off of my keyboard.


Maybe I can get the wife to make the cinnamon buns before the ice storm hits.


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## PaulOinMA

I have to make cinnamon rolls soon.  Just one left in the freezer.  I make two trays at a time, 24 cinnamon rolls.  The trays freeze very well.

I just use the standard recipe a lot of folks post.  I found it on a Dutch oven cooking web site from aBoy Scout troop from Texas.  Been making them since 2007.  Have made them over 150 times.   

I posted the recipe I follow on the old recipezaar.com.  It's now ...






						Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - Food.com
					

I chanced upon these while searching Dutch oven web sites and found https://www.ani-lati.org/seabreeze/breakfest_dishes.htm.  Very easy to make.  Bett




					www.food.com


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## PaulOinMA

Sugar cookies were mentioned.  Here's a really good recipe from an old Farm Journal cookbook, which I mentioned in the Comments section..






						Winning Sugar Cookies Recipe - Food.com
					

Recipe is from a book I purchased at a library book sale.  Great cookies!  "Country Fair Cookbook. Every recipe a Blue Ribbon Winner."  By




					www.food.com


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## PaulOinMA

The Milk Chocolate Brownies recipe from the same Farm Journal cookbook are very, very easy to throw together, and always a big hit.  Not a gooey brownie, and not a blondie.  In between.









						PaulO in MA - Food.com
					

See all of the public folders for PaulO in MA on Food.com




					www.food.com


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## PaulOinMA

The mac and cheese recipe I also posted above is from Sylvia's of Harlem and also easily found on he internet.  I just scale it up to a 1-lb. box of casserole elbows.


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## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> Sugar cookies were mentioned.  Here's a really good recipe from an old Farm Journal cookbook, which I mentioned in the Comments section..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Winning Sugar Cookies Recipe - Food.com
> 
> 
> Recipe is from a book I purchased at a library book sale.  Great cookies!  "Country Fair Cookbook. Every recipe a Blue Ribbon Winner."  By
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.food.com


Looks like I'll be getting some cream of tartar


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## thewoodlands

PaulOinMA said:


> I have to make cinnamon rolls soon.  Just one left in the freezer.  I make two trays at a time, 24 cinnamon rolls.  The trays freeze very well.
> 
> I just use the standard recipe a lot of folks post.  I found it on a Dutch oven cooking web site from aBoy Scout troop from Texas.  Been making them since 2007.  Have made them over 150 times.
> 
> I posted the recipe I follow on the old recipezaar.com.  It's now ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - Food.com
> 
> 
> I chanced upon these while searching Dutch oven web sites and found https://www.ani-lati.org/seabreeze/breakfest_dishes.htm.  Very easy to make.  Bett
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.food.com


We did some shopping this morning so the cinnamon buns will be made before the ice hits along with some shrimp marinara.


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## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> This thread is killing me. I have to wipe the drool off of my keyboard.


That’s how I feel when you post pictures of your garden produce, Begreen.

We’ve been enjoying crumpets made with discard sourdough starter the last couple of days for our breakfasts. 





 I need to do some cooking for today and into the next week but am lacking inspiration.  Great northern bean soup did catch my eye, though, as I have a bag in the pantry and a ham bone in the freezer.


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## begreen

Turkey breast, rubbed and ready for a slow cook on the stove. My wife finally conceded to let me use the Le Creuset dutch oven.


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## ispinwool

Great topic!  I love to cook/bake 

I found a site for bread bakers if y'all are curious:  www.thefreshloaf.com  Tons and gobs of information. There's even
an wood fired baking thread.

and a question:
have any of y'all used one of these on their woodburner?  I'm wondering if they really work as
they're supposed to....


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## SpaceBus

ispinwool said:


> Great topic!  I love to cook/bake
> 
> I found a site for bread bakers if y'all are curious:  www.thefreshloaf.com  Tons and gobs of information. There's even
> an wood fired baking thread.
> 
> and a question:
> have any of y'all used one of these on their woodburner?  I'm wondering if they really work as
> they're supposed to....
> 
> View attachment 255182


Is that some kind of stove top oven? If so maybe a wood stove gets hot enough.


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## SpaceBus

I made some whole grain crackers yesterday evening as an experiment. My wife liked them, so I consider that to be a success. Perhaps today I'll make a larger batch. It was actually so mild the last few days I've been able to heat exclusively with the wood cooker!


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## PaulOinMA

Crackers is something I haven't done.  Have you done them before?  Would you do them again?


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## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> Crackers is something I haven't done.  Have you done them before?  Would you do them again?


Yesterday was the first time, and yes I would do them again. Some weren't as thin and stayed more bread like. I also tried to use both racks and I wish I had done one pan at a time. Every cracker was eaten. The recipe was super simple, for my test I used 1 cup of whole grain flour, 1/3 cup water, a sprinkle of salt. Next time I plan to make twice as many, maybe even tonight.


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## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> Is that some kind of stove top oven? If so maybe a wood stove gets hot enough.


Coleman makes this. $36 on Amazon.  Winterwell makes one that folds flat for storage. It's made of stainless and has a window, about $115.



Our stove provides a nice consistent ~350º on the trivet top during the long coaling stage, so this might work for our stove.


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## ispinwool

begreen said:


> Coleman makes this. $36 on Amazon.  Winterwell makes one that folds flat for storage. It's made of stainless and has a window, about $115.
> View attachment 255189
> 
> 
> Our stove provides a nice consistent ~350º on the trivet top during the long coaling stage, so this might work for our stove.




I'd probably go with the cheap one just in case I can't get it to cooperate. LOL
And I'd be worried that it might make a mark on my soapstone too...


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## begreen

ispinwool said:


> I'd probably go with the cheap one just in case I can't get it to cooperate. LOL
> And I'd be worried that it might make a mark on my soapstone too...


Set it on a trivet or a cooling rack.
Amazon product


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## ispinwool

begreen said:


> Set it on a trivet or a cooling rack.
> Amazon product





Brilliant!  I even have a few of those (--we make our own deer jerky/meat stick).


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## SpaceBus

I might try that Coleman bread box. It would make baking with wood outdoors easier.


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## DuaeGuttae

My father bought my mother a stovetop oven when I was a little kid.  I remember her using it on occasion, but I don’t think she preferred it, and it eventually broke in some way.  She heats with a Lange from the early 1970’s and to this day almost every day uses the stovetop to cook or warm something like soups or her homegrown vegetables that she’s frozen or canned.  I remember using a cast iron griddle on top of the stove to cook her homemade tortillas.  She may just have had the stovetop too busy to want to give the space to the oven.

I was remembering her tortillas over the weekend when I was rolling out my own.  (I had planned to make a batch of pocket bread but managed to spill the last little bit of yeast I had and needed a new plan).  The tortillas turned out great but we’re far from as round as I remember my mother’s being.

I’ve made homemade crackers for years.  I particularly like making graham-type crackers and sourdough crackers (they taste like Cheezits).  I use my flat stoneware and roll and cut the crackers directly on the surface.  I tend to use lower gluten flour than modern wheat, and that helps with my fragile dough, and it’s easier to deal with rolling it thin enough.  I tend to make crackers to take when we need picnic food. 

Tonight’s dinner was chicken with a not-too-sweet orange sauce served with cauliflower and rice.  It was a hit, but the problem is that I don’t have enough for a meal of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.  I wonder if I can manage more drumsticks in my slow cooker for a future attempt.


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## thewoodlands

The wife did make the cinnamon buns along with chili and cheese soup before the ice storm was suppose to hit, once the chili is gone I'll make the shrimp marinara sauce.


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## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> Tonight’s dinner was chicken with a not-too-sweet orange sauce served with cauliflower and rice.  It was a hit, but the problem is that I don’t have enough for a meal of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.  I wonder if I can manage more drumsticks in my slow cooker for a future attempt.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 255210


We're on the same wavelength. I made honey-orange-bourbon chicken in the dutch oven on the stove today. Served over rice with broccoli. It came out great. Definitely worth repeating. I should have gotten a picture, there were no leftovers.
I used this basic recipe, but with fresh orange juice instead of apple juice and a few tweaks of my own. It was done in 2 hrs.








						Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken
					

This delicious Bourbon Chicken simmers in the crock pot all day for an easy meal! The marinade creates a delicious sauce and is perfect served over rice!




					www.spendwithpennies.com


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## SpaceBus

Crappy cell pics, but these are amazing. I'm trying not to eat all of them.
Double chocolate cookie Recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/62762-whole-wheat-double-chocolate-chip-cookies


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## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> We're on the same wavelength. I made honey-orange-bourbon chicken in the dutch oven on the stove today. Served over rice with broccoli. It came out great. Definitely worth repeating. I should have gotten a picture, there were no leftovers.
> I used this basic recipe, but with fresh orange juice instead of apple juice and a few tweaks of my own. It was done in 2 hrs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken
> 
> 
> This delicious Bourbon Chicken simmers in the crock pot all day for an easy meal! The marinade creates a delicious sauce and is perfect served over rice!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.spendwithpennies.com



We were on the same wavelength no doubt.  I was juicing the oranges and missing all those satsumas we had last year on our tree (it’s strongly alternate bearing).  I would have preferred broccoli with the meal, but it’s too high in (natural, healthy) food chemicals for our allergic child.  I love that you can slow cook on your stovetop.   My mom keeps  piece of soapstone (she’s a native Vermonter) on her stove for when she wants a slower heating pot.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

SpaceBus said:


> Crappy cell pics, but these are amazing. I'm trying not to eat all of them.
> Double chocolate cookie Recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/62762-whole-wheat-double-chocolate-chip-cookies



Chocolate isn’t usually my first choice, but somehow a fresh-from-the-wood-fired-cookstove cookie would really hit the spot right now.  Alas, no cookies and no fires around here tonight.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> Chocolate isn’t usually my first choice, but somehow a fresh-from-the-wood-fired-cookstove cookie would really hit the spot right now.  Alas, no cookies and no fires around here tonight.


Usually I'm not one much for chocolate but brownies were requested. Unfortunately we don't have a good brownie pan so I found this recipe!


----------



## thewoodlands

It's not a true Shrimp Marinara sauce but the wife loved it, I make my regular spaghetti sauce and then add the shrimp after the sauce has cooked for an hour.


----------



## thewoodlands

We're trying some chicken,potatoes with onions that will be cooked in a chicken broth after we brown the chicken and boil the potatoes some, my Italian grandmother  had the right twist on this dish.

We're shooting from the hip on this recipe, if it comes out bad I'll post it!


----------



## begreen

thewoodlands said:


> We're trying some chicken,potatoes with onions that will be cooked in a chicken broth after we brown the chicken and boil the potatoes some, my Italian grandmother  had the right twist on this dish.
> 
> We're shooting from the hip on this recipe, if it comes out bad I'll post it!


That sounds like a perfect combo for slow cooking on the wood stove (on a trivet) or in a crockpot. There should be no need to preboil the potatoes.

PS: My wife is Sicilian on her father's side and still makes Grandma's chicken the old way. It is delicious and fills the house with great aromas.


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> That sounds like a perfect combo for slow cooking on the wood stove (on a trivet) or in a crockpot. There should be no need to preboil the potatoes.
> 
> PS: My wife is Sicilian on her father's side and still makes Grandma's chicken the old way. It is delicious and fills the house with great aromas.


This is how I usually cook unless I want to try something new.


----------



## thewoodlands

begreen said:


> That sounds like a perfect combo for slow cooking on the wood stove (on a trivet) or in a crockpot. There should be no need to preboil the potatoes.
> 
> PS: My wife is Sicilian on her father's side and still makes Grandma's chicken the old way. It is delicious and fills the house with great aromas.


We did it the way my grandmother did it (Calabrian, Plati) so everything has been in the oven and hopefully we'll be eating by 5:15 p.m.


----------



## thewoodlands

This was just like I remembered it at my grandmother's house, I should have the recipe type up by tomorrow night.

Pic 9999 is just putting it together and the rest is at the table when it was done.


----------



## SpaceBus

thewoodlands said:


> This was just like I remembered it at my grandmother's house, I should have the recipe type up by tomorrow night.
> 
> Pic 9999 is just putting it together and the rest is at the table when it was done.


Looks delicious. I made Iranian Tah Chin (rice and lamb casserole) but didn't take any pics.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Yum to both chicken and potatoes and rice and lamb.  I’d love to see recipes for both.


----------



## thewoodlands

DuaeGuttae said:


> Yum to both chicken and potatoes and rice and lamb.  I’d love to see recipes for both.


Since we didn't write down or time anything, I'll have our recipe up after or before dinner tomorrow night.

Next weekend I'll be making Braciole, it's the way my father cooked them.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> Yum to both chicken and potatoes and rice and lamb.  I’d love to see recipes for both.











						Tah Chin with Ground Lamb — Worthy Pause
					

Tah chin, sometimes called tahchin or tah cheen, is a recipe you should probably know.   Iranian food has become one of my top foods over the years. Thanks to my Persian father-in-law, I know exactly what good koobideh kebab should taste like and how to properly navigate a pomegranate. I al




					www.worthypause.com


----------



## thewoodlands

DuaeGuttae said:


> Yum to both chicken and potatoes and rice and lamb.  I’d love to see recipes for both.


Potatoes and Chicken in a Broth​
5 Boneless Chicken Breast without the skin
6 Cups Chicken Broth
6 Potatoes depending on the size
1 Onion
Sweet Basil
4 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
Granulated Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Save some water from boiling the potatoes
Red Pepper Flakes


First we washed the potatoes(leave skin on) and then cut up to a size we liked. We put the potatoes in a pot of water, once the water started to boil we took them out.


After cleaning the chicken breast we put salt,pepper and granulated garlic on the chicken and cut into thirds. We then browned them in Olive Oil for 6 minutes per side. Add your potatoes, sliced up onion, chicken breast, garlic cloves, dry sweet basil, 2 bay leaves, chicken broth and some water from cooking the potatoes to your pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on 375. Remove cover for the last 20 minutes or when you think best. Our pan measured 10 x 13 x 3.25 inches deep, something  smaller will cook faster and take less.


----------



## SpaceBus

Nothing fancy tonight, just some shaved beef, red Cabbage, carrots, and onions.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Thanks for the recipes, gentlemen.

I made a double-batch of "orange" chicken drumsticks tonight, except I needed to keep the meal a little lower in salicylates and pureed some canned pear for the sauce instead of using orange juice.  I added my usual tamari, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, scallions, and maple syrup (because honey can also be high in salicylates), and some corn starch to thicken it.  I was a little worried as the raw sauce was not that appealing to me, and I didn't want to ruin a large batch of already browned meat.   My husband okayed the sauce, so I poured it on and cooked in the oven, and it turned out well.  Phew.  Now I have leftovers for tomorrow as well.


----------



## SpaceBus

This is the firebox with the air about 30% open, glass top hovering around 780-790 at the hottest, and the oven around 400 (it went down a but when I opened the door to put the crackers in). The manual says I can run the air open a little more, but I'm not that brave! The glass darkened a bit, but the air wash isn't that great and the white birch bark off gasses very quickly on a bed of coals.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Made cinnamon rolls yesterday.  Two trays of 12 each.  Nan had one for breakfast yesterday.  Rest are in the freezer.

Monthly Friendship dinner (spaghetti) at my wife's previous church tonight.

Chinese food tomorrow: Pork with Onion,  Recipe is Beef with Onion.  We like it with pork.

*Pork with Onions*

Adapted from the _Wok Cooking Class Cookbook _by the Editors of _Consumer Guide_, 1983.

1 pound pork
1 egg
4 tbsp. rice wine
2 tsp. sugar
2 ½ tbsp. cornstarch
6 tbsp. peanut oil
4 medium yellow onions
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ cup cold water
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. sesame oil
Rice

To facilitate slicing, freeze meat until firm but not frozen.  Cut meat into 1/8-inch thick slices.  Stack slices; cut into 1/8-inch wide strips.  Wet knife in cold water as needed to prevent sticking.

Beat egg, 1 tablespoon rice wine and ½ teaspoon sugar in a bowl; stir in meat.  Sprinkle with 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch; stir to mix well.  Stir in 1 tablespoon peanut oil.  Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.

Cut onions lengthwise in half; cut halves crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices.

Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with water in a small bowl until smooth; stir in 3 tablespoons rice wine, 1 ½ teaspoons sugar, soy sauce, and pepper.

Heat wok over high heat 15 seconds; add 2 tablespoons peanut oil and heat until hot, about 30 seconds.  Scatter in onions; stir-fry until onions begin to turn translucent but not limp, 1 to 1 ½ minutes.  Transfer onions to plate.

Add 3 tablespoons peanut oil to wok; heat until hot.  Add minced garlic and heat in oil for 10 seconds.  Scatter in meat, ¼ at a time and stir fry until cooked, 1 ½ to 2 minutes after all meat has been added.  Return onions to wok; stir fry 15 seconds.

Stir soy sauce mixture and add to wok.  Cook and stir until sauce thickens, 20 to 30 seconds.  Drizzle with sesame oil; stir 3 or 4 times.  Serve immediately over rice.

Notes: Tastes even better the next day when flavors have blended.  Drizzle a little more sesame oil over the leftovers before placing in the refrigerator.  Original recipe is beef tenderloin with onions.


----------



## SpaceBus

Crackers and hummus from scratch.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

SpaceBus said:


> Crackers and hummus from scratch.



Crackers and hummus are a winning combination for us as well.  Have you ever made pocket bread from scratch?  It's not too hard and great fun at times.

We had quite a cooking day here today.  Sourdough cranberry pancakes for breakfast (I needed to discard some starter that I had fed too much by accident earlier this week); focaccia and salad for lunch; roast chicken, baked potatoes, and green beans for dinner.  After dinner I baked up some granola for tomorrow's breakfast.  Oddly the weather has gotten warmer after the sun went down this evening, and all this baking has meant that I don't think I'll need to stoke the fire before bed.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> Crackers and hummus are a winning combination for us as well.  Have you ever made pocket bread from scratch?  It's not too hard and great fun at times.
> 
> We had quite a cooking day here today.  Sourdough cranberry pancakes for breakfast (I needed to discard some starter that I had fed too much by accident earlier this week); focaccia and salad for lunch; roast chicken, baked potatoes, and green beans for dinner.  After dinner I baked up some granola for tomorrow's breakfast.  Oddly the weather has gotten warmer after the sun went down this evening, and all this baking has meant that I don't think I'll need to stoke the fire before bed.


I've been thinking about making pita and granola from scratch. Naan would also be cool. I haven't broken into much bread. About a week ago I made some Brioche Buns from scratch and my wife said she'd marry me over these Buns if we weren't already married


----------



## PaulOinMA

Thinking of making Swedish toffee for bible study at my wife's church tomorrow night.  Will decide in the morning.  It's what a Tootsie Roll wants to be.

*Swedish Toffee
*​_Homemade Candy.  By the Food Editors of Farm Journal._  Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York, 1970.

This is different from our toffees – it’s hard with a chocolate flavor.

2 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ c. dark corn syrup
¼ c. cocoa
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. dairy half and half
6 Tblsp. butter
1 ½ tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, corn syrup, cocoa, cream, dairy half and half, and 3 Tblsp. butter in a heavy 3‑quart saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Continue cooking, stirring no more than necessary, to the hard ball stage (250 °F).  Watch carefully.  Mixture will boil to the top of the saucepan.

Remove from heat, stir in remaining 3 Tblsp. butter and vanilla.  Pour into buttered 9-inch square pan to cool.

While still warm, mark in 1-inch squares; when cool, cut with a sharp knife and wrap individually in waxed paper.  Makes 81 squares, or 2 pounds.

*Paul’s comments*:  I add 4 tablespoons butter at the beginning and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons at the end.  It boils to the top of a 3-quart sauce pan; watch carefully.  It takes almost hour to reach hard ball stage.  Turn out while warm to the touch on a cutting board and cut into strips and pieces; a cleaver works well.  Pieces should be smaller than one-inch square, 120 pieces.  Round the edges of each piece while slightly warm.  Enjoy!


----------



## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> Thinking of making Swedish toffee for bible study at my wife's church tomorrow night.  Will decide in the morning.  It's what a Tootsie Roll wants to be.
> 
> *Swedish Toffee*​_Homemade Candy.  By the Food Editors of Farm Journal._  Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York, 1970.
> 
> This is different from our toffees – it’s hard with a chocolate flavor.
> 
> 2 ½ c. sugar
> 1 ½ c. dark corn syrup
> ¼ c. cocoa
> 1 c. heavy cream
> 1 c. dairy half and half
> 6 Tblsp. butter
> 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
> 
> Combine sugar, corn syrup, cocoa, cream, dairy half and half, and 3 Tblsp. butter in a heavy 3‑quart saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Continue cooking, stirring no more than necessary, to the hard ball stage (250 °F).  Watch carefully.  Mixture will boil to the top of the saucepan.
> 
> Remove from heat, stir in remaining 3 Tblsp. butter and vanilla.  Pour into buttered 9-inch square pan to cool.
> 
> While still warm, mark in 1-inch squares; when cool, cut with a sharp knife and wrap individually in waxed paper.  Makes 81 squares, or 2 pounds.
> 
> *Paul’s comments*:  I add 4 tablespoons butter at the beginning and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons at the end.  It boils to the top of a 3-quart sauce pan; watch carefully.  It takes almost hour to reach hard ball stage.  Turn out while warm to the touch on a cutting board and cut into strips and pieces; a cleaver works well.  Pieces should be smaller than one-inch square, 120 pieces.  Round the edges of each piece while slightly warm.  Enjoy!


I'm saving this one.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

SpaceBus said:


> I'm saving this one.


      Me, too.  Someone recently gave one of my children a Tootsie Roll, and he really enjoyed it.  He has so many allergies and sensitivities, though, that we tend to make most everything from scratch.  This was just the inspiration I needed.

      Our dinner plan had involved my making naan to eat with leftover lamb, but one of my lovely European canning jars of homemade yogurt had a catastrophic encounter with the tile floor of the kitchen this afternoon.  It was quite sad on a number of levels (but thankfully no bare toes or feet were harmed on the three-year-old culprit), and naan had to be postponed.  I therefore had time to see if I could pull off Swedish Toffee.   We drink non-homogenized milk, so it was easy for me to pour off  cream and a half-and-half type substance, but I didn't have any corn syrup.  My first step was to boil up a substitute from sugar, water, cream of tartar, and lime juice.  That seems to have  worked, and my half batch of toffee turned out beautifully.  I have 60 pieces in molds, and the kids all got to enjoy the scrapings from spoons and pans and the funnel as well as their very own toffee twist after dinner  (which ended up being popcorn and sauerkraut because no one was too hungry after licking my pans).

      We'll have leftover leg of lamb for a meal tomorrow.  Perhaps I'll see if I can turn it into Tah Chin.  I was really interested in that recipe you posted, @SpaceBus, but haven't been able to get any ground lamb to try it out yet.  I'll have to take another look.


----------



## PaulOinMA

I'll post some pictures from making Swedish toffee for tips.

Let me know if you want me to also post English toffee (Heath bar) and buckeyes (Reese's peanut butter cups).

I can also post the recipe I tried for honeycomb candy.  Don't think I took any pictures of that, though.  Didn't have it in a large enough pot, and it was like a grammar school science fair volcano demonstration gone wrong when I added the baking soda.  What a disaster.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> Me, too.  Someone recently gave one of my children a Tootsie Roll, and he really enjoyed it.  He has so many allergies and sensitivities, though, that we tend to make most everything from scratch.  This was just the inspiration I needed.
> 
> Our dinner plan had involved my making naan to eat with leftover lamb, but one of my lovely European canning jars of homemade yogurt had a catastrophic encounter with the tile floor of the kitchen this afternoon.  It was quite sad on a number of levels (but thankfully no bare toes or feet were harmed on the three-year-old culprit), and naan had to be postponed.  I therefore had time to see if I could pull off Swedish Toffee.   We drink non-homogenized milk, so it was easy for me to pour off  cream and a half-and-half type substance, but I didn't have any corn syrup.  My first step was to boil up a substitute from sugar, water, cream of tartar, and lime juice.  That seems to have  worked, and my half batch of toffee turned out beautifully.  I have 60 pieces in molds, and the kids all got to enjoy the scrapings from spoons and pans and the funnel as well as their very own toffee twist after dinner  (which ended up being popcorn and sauerkraut because no one was too hungry after licking my pans).
> 
> We'll have leftover leg of lamb for a meal tomorrow.  Perhaps I'll see if I can turn it into Tah Chin.  I was really interested in that recipe you posted, @SpaceBus, but haven't been able to get any ground lamb to try it out yet.  I'll have to take another look.


I get my ground lamb from a local Coop type place. I've abandoned the supermarket entirely. Aside from some types of fruit that don't travel well I miss nothing.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Making candy is a lot of fun.  As mentioned above, Swedish toffee needs to be watched.  It will boil to the top of a 3-quart saucepan.  English toffee won't boil to the top.

I use a Chinese cleaver to cut.  Turn out the toffee and cut while still warm.

Don't just throw the cut pieces together like I did the first couple of times I made it.  They will stick together.

Makes a nice-sized batch.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Here are the pieces being kept apart before wrapping.  Much better.


----------



## PaulOinMA

The assembly line: pieces to be wrapped, squares of cut waxed paper, and a bowl to toss them in.


----------



## ispinwool

PaulOinMA said:


> I'll post some pictures from making Swedish toffee for tips.
> 
> Let me know if you want me to also post English toffee (Heath bar) and buckeyes (Reese's peanut butter cups).
> 
> I can also post the recipe I tried for honeycomb candy.  Don't think I took any pictures of that, though.  Didn't have it in a large enough pot, and it was like a grammar school science fair volcano demonstration gone wrong when I added the baking soda.  What a disaster.




I have a "caramel" popcorn recipe that does that...add the baking soda and watch the magic!  LOL  I also learned the hard way to use a
tall pot


----------



## SpaceBus

I made a mess when I made a batch of hummus yesterday. Boiling the beans with the baking soda makes them much creamier, but I wasn't as watchful as I should have been.


----------



## begreen

My son and I made arroz con pollo last night. It's a favorite for him and making it was a first. There are many variations on this as it originated in Spain and is common throughout Latin and South America.  We made it Colombian style and it came out quite tasty.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Recently I've made two good vegetables with the assistance of homemade salad dressings.  The first was an Asian dressing with tamari and ginger that I used to saute brussels sprouts on the stovetop.  They turned out quite well, and using an already prepared dressing on hand in the fridge really simplified the preparation.  That dressing isn't a regular for us, so I experiment from time to time with different concoctions.

Our family also enjoys Greek salad for meals on occasion, and I make an herb vinaigrette for that.  I've found one that I really enjoy and mix it up often. I regularly use it when I roast a chicken in the oven, but today I had the idea to drizzle some on asparagus and grill it.  I had just a little left in my cruet, but I didn't need much, and the asparagus turned out great.  I usually just steam it, but it was a beautiful day, and using the grill made a nice treat.  My cruet has ounce measurements on the side, and so I just topped up the empty one when I needed a fresh batch for our salad tonight.

Here's my recipe if anyone's interested.

6 oz high oleic sunflower oil
2 oz olive oil
2 oz red wine vinegar
1 scant teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 scant teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 to 2 cloves garlic, sliced


----------



## begreen

Love homemade salad dressing. We have not bought any for over 50 yrs. It's so easy to make and healthier too.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Same here.  Love homemade dressing.  Chart House Bleu Cheese Dressing is really good.  Recipe readily available online.

Nan and I do salad, yogurt, fruit, and cheese at least five days a week for lunch.  Have just been doing olive oil and vinegar lately to cut back on some calories.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Homemade Ramen Beef tonight.  I play with this recipe.  Very easy and fast.

Cook 1-plus pounds sirloin tips cut into small pieces according to the following recipe.  Boil 2 quarts no salt added beef stock and 1 quart no salt added vegetable stock.  Break up a package of Chinese noodles and cook.  Let sit to plump while cooking beef.

Cook beef.  Add to noodles/stock.  Serve with Chinese chili paste (spicy bean tea).  Drizzle with sesame oil.

Beef with Noodles

Adapted from the _Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook_ by the Editors of Consumer Guide, 1980.

8 ounces Chinese fine egg noodles
½ cup water
3 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant chicken bullion granules
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound beef rump steak
6 green onions
1 piece fresh ginger root (about 1 inch square)
2 cloves garlic

Directions

Cook noodles until tender according to package directions.  Drain well.  Place a clean towel over wire cooking rack.  Spread noodles over towel and dry about 3 hours.

Combine water, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, the salt and bullion.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in wok over high heat.  Pour water mixture over the noodles.  Toss noodles until completely coated, about 2 minutes.  Transfer noodles to a serving plate.  Keep warm.

Remove and discard fat from the meat.  Cut meat across the grain into thin slices about 2 inches long.  Cut onions into thin diagonal slices.  Pare ginger root and cut into thin slices.  Crush or mince garlic.

Heat remaining 2 table spoons oil in wok over high heat.  Add beef onions, ginger, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce.  Stir fry until beef is done, about 5 minutes.  Spoon meat mixture over noodles.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> I'll post some pictures from making Swedish toffee for tips.
> 
> Let me know if you want me to also post English toffee (Heath bar) and buckeyes (Reese's peanut butter cups).
> 
> I can also post the recipe I tried for honeycomb candy.  Don't think I took any pictures of that, though.  Didn't have it in a large enough pot, and it was like a grammar school science fair volcano demonstration gone wrong when I added the baking soda.  What a disaster.



I would be grateful for the recipes for English toffee and buckeyes, please.  It will be a while before I'm up to making candy again, I'm sure, but I didn't want to forget to ask.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> Love homemade salad dressing. We have not bought any for over 50 yrs. It's so easy to make and healthier too.



I can't say we've never bought dressing, but it's a rarity.  My husband occasionally buys a bottle of Asian Sesame dressing, and it's almost a scence out of a sitcom if he gets it out at dinner.  The children call it an "abomination," not because of the flavor but because it is storebought with lots of yucky ingredients.  (These are the same kids who would gladly eat any number of storebought abominations if I let them, but their father's salad dressing gets the condemnation.)  I need to be better about making Asian dressings for him so that he doesn't have to resort to the store.  

I'm a huge fan of blue cheese, so I'll have to check out the recipe referred to above.  I made a nice one recently with a lemon picked off one of our small trees.  I hadn't meant to use the lemon right away, but I gave it to the three year old to take inside, and the next thing I knew, the seven year old was reporting that he was cutting it up.  I needed salad dressing, so I made one with a lot of lemon.  The dressing was too strong for the kids, but I loved it and got it all to myself.

I appreciate homemade dressings for the flavor, the flexibility, and the cost, but I also love not bringing home another bottle from the store.  My husband and I were recently calculating how many quarts of yogurt we have likely made over the past dozen years or so.  It was pretty astounding to consider the savings in money and plastic.


----------



## begreen

It's hard to eat store-bought yogurt once you get used to fresh. My wife has been making it weekly since the 70s. She also makes the basics like mayonnaise,  bread, rubs, and last year we started making our own BBQ sauces. We love Asian cooking and are starting to learn some basics there too. She makes an Asian sesame oil dressing that is nice. I want to learn to make the ultimate Thai tamarind dipping sauce to keep around so that I can make fresh spring rolls.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Here's English toffee.  It's even easier than Swedish toffee since you don't have to keep and eye on it as much.  Less chance of boiling over.  It's taken to a higher temperature: hard crack rather than hard ball stage.



			https://www.thermoworks.com/pdf/candy_temperature_chart.pdf
		


*English Toffee*​
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4064046  Adapted from: http://www.recipezaar.com/26038, http://www.recipezaar.com/10235, and http://www.cookingforengineers...offee.

Easy to make.  I cut the water to ¼ cup from a recipe I found online.  No sense in using what the recipe called for, as you then have to wait for it to boil off.  Reducing it gave a better color toffee.

¼ cup water
1 pound unsalted butter
¼ cup light corn syrup (use less, 2 - 3 T.)
2 ½ cups sugar
A little salt (about ¼ teaspoon)
Vanilla

Chocolate chips (melt easily)
Almond slivers

10- by 15-inch cookie sheet (jelly roll pan)
Butter

Add water, butter and corn syrup, sugar, and salt to a heavy 3-quart sauce pan.  Heat to the hard crack stage (300 - 310 °F).  Remove from heat, stir in a little vanilla, and pour on a buttered 10- by 15-inch jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with a lip).  Let cool a few minutes, cover 2/3 partially with chocolate chips.  Let melt and spread gently with a spatula.  Top half of the chocolate coated side with slivered almonds.  Let cool to room temperature to set up chocolate.  Twist the cookie sheet to release the toffee.  Break into small pieces wearing disposable gloves.  Store in an air-tight container.  Enjoy!

Some recipes state to the lid on pot when it starts to boil to wash down any sugar on the sides of the sauce pan.  I don’t.

Some recipes state to stir the heating candy occasionally.  I don’t.  The vigorous boiling does a nice job stirring the mixture.

There is a plateau around 230 °F as the water boils off, then the temperature rises steadily.

A lot of the toffee recipes don't have the corn syrup. _Cuisine at Home_ and Alton Brown mention that the purpose of a small amount of corn syrup (glucose) in candy is to regulate crystal growth as the heated sugar cools. Corn syrup is a different sugar than table sugar (sucrose), the glucose gets in between sucrose molecules and prevents the table sugar crystals from getting too large as it cools, so that you don't get a grainy candy, which may occur without the corn syrup.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Pictures:

Just starting out.

Plateau in the low 200s as water boils off.

Nice toffee color at the hard crack stage.


----------



## PaulOinMA

I now place chocolate chips over 2/3 of the hot toffee.  Let soften/melt and spread gently with a spatula.  Add almond slivers to 1/2 of the chocolate side.  That gives 1/3 plain, 1/3 chocolate coated, and 1/3 with almonds.

Makes a nice gift box.  Yum!


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Thanks for the recipe and tips.  It almost makes me want to try it, but we don’t need more candy in the house right now as we still have Swedish toffee.  (I had to hide it from the three year old as he was finding it hard to resist.  It might have been his first introduction to candy.  At least the older kids didn’t try to take it without asking.  They just ask a lot.). It’s great for me to have recipes that work for our sensitivities.  Previously I had only made maple sugar candy, and it’s been a couple of years since I tackled that.

I’d be grateful for the information on Buckeyes, too, when you have a chance.


----------



## SpaceBus

A pasta extruder for our stand mixer arrived today, so expect to see lots of pasta soon


----------



## PaulOinMA

Buckeyes are fun.  We tried a lot of different peanut butters in a buckeye peanut butter taste test challenge over 10 years ago.   

Best was *Smucker's  Natural Creamy*, followed closely by *Stonewall Kitchen Creamy Peanut Butter, all natural*.  Worst flavor were store brands.  Major brands (Skippy Natural Creamy, JIF Creamy) were just o.k., nothing special

Adjust amount of confectioners' sugar based on the size of the peanut butter jar.

*Buckeyes*

Adapted from the cookbook _These Guys Are Good.  The Senior Tour Wives Cookbook._​
1, 16-oz. jar (1 ¾ cups) creamy peanut butter
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1½ pounds (5 ¼ cups) confectioners’ sugar
Semisweet chocolate chips, lots (Name brand is better than store brand.)
2 tablespoons shortening (optional)
2 tablespoons shredded paraffin (optional)

Mix peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar gradually.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  Place balls on wax paper-lined cookie sheets or sheet cake holders and place in refrigerator.  Chill until firm.  Combine chocolate chips, shortening, and paraffin (optional) in a double boiler and melt chocolate.  Dip the balls into the chocolate mixture quickly using a cocktail fork and place on waxed paper.  Refrigerate until firm.

_Makes over 100 buckeyes, if using 18-oz .peanut butter and 6 cups sugar._

*Notes:* Very easy.  Better with a brand-name peanut butter, rather than a store brand.  Easy with Kitchen Aid mixer and paddle blade.  Cream the peanut butter and softened butter.  Add sugar and blend.  If the mixture looks like coarse sand, add a little cooking oil (peanut oil, if you have it) until the mixture holds together.  Place in refrigerator to firm.  Use a little butter or shortening (better) on your hands, too, when you roll mixture into balls, so the mixture doesn’t stick as much.  Don’t worry if the balls aren’t round with the first shaping; just get the balls roughly shaped.  Picking up peanut butter for rolling with a tablespoon helps get the balls the same size.  Let chill and roll again to make the balls smooth.  If the balls soften while dipping, place that tray back in the refrigerator and dip some from another tray, so the ball doesn’t slip off the cocktail fork into the chocolate.  Don’t dip the balls completely in chocolate, to form an “eye.”  Store in the refrigerator.


----------



## PaulOinMA

SpaceBus said:


> …  A pasta extruder for our stand mixer arrived today, so expect to see lots of pasta soon …



Neat!

I use a pasts guitar (chitarra).  Saw it being used on Lidia's Italy.


----------



## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> Buckeyes are fun.  We tried a lot of different peanut butters in a buckeye peanut butter taste test challenge over 10 years ago.
> 
> Best was *Smucker's  Natural Creamy*, followed closely by *Stonewall Kitchen Creamy Peanut Butter, all natural*.  Worst flavor were store brands.  Major brands (Skippy Natural Creamy, JIF Creamy) were just o.k., nothing special
> 
> Adjust amount of confectioners' sugar based on the size of the peanut butter jar.
> 
> *Buckeyes*
> 
> Adapted from the cookbook _These Guys Are Good.  The Senior Tour Wives Cookbook._​
> 1, 16-oz. jar (1 ¾ cups) creamy peanut butter
> 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
> 1½ pounds (5 ¼ cups) confectioners’ sugar
> Semisweet chocolate chips, lots (Name brand is better than store brand.)
> 2 tablespoons shortening (optional)
> 2 tablespoons shredded paraffin (optional)
> 
> Mix peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar gradually.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  Place balls on wax paper-lined cookie sheets or sheet cake holders and place in refrigerator.  Chill until firm.  Combine chocolate chips, shortening, and paraffin (optional) in a double boiler and melt chocolate.  Dip the balls into the chocolate mixture quickly using a cocktail fork and place on waxed paper.  Refrigerate until firm.
> 
> _Makes over 100 buckeyes, if using 18-oz .peanut butter and 6 cups sugar._
> 
> *Notes:* Very easy.  Better with a brand-name peanut butter, rather than a store brand.  Easy with Kitchen Aid mixer and paddle blade.  Cream the peanut butter and softened butter.  Add sugar and blend.  If the mixture looks like coarse sand, add a little cooking oil (peanut oil, if you have it) until the mixture holds together.  Place in refrigerator to firm.  Use a little butter or shortening (better) on your hands, too, when you roll mixture into balls, so the mixture doesn’t stick as much.  Don’t worry if the balls aren’t round with the first shaping; just get the balls roughly shaped.  Picking up peanut butter for rolling with a tablespoon helps get the balls the same size.  Let chill and roll again to make the balls smooth.  If the balls soften while dipping, place that tray back in the refrigerator and dip some from another tray, so the ball doesn’t slip off the cocktail fork into the chocolate.  Don’t dip the balls completely in chocolate, to form an “eye.”  Store in the refrigerator.


The paraffin is weird, I must say.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Yes, and it's optional.  I buy old cookbooks at library book sales.   You see it in some old chocolate candy recipes for sheen.









						Does Your Chocolate Contain Wax?
					

If you love chocolate you have probably enjoyed all different varieties of it, open to finding just the right flavor, consistency and texture as well as the richness you prefer.  Even if you choose fine, expensive chocolate, you have, no doubt – at one time or another – settled for a ‘lesser...




					guardianlv.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Here's the candy cookbook that had the Swedish toffee recipe.  Picked it up at a library book sale.  I need to make more things in it.    I like the old Farm Journal cookbooks.  There are a lot of them.

Amazon product


----------



## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> Yes, and it's optional.  I buy old cookbooks at library book sales.   You see it in some old chocolate candy recipes for sheen.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Does Your Chocolate Contain Wax?
> 
> 
> If you love chocolate you have probably enjoyed all different varieties of it, open to finding just the right flavor, consistency and texture as well as the richness you prefer.  Even if you choose fine, expensive chocolate, you have, no doubt – at one time or another – settled for a ‘lesser...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> guardianlv.com


The more I learn about food and cooking, the weirder it gets.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Oh yeah.  That's one of the reasons I love old cookbooks.

A cookbook from the 1930s that has sections on countries of the world has a swastika as the symbol for Germany.

I especially love the Homemaker Creeds that are interspersed throughout Givens' _Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking_.


----------



## SpaceBus

Fresh Pasta Dough
					

This pasta dough is easy, texturally resilient, and versatile enough to form into any shape.




					www.bonappetit.com
				




We made Seminolina pasta tonight and it was awesome. I can't believe we ever ate store bought pasta. 

Full disclosure: we already had a stand mixer, so we did not have to work very hard to make this pasta.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had a yummy pizza dinner last night—garlic oil for sauce, fresh mozzarella, and chopped asparagus.  We’ve been able to get some bundles of very slender spears for an excellent price recently, so lots of asparagus for us.

@PaulOinMA, thank you for that recipe as well.

@SpaceBus, we enjoy making pasta as well, but I don’t do it frequently.   It disappears too quickly.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> We had a yummy pizza dinner last night—garlic oil for sauce, fresh mozzarella, and chopped asparagus.  We’ve been able to get some bundles of very slender spears for an excellent price recently, so lots of asparagus for us.
> 
> @PaulOinMA, thank you for that recipe as well.
> 
> @SpaceBus, we enjoy making pasta as well, but I don’t do it frequently.   It disappears too quickly.


Indeed, it's been a while since I've had fresh pasta. The last time I was probably a teenager.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

It has been very mild here in Texas for the past two days but also fairly gray.  The temperatures mean that running the wood stove would be a bit too much, but the lack of sun makes us want some warmth.  It was therefore just the time to use the oven.

These were the pockets that I cut in half and filled with sliced beef, onions, peppers, and a little leftover sauerkraut cooked in a bit of yogurt for Sunday dinner.  Tonight I used my bread maker to mix pizza dough and turned it into breadsticks with my leftover garlic oil from Friday night.  We ate them with plain hamburgers and green beans.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> It has been very mild here in Texas for the past two days but also fairly gray.  The temperatures mean that running the wood stove would be a bit too much, but the lack of sun makes us want some warmth.  It was therefore just the time to use the oven.
> 
> These were the pockets that I cut in half and filled with sliced beef, onions, peppers, and a little leftover sauerkraut cooked in a bit of yogurt for Sunday dinner.  Tonight I used my bread maker to mix pizza dough and turned it into breadsticks with my leftover garlic oil from Friday night.  We ate them with plain hamburgers and green beans.
> 
> View attachment 257553
> View attachment 257554


Looks awesome. I want to try bread sticks soon.


----------



## PaulOinMA

SpaceBus … do you have Diane Seed's "The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces?"  I may have some extra copies of it from library book sales.  IM me your address, if you want a copy.  Lots of good recipes.

Things like ...

*Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Arancia*
Spaghetti with Tomato and Orange Sauce​
From _The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces _by Diane Seed, Ten Speed Press, Berkley, California, November 1996.  First published in 1987.

500 g / 1 lb. spaghetti
15 mL / 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
3 sprigs parsley
4 basil leaves, if available
2 400 g / 14 oz. cans Italian plum tomatoes
Salt
Juice of 1 orange

Heat the oil and add the slightly crushed garlic and whole herbs.  Stir and add the tomatoes with their juice, crushing them with a fork in the pan.  Add salt to taste and cook rapidly for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the orange juice to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes.  Remove the garlic and herbs and blend or process the sauce.  Keep warm.

Cook the pasta in boiled salted water carefully following the directions on the packet to avoid overcooking.  Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce, and serve.

Cheese is not served with this recipe.

AND

*Tagliatelle alla Papalina*​
From _The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces _by Diane Seed, Ten Speed Press, Berkley, California, November 1996.  First published in 1987.

The Rome trattoria “La Cisterna” made this sauce for Cardinal Pacelli who used to be a frequent patron.  When he became Pope this sauce was dedicated to him and named _Papalina_.

500 g / 1 lb. tagliatelle
200 g / 7 oz. ham
1 small onion
150 g / 5 oz. (10 Tbsp.) butter
4 eggs
200 mL / 7 fl. oz. cream
100 g / 4 oz. (1 ¼ cups) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper

Cut the ham into fine strips and chop the onion very finely.  Melt half the butter and gently cook the onion until it becomes transparent.  Add the ham and cook gently for 5 minutes.  Keep hot.

Beat the eggs together with the cream and half the cheese.

Cook the pasta, following package directions carefully to avoid over-cooking.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a large pan and add the egg mixture.  Remove from heat at once.  Add salt to taste.

Drain the pasta and turn into the large pan containing the egg mixture.  Stir well.

Now add the hot ham and onion mixture and keep stirring until the hot pasta and ham have caused the eggs to coagulate and form a thick yellow cream.

Turn into a heated serving bowl, add black pepper to taste, and serve at once.

The remaining grated cheese should be served separately.


----------



## SpaceBus

The recipes in this thread are very awesome.


----------



## firefighterjake

How about some needhams . . . tastes pretty similar to a Mounds bar or Almond Joy (minus the almonds) only it uses mashed potato for the filling which sounds disgusting, but when mixed with sugar and coconut tastes great.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

@firefighterjake, it seems that you stunned us all into silence with your reference to mashed potatoes in candy.  Actually it sounded kind of up my ally since I’ve been known to use rutabaga in birthday cake.

 The last couple of days in Texas have been warm enough that I haven’t wanted to use the oven much.  I did cook some bread in the breadmaker and bacon in the oven for lunch.  We had BLTs (with no T), but the lettuce was some trimmings from the plants growing on our deck.  As I was making the mayonnaise, it occurred to me that some of you might appreciate the recipe.

10 oz of sunflower oil
1 egg
2 TBSP lime juice (lemon is good as well flavor-wise, and I will substitute rice vinegar if I don’t have juice)
1 scant teaspoon salt (this makes a fairly salty mayonnaise, but we like it that way for sandwiches, a dip, or cole slaw)

I use a stick blender, and it just mixes right up into a thick spread ready for use.

If I’m feeling adventuresome, I’ll put ground mustard in the mix, or blend up a clove of garlic or a green onion.  For the right recipe, curry powder is also a nice addition.


----------



## SpaceBus

We made an accidental stromboli the other night when I couldn't get the pizza crust off of the peel (didn't know you had to use corn meal). The crust was from scratch and we used half for the almost failed pizza and the other half for breadsticks the following day. Unfortunately, I don't know the recipe and my wife can't find the website we used.


----------



## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> @firefighterjake, it seems that you stunned us all into silence with your reference to mashed potatoes in candy.  Actually it sounded kind of up my ally since I’ve been known to use rutabaga in birthday cake.
> 
> The last couple of days in Texas have been warm enough that I haven’t wanted to use the oven much.  I did cook some bread in the breadmaker and bacon in the oven for lunch.  We had BLTs (with no T), but the lettuce was some trimmings from the plants growing on our deck.  As I was making the mayonnaise, it occurred to me that some of you might appreciate the recipe.
> 
> 10 oz of sunflower oil
> 1 egg
> 2 TBSP lime juice (lemon is good as well flavor-wise, and I will substitute rice vinegar if I don’t have juice)
> 1 scant teaspoon salt (this makes a fairly salty mayonnaise, but we like it that way for sandwiches, a dip, or cole slaw)
> 
> I use a stick blender, and it just mixes right up into a thick spread ready for use.
> 
> If I’m feeling adventuresome, I’ll put ground mustard in the mix, or blend up a clove of garlic or a green onion.  For the right recipe, curry powder is also a nice addition.


We always have some mustard in the mayo, about a tablespoon. Been making it that way since the early 70s. It adds flavor and helps keep the mayonnaise stable.


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> We always have some mustard in the mayo, about a tablespoon. Been making it that way since the early 70s. It adds flavor and helps keep the mayonnaise stable.


Thanks for the tip. We tried to make mayo at home but it didn't turn out.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Farm Journal's _Homemade Candy_ has three potato candy recipes.





__





						farm Journal Homemade candy - Search
					






					www.bing.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan and I just went for a walk.  She was trying to remember a cake, and I thought of the following.  Made this in 2011.  Very easy.

*Tennessee Apple Upside-Down Cake*​_ 
The Southern Heritage Cakes Cookbook._  Oxmoore House, Birmingham, AL, 1983.

1 ½ tablespoons butter or margarine
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into rings
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup buttermilk
Whipped cream (optional)

Melt butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet.  Combine ½ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over butter in skillet.  Arrange apple slices on sugar mixture.  Set aside.

Combine shortening, ¼ cup brown sugar, and molasses, creaming well.  Add egg; beat well.  Combine flour, soda, salt, and spices; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour batter evenly over apple slices in prepared skillet.  Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool 15 minutes and invert onto plate.  Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.  Yield: one 9-inch cake.

Pictures: 12/19/2011:  Tennessee Apple Upside-Down Cake: http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=367025&start=60 and the following page.


----------



## begreen

PaulOinMA said:


> Nan and I just went for a walk.  She was trying to remember a cake, and I thought of the following.  Made this in 2011.  Very easy.
> 
> *Tennessee Apple Upside-Down Cake*​


Sounds great. I'd like that with a little bourbon drizzled on top, true Tennessee style. Or maybe marinate the apple slices in bourbon?


----------



## PaulOinMA

I also thought of the following when Nan and I were out for a walk yesterday.  Apple and Maple Ricotta Tart.  From April 2012.  Never made anything like that before.  Looks great, if you are having guests.  Easy, too.

The recipe was in _Edible Boston _a freebie magazine that was at the entry of the Verrill Farm store near here ( https://verrillfarm.com/ )  Recipe was on the magazine web site, too, though I haven't checked in a while.


*Apple and Maple Ricotta Tart *

From _Edible Boston_: http://www.ediblecommunities.com/boston/spring-2012/apple-and-maple-ricotta-tart.htm.


We know a magic secret: You don’t need lemon to cure apples and keep them from turning brown in your tart and pie recipes. You can use honey! Yes, it’s true. Just make up a 1:1 mix of honey and water and toss your apples in it to hold them until baking. Works like a charm and tastes great too.

Makes one 9½-inch tart
* 
Tart Crust:*

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup maple sugar
1½ cups Four Star Farms bolted pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
* 
Apple Maple Ricotta Filling*

4 large apples, peeled, quartered, and sliced into 16ths
(Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Granny Smith)
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water, cold
1 pound whole milk ricotta, Capone’s
½ cup mascarpone
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple sugar
* 
Glaze*

3 tablespoons maple syrup, warmed in saucepan
* 
MAKE CRUST*

Preheat oven to 350º.

In an electric mixer bowl, combine flour, maple sugar and salt. Mix on low until combined.

Add the cold butter cubes, and mix until combined. The dough will be crumbly.

Turn the mixture onto table and knead together until it starts to resemble dough.

Cover in plastic and chill for 1 hour.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into a circle 10½ inches in diameter.
Place dough over fluted tart pan (or pie plate) and gently press into pan. Prick bottom gently with fork.

Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Par-bake for 12–14 minutes.

Cool and set aside.
* 
MAKE FILLING*

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine honey and water and toss the apples in it. This will prevent the apples from turning brown.

Place ricotta, mascarpone, maple syrup, eggs and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer bowl.
With the paddle attachment, combine on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 1 minute.

Scrape the filling into the tart shell, smooth the top, combine the cinnamon and maple sugar and dust the top.

Place the apples on the top of the filling, forming a spiral design.

Sprinkle maple sugar over the top of the apples.

Bake 35–40 minutes, or until the filling is firm and slightly puffed.

Brush the tops of the apples with the maple syrup glaze.

Transfer the tart to a rack and cool completely before serving.
* 
STORING*

Leftovers can be kept, well covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

*Paul’s comments:*  There is a lot of filling.  Make the tart shell so the sides are above the edge of the tart pan.  I used a pastry blender to work in the butter and I also needed a few tablespoons of ice water to make the dough.  May try half butter and half shortening next time, like a pie crust.

I used braeburn apples, since apples are not in season, and I could not find the recommended apples.  The apples made a lot of liquid while baking, which I drained off the finished tart.

I accidentally sprinkled the maple sugar and cinnamon on top of the apples, rather than on top of the filling.  That gives a nice color on top due to the cinnamon.  May continue to do that.


----------



## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> Thanks for the tip. We tried to make mayo at home but it didn't turn out.


Don't give up. Often it can be rescued. Did you use a blender, food processor or immersion blender?








						How to Fix Thin Homemade Mayo | Livestrong.com
					

If your mayonnaise recipe results in a condiment that is too thin, all is not lost. Instead of throwing it away, a simple technique can make it thicker.




					www.livestrong.com


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> Don't give up. Often it can be rescued. Did you use a blender, food processor or immersion blender?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How to Fix Thin Homemade Mayo | Livestrong.com
> 
> 
> If your mayonnaise recipe results in a condiment that is too thin, all is not lost. Instead of throwing it away, a simple technique can make it thicker.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.livestrong.com


This was a few months ago. We have a vitamix. We tried to follow a recipe but I think it's hard to make with a blender.


----------



## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> This was a few months ago. We have a vitamix. We tried to follow a recipe but I think it's hard to make with a blender.


Back in the 70s all I had was a Waring blender. It works. You don't want to rush it. The oil is added slowly, in a thin stream.




__





						Mayonnaise Recipe
					

Top any sandwich with this homemade spread. It makes the perfect take-along condiment for summer picnics.




					www.vitamix.com


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> Back in the 70s all I had was a Waring blender. It works. You don't want to rush it. The oil is added slowly, in a thin stream.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mayonnaise Recipe
> 
> 
> Top any sandwich with this homemade spread. It makes the perfect take-along condiment for summer picnics.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.vitamix.com



There's my issue, I just dumped it all in together.


----------



## SpaceBus

Also, in light of this pandemic I have started a sourdough starter. It should be ready in a few more days. Hopefully the local stores can keep flour in stock.


----------



## SpaceBus

It still didn't rise quite as much as I'd like, my second sourdough loaf ever came out well. I made this with a discard from the last day of making the starter. The previous loaf was also discard starter. I'm hoping loaf #4 comes out better. Loaf #2 came out pretty well, pictured, and loaf #3 is in the oven. The outdoor critters will enjoy loaf #1.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Loaf #2  looks pretty good to me.  Is it whole grain?  How did loaf #3 go?

It can take a new starter a little while to become truly active, and it doesn’t hurt to increase your first proofing time to get more rise.  I have learned over the years not to let my second proofing go too long, or I’ll end up collapsing the bread, but that obviously didn’t happen to you.  Do you know about slashing the top of the bread with a razor blade to encourage oven spring?

I keep a sourdough starter in my fridge but haven’t been making as much traditional sourdough since I acquired my bread maker last summer.  It’s easy and quick to make a loaf in that.  Just the other day I made a beautiful brioche with duck eggs from a friend’s mother.

I love a good sourdough, though, and it’s easier on my stomach than commercial yeast-risen bread.  I regularly feed my starter and often use the discard for crumpets.  They make a great quick breakfast, lunch, or snack for my kids.  Often I feed the starter extra just to have more to discard.  I know other folks like to use it for pizza dough.

Are you keeping your starter at room temperature or in the refrigerator?  A cookbook I own that has a good sourdough section suggests that keeping it in the fridge and refreshing it the morning or night before you bake actually keeps it a little more lively.  I keep mine in the refrigerator because I want to be able to leave it alone for a week if I need to.


----------



## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> There's my issue, I just dumped it all in together.


OK. That definitely won't work. You need to slowly, patiently stream the oil into the blend.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> Loaf #2  looks pretty good to me.  Is it whole grain?  How did loaf #3 go?
> 
> It can take a new starter a little while to become truly active, and it doesn’t hurt to increase your first proofing time to get more rise.  I have learned over the years not to let my second proofing go too long, or I’ll end up collapsing the bread, but that obviously didn’t happen to you.  Do you know about slashing the top of the bread with a razor blade to encourage oven spring?
> 
> I keep a sourdough starter in my fridge but haven’t been making as much traditional sourdough since I acquired my bread maker last summer.  It’s easy and quick to make a loaf in that.  Just the other day I made a beautiful brioche with duck eggs from a friend’s mother.
> 
> I love a good sourdough, though, and it’s easier on my stomach than commercial yeast-risen bread.  I regularly feed my starter and often use the discard for crumpets.  They make a great quick breakfast, lunch, or snack for my kids.  Often I feed the starter extra just to have more to discard.  I know other folks like to use it for pizza dough.
> 
> Are you keeping your starter at room temperature or in the refrigerator?  A cookbook I own that has a good sourdough section suggests that keeping it in the fridge and refreshing it the morning or night before you bake actually keeps it a little more lively.  I keep mine in the refrigerator because I want to be able to leave it alone for a week if I need to.


It is 100% whole grain. My starter is in the fridge after feeding it multiple times a day for a week. I let this batch proof over night on the counter covered and lost a bunch of fluff when I transferred the dough. Lessons learned. This batch was probably a bit wet as well. Loaf #2 & #3 started in the same batch that I let proof over night on the counter. Yesterday morning I separated and proofed again the boulee and the pan loaf. I'm sure I'll get better and definitely will cut the top of the loaf next time. With a bit less water I think the boulee would have stayed tighter and gotten taller, I think I lost some vertical rise because the dough spread out.


Any tips on getting the bread off the pizza stone easily? Perhaps I didn't use enough corn meal.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Whole grain sourdough definitely takes the challenge up a notch in my experience, but it can be oh so yummy even if a bit dense.

I made crumpets as stand-in hamburger buns this evening and thought of you while I was feeding my starter.  I’ve moved over the years to using a scale to feed it the same number of grams of flour as water.  I find it helps my baking to be sure that my starter is more consistent, and I also use the scale with my recipes as well.  I found that I was not so good about measuring liquids with my eyes, and that helps me a lot.  It’s also nice because I grind my wheat berries, and I can just weigh the proper amount in to the blender jar, grind it and add the batch to the recipe.

I can’t say I remember much difficulty getting bread off my stones, but mine are years and years old and well seasoned.  I’m also not afraid to grease them for meals like pizza, but I never wash them with soap, just water and a sponge or a scraper if necessary.  I tend not to use stones for my boules, though.  I use an enameled cast iron dutch oven, but even that doesn’t happen very often as my kids prefer loaves.  They appreciate a good bread, but they haven’t come to love a hearty crust yet.

This is making me want to bake a good sourdough boule.  I don’t see it happening this week, though.  Afternoon temperatures will be in the eighties, and the kitchen has west-facing windows.  I’m already drawing the blinds.  My cooking definitely shifts away from roasting and baking in the hot months.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> Whole grain sourdough definitely takes the challenge up a notch in my experience, but it can be oh so yummy even if a bit dense.
> 
> I made crumpets as stand-in hamburger buns this evening and thought of you while I was feeding my starter.  I’ve moved over the years to using a scale to feed it the same number of grams of flour as water.  I find it helps my baking to be sure that my starter is more consistent, and I also use the scale with my recipes as well.  I found that I was not so good about measuring liquids with my eyes, and that helps me a lot.  It’s also nice because I grind my wheat berries, and I can just weigh the proper amount in to the blender jar, grind it and add the batch to the recipe.
> 
> I can’t say I remember much difficulty getting bread off my stones, but mine are years and years old and well seasoned.  I’m also not afraid to grease them for meals like pizza, but I never wash them with soap, just water and a sponge or a scraper if necessary.  I tend not to use stones for my boules, though.  I use an enameled cast iron dutch oven, but even that doesn’t happen very often as my kids prefer loaves.  They appreciate a good bread, but they haven’t come to love a hearty crust yet.
> 
> This is making me want to bake a good sourdough boule.  I don’t see it happening this week, though.  Afternoon temperatures will be in the eighties, and the kitchen has west-facing windows.  I’m already drawing the blinds.  My cooking definitely shifts away from roasting and baking in the hot months.


My pan loafs come out too sour, but I think it's because I proof them in the warming drawer of my cookstove in an attempt to make them rise higher. My pizza stone has only been used a few times, and no Dutch oven, yet. My wife and I started our lives over a few years ago with almost nothing, so our cookware is disappointing at the moment. I have had some good success with brioche Buns for some reason, even when using whole wheat and starter. I'm hoping to get a grain mill in the next few weeks, maybe even a grain flaker. 


This is the mill I have my eye on :http://www.bearsinthewoods.net/shop/me1112.html 

A local store has an all metal grain mill, but I have mixed feelings about tin plated iron or stell grinders. My coffee grinder is hand powered with ceramic burs. 

I have only recently discovered the joys of cooking with a scale. Now I use it all the time. Today is feeding day for my starter, so I'll try another loaf.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Sylvia's of Harlem Mac and Cheese recipe for dinner last night.  Leftovers tonight and tomorrow.  Made one-and-a-half times the recipe, 18-oz. casserole-ize elbow macaroni.  Cheese is white cheddar and muenster.  Recipe available online.  Yum!


----------



## DuaeGuttae

SpaceBus said:


> My pan loafs come out too sour, but I think it's because I proof them in the warming drawer of my cookstove in an attempt to make them rise higher. My pizza stone has only been used a few times, and no Dutch oven, yet. My wife and I started our lives over a few years ago with almost nothing, so our cookware is disappointing at the moment. I have had some good success with brioche Buns for some reason, even when using whole wheat and starter. I'm hoping to get a grain mill in the next few weeks, maybe even a grain flaker.
> 
> 
> This is the mill I have my eye on :http://www.bearsinthewoods.net/shop/me1112.html
> 
> A local store has an all metal grain mill, but I have mixed feelings about tin plated iron or stell grinders. My coffee grinder is hand powered with ceramic burs.
> 
> I have only recently discovered the joys of cooking with a scale. Now I use it all the time. Today is feeding day for my starter, so I'll try another loaf.



I’m no grain mill expert.  I don’t own one.  Years ago we bought an old Vitamix off eBay with a dry container, and that’s what I use for making my flour. 

My son requested more brioche today, so I need to go get that in the bread maker.  We have a large supply of duck eggs at the moment, and they are wonderful for baking.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan is tired of my efforts to use the staying at home as an opportunity to use up food in the freezer and pantry.  She wants a crumb-topped coffee cake,  a New York coffee cake with LOTS of crumb topping.  Recipe from  CL colleague Lorraine Lillis, Jersey City, NJ.  Really good recipe.  Making the topping takes the longest and a helper helps.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





I found a couple of other good coffee cake recipes I typed up.  I'll post them, too, if anyone wants them.

Crumb-topped Coffee Cake

Lorraine Lillis’ recipe.

A    2 cups sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 ¼ cup sugar

B    ½ cup shortening
¾ cup milk

C    ¼ cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Crumbs    1 cup butter        ½ tsp. salt
        2 ¼ cups flour        1 tsp. cinnamon
        1 ½ cups sugar        Confectioner’s sugar

Hint: Make crumbs while cake is baking.

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Sift together ingredients A.

Add B, beat for 2 minutes at low speed, then 2 minutes at medium speed

Add C, beat for 2 minutes.

Pour into well greased and floured, 13- by 9-inch baking dish.  Bake until lightly browned, 45 – 60 minutes.  Test with toothpick.

Crumbs: Cream butter.  Combing remaining ingredients and add to butter.  Make crumbs to desired size and place on cake.  Return cake to oven and bake 5 – 8 minutes.  When cooled, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Notes: Cake bakes in less than 45 minutes.  It takes more than 10 minutes to do the topping.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> Sylvia's of Harlem Mac and Cheese recipe for dinner last night.  Leftovers tonight and tomorrow.  Made one-and-a-half times the recipe, 18-oz. casserole-ize elbow macaroni.  Cheese is white cheddar and muenster.  Recipe available online.  Yum!



My twelve-year-old and seven-year-old daughters cooked dinner this evening.  Mac and cheese with homemade sauce with sautéed onions and mushrooms, sweet cheddar and a little mozarella, made extra delicious when the older cook went outside and picked bay leaves for simmering in the sauce.  Cauliflower on the side.  They needed pointers here and there about things like preheating the oven or what temperature to use on the cooktop (and reminders to clean up some messes), but I was pretty impressed by their creation (and by my not having to cook it for the most part).


----------



## SpaceBus

I've been busy baking these last few weeks and have gotten to be fairly good. I use about 8 oz whole wheat starter (usually the discard from feeding the , 1 cup whole spelt flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup water, 1 TSB honey, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Usually I let the dough rise for a few hours near the cookstove after mixing and kneading the dough into a ball. After the first rise I knead the bread a bit more and let it double in size. A trick I learned is to put a shallow pan of water in the over beneath the bread (on the floor of the oven in my case), and steam the bread as it bakes. This prevents such a tough crust, at least in my experience. I've been dropping the boule's right on my baking stone with a bit of cornmeal using my peel. After 25-35 minutes (depending on how hot I stoked the fire) I pull the bread out when it stops growing. I haven't taken any photos because the loaf disappears before I think to record the events. As my starter has gotten stronger my loaves have gotten larger and fluffier, which has been awesome. This week I ordered some bulk whole wheat bread flour, spelt flour, and rye flour, and I'm hoping my bread will just keep getting better.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

That sounds excellent, @SpaceBus.  I’m really glad you’re having good success.  The only thing I’d suggest for improvement is that you try really, really hard to remember next time to take photos.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Roast chicken tomorrow on a bed of potatoes, carrots, celery, onion in a large cast iron skillet.  Took it out of the freezer yesterday to defrost.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> That sounds excellent, @SpaceBus.  I’m really glad you’re having good success.  The only thing I’d suggest for improvement is that you try really, really hard to remember next time to take photos.


Indeed, I'm a very poor historian   
This week I bought a couple of loaves from a local baker, so I'll probably wait a bit to bake any more of my own bread. Soon I need to find some good sourdough recipes for my wife's old 90's automatic bread maker, or make an outdoor wood oven


----------



## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> Roast chicken tomorrow on a bed of potatoes, carrots, celery, onion in a large cast iron skillet.  Took it out of the freezer yesterday to defrost.


I was thinking about making something similar myself but roasting it in the oven.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I am a big fan of slow-roasted chicken, and it’s a sad time of year for me when it becomes warm enough outside that I don’t want to use the oven.  Yesterday was a cooler day with no sun to heat the kitchen up, so I had a chance to use the oven for roasted chicken thighs and sweet potato fries.  I served them along with some fermented daikon and napa, and it was a good dinner.  When it’s really hot, we turn to grilling, and I will roast a chicken that way, but I miss the convenience of the indoor oven.

Here’s a link to a homemade seasoning mix that I used on the sweet potato fries and chicken.  I haven’t investigated the blog thoroughly, but I found the site last summer when I was looking for a recipe for curtido, and I made a slightly modified (because of family allergies) version of the seasoning then.  I’m almost out and will need to make some more because it’s great.









						Montreal Steak Seasoning - Insane in the Brine
					

This is a fermenting site (primarily), but sometimes there’s a recipe I enjoy so much I feel the need to share it here. I’m going to be posting some ferment recipes using my Montreal Steak Seasoning (MSS), so I wanted to go ahead and just put the base seasoning recipe […]




					insaneinthebrine.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Planning Easter dinner.  Will probably be pork.  Meat counter is closed, so I may just have to buy a vacuum sealed pork tenderloin and cut it lengthwise for stuffing and roll up and tie.

*Roast Loin of Pork with Apple Stuffing*​
Chamberlain, Lesley, contributing editor.  Atkinson, Catherine and Davies, Trish, recipe authors.  _Russian, Polish & German Cooking.  Best of Eastern Europe, with over 185 recipes_.  London: Hermes House, 2004.  Previously Published as _The Practical Encyclopedia of Eastern European Cooking_.

A spit-roast suckling pig, basted with butter or cream and served with an apple in its mouth, was a classic dish for the Russian festive table.  This roasted loin with crisp crackling makes a less expensive alternative.

Ingredients  _Serves 6 – 8_

1.75 kg / 4 lb. boned loin of pork
100 mL / ½ pint / 1 ¼ cups dry cider
150 mL / ¼ pint / 2/3 cup soured cream
7.5 mL / 1 ½ tsp. sea salt

For the stuffing

25 g / 1 oz. / 2 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
50 g / 2 oz. / 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
2 apples, cored, peeled, and chopped
50 g / 2 oz. / scant ½ cup raisins
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
Pinch of ground cloves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220 ℃ / 425 ℉ / gas 7.  To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the onions for 10 minutes, or until soft.  Stir into the remaining stuffing ingredients.

Put, the pork, rind side down, on a board.  Make a horizontal cut between the meat and the outer layer of fat, cutting to within 2.5 cm / 1 in. to make the pocket.

Push the stuffing into the pocket.  Roll up lengthways and tie with string.  Score the rind at 2 cm / ¾ in. intervals with a sharp knife.

Pour the cider and sour cream into a casserole, in which the joint just fits.  Stir to combine, then add the pork, rind side sown.  Cook, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes.

Turn the joint over, so that the rind is on top.  Baste with the juices, then sprinkle the rind with sea salt.  Cook for 1 hour, basting after 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180 ℃ / 350 ℉ / Gas 4.  Cook for a further 1 ½ hours.  Leave the joint to stand for 20 minutes before carving.

Cook’s Tip: Do not baste during the final 2 hours of roasting so that the crackling becomes crisp.

Paul’s notes:  Excellent recipe.  Very easy.  3-hours cooking time is too long, and temperature is too high.  Will start at 400 ℉ next time, and reduce to 350 ℉ after 1 hour.  That is:  400 ℉ for 30 minutes with rind-side down.  Flip to rind-side up, baste, and sprinkle with sea salt.  Cook for 30 minutes at 400.  Baste, and reduce heat to 350 ℉.   Cook until done with thermometer.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Side will either be corn spoonbread or corn pudding-stuffed tomatoes.

*Corn Pudding Stuffed Tomatoes*​
From the Test Kitchens at _Taste of Home_.

*Ingredients*

8 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Minced fresh parsley

*Directions*

Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato; scoop out and discard pulp.  Sprinkle inside of tomatoes with half of the salt and pepper.  Invert on paper towels to drain.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and remaining salt and pepper.  Combine the eggs, cream, corn, and butter; stir into dry ingredients.  Spoon into tomatoes,

Place in a shallow baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 ºF for 38–40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of corn pudding comes out clean.  Sprinkle with parsley.


----------



## PaulOinMA

SpaceBus said:


> … I was thinking about making something similar myself but roasting it in the oven …



I roasted it in the oven, but just used a skillet so it is a one-skillet meal with the chicken roasting on the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions.

I used a Magnalite Roaster this time.  Here's an photo from 2018 when I used a large skillet.


----------



## SpaceBus

My best sourdough loaf so far.


----------



## fbelec

PaulOinMA said:


> I roasted it in the oven, but just used a skillet so it is a one-skillet meal with the chicken roasting on the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions.
> 
> I used a Magnalite Roaster this time.  Here's an photo from 2018 when I used a large skillet.



 paul that looks delish. i have a question. what happens to all the fat that is draining from the chicken during cooking? i love chicken but as i'm getting older i'm having a problem with chicken fat or my body is.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Thanks.  There's also butter in the chicken cavity and on the veggies.  Recipe called for too much butter, I think, and it can be reduced.

I guess the chicken fat drains onto the veggies.  I save the skillet drippings and use the chicken carcass to make chicken soup.  Good layer of butter-fat on top of the drippings after it cools in he refrigerator, which can be scraped off, if needed.

Did you see that the new NOVA is on fat?  Recorded it this week.  Haven't watched it yet.









						The Truth About Fat
					

Could it be that body fat has more to do with biological processes than personal choices?



					www.pbs.org
				




I decided to use a Magnalite Professional roaster this time after looking up now much Griswold size 12 skillets are going for on ebay.  the picture is Griswold 719 small logo.


----------



## PaulOinMA

fbelec said:


> … i'm getting older i'm having a problem with chicken fat or my body is …



What's the problem?  I think I had way too much fat for my gall bladder to handle a year or so ago when we made homemade pizza.  Put too much pepperoni on mine, and I ate the leftover pepperoni.

Felt really nauseous later and actually ended up kneeling in front of the toilet throwing up twice.  I did a search, and think I had way too much fat for my body to process.

I mentioned it to my NP at my annual physical last year, and it really got her attention.  I told her it was a one-time event, and I've been watching my fat intake more after that episide.


----------



## SpaceBus

My wife has decreased gallbladder function so we have to be careful about deep fried foods and stuff like that.


----------



## SpaceBus

This was without kneading the dough and just letting it rise over night. It's not as good as the dough I kneaded yesterday.


----------



## SpaceBus

I got some Rye flour today, so I'm excited to try that soon. For tomorrow morning's loaf I'm rising the dough in the fridge over night.


----------



## fbelec

it's funny when i was a kid my mom used to make chicken like that and i had no problem now chicken fat and now more than 3 slices of fatty bacon.  anyway nice job


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Tonight’s dinner was cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham with sautéed Brussels sprouts leaves (not the sprouts, the leaves from the plant which are rather like collard greens) on the side.  It was a big hit, but I didn’t have as much leftover as I had hoped.  Only when cleaning up the dishes later did I discover that the child who had helped me by washing potatoes and bringing them to my cutting board had left four of them on the drain rack.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> View attachment 259287
> 
> 
> Tonight’s dinner was cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham with sautéed Brussels sprouts leaves (not the sprouts, the leaves from the plant which are rather like collard greens) on the side.  It was a big hit, but I didn’t have as much leftover as I had hoped.  Only when cleaning up the dishes later did I discover that the child who had helped me by washing potatoes and bringing them to my cutting board had left four of them on the drain rack.


It's ok, we left 5lbs of mixed local potatoes in the car and they all sprouted and got soft...


----------



## PaulOinMA

We had folks over for a dinner years ago.  We were thinking about the dinner later and didn't remember one side dish.  It was still in the oven.


----------



## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> It's ok, we left 5lbs of mixed local potatoes in the car and they all sprouted and got soft...


Plant 'em!


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> Plant 'em!


Yes, I'm going to plant them in some stump holes once I grind them out.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

My kids have somehow learned of the existence of eggs Benedict and want to make that dish.  I told them that we couldn’t unless I made the English muffins in advance.  Today was a good day to make some sourdough muffins, so I cooked them up this evening and turned some of them into pizza sandwiches for dinner.






Tomorrow morning is the planned eggs Benedict project.  I’ve never made a Hollandaise sauce before and am not sure it even sounds appealing to me.  I’ll try it, and if I never post again on this thread, you’ll know that it has done me in.

@SpaceBus,  I don’t know if you and your wife enjoy English muffins, but they are quite easy.  I just use a sandwich bread recipe and cook the rounds on a griddle instead of baking a loaf.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> My kids have somehow learned of the existence of eggs Benedict and want to make that dish.  I told them that we couldn’t unless I made the English muffins in advance.  Today was a good day to make some sourdough muffins, so I cooked them up this evening and turned some of them into pizza sandwiches for dinner.
> 
> View attachment 259321
> View attachment 259322
> View attachment 259323
> 
> 
> Tomorrow morning is the planned eggs Benedict project.  I’ve never made a Hollandaise sauce before and am not sure it even sounds appealing to me.  I’ll try it, and if I never post again on this thread, you’ll know that it has done me in.
> 
> @SpaceBus,  I don’t know if you and your wife enjoy English muffins, but they are quite easy.  I just use a sandwich bread recipe and cook the rounds on a griddle instead of baking a loaf.


We actually get English muffin bread in loaf form from a local bakery. I would love to try and make my own. I don't yet have a griddle, so I'll try my frying pan maybe?


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I think I made some English muffin bread several years ago, but that’s a different dough from what’s used for English muffins.  The muffins just use a traditional sandwich loaf recipe (in my case it was an einkorn sourdough with milk and butter), and what makes the difference is the style of cooking.  A frying pan would work perfectly.  The only reason I use a griddle is because I make large batches at one time since I need to feed a family of six and prefer to have leftovers.

The eggs Benedict turned out well, I think, though it was, in my opinion, more work than reward.  It might not have been so bad had I just been doing it myself, but I was coordinating four kids in the kitchen, trying to give them all jobs they could do and keep everyone happy.  





We have some leftover Hollandaise sauce that I believe I will serve tonight over asparagus.  Does anyone have any fun suggestions for something I can do with the three egg whites that are now stored in my refrigerator?


----------



## PaulOinMA

I usually just add one more egg and have an omelet for breakfast the following morning.


----------



## PaulOinMA

The English Muffin Toasting Bread recipe at the King Arthur Flour web site is very good, easy loaf bread, BTW.


----------



## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> I think I made some English muffin bread several years ago, but that’s a different dough from what’s used for English muffins.  The muffins just use a traditional sandwich loaf recipe (in my case it was an einkorn sourdough with milk and butter), and what makes the difference is the style of cooking.  A frying pan would work perfectly.  The only reason I use a griddle is because I make large batches at one time since I need to feed a family of six and prefer to have leftovers.
> 
> The eggs Benedict turned out well, I think, though it was, in my opinion, more work than reward.  It might not have been so bad had I just been doing it myself, but I was coordinating four kids in the kitchen, trying to give them all jobs they could do and keep everyone happy.
> 
> View attachment 259328
> 
> 
> We have some leftover Hollandaise sauce that I believe I will serve tonight over asparagus.  Does anyone have any fun suggestions for something I can do with the three egg whites that are now stored in my refrigerator?


Meringue!


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> Meringue!



That’s just what I did.  I had thought about throwing the extra whites into an omelette or frittata as @PaulOinMA  kindly suggested, but after using numerous eggs that one day, I was trying not to use a lot more.  We’re limited in what we can buy right now, and two dozen eggs doesn’t last very long in a family of six, so I’m not making a lot of egg dishes.  

I made pizza for dinner this evening with fresh tomatoes and a couple of types of basil that we are growing.  I had a purple basil and a lime basil, and the latter was a bit too citrusy for our meal (for some).  One of my children suggested it would be a good addition to vanilla ice cream.  Might have to try that next time I take some cuttings.


----------



## begreen

Sounds like you have a creative thinker in the family.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan does meringue with the egg whites, if I don't make an omelet.   Only problem is that meringue cookies don't last long around me.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

It was hot here yesterday, and after spending an hour or so in the garden in the morning, I decided that that vanilla ice cream with lime basil sounded like a pretty good idea.  I added the basil to the eggs when I was beating them, cooked the French vanilla custard in the morning and started it cooling, got the kids through with their schoolwork over the course of the day, added cream and vanilla in the evening, and let the four year old turn the crank occasionally while I cooked the rest of dinner.  I had removed the basil pieces while I cooked the custard, and I’m not sure their flavor came through, but the ice cream was definitely a hit and nice on a 94 degree day.


----------



## SpaceBus

I found this on sale today for baking bread outside. Well, I actually found it a few weeks ago but they were sold out. Seems worth a try and has great reviews. 








						Blue Terracotta Fish Pizza Oven
					

Handmade of terracotta with a sculptural fish design, this pizza oven makes it easy to bake artisan wood-fired pizzas outdoors or inside your wood-fired oven. Burn dry wood at the back of this clay oven and after 15 minutes it will be roaring hot and ready to bake pizza after delicious pizza.




					www.worldmarket.com


----------



## begreen

It's cute but looks more like a novelty item. The opening is small and so is the area for the pizza. I would want something about twice that size. Some of the reviews and pictures appear to be staged. Like the one with a pizza on a pizza peel that is wider than the oven opening. The quality also seems poor. Read the 1 star reviews for some perspective.

I've seen the Ooni 3 and the Camp Chef Artisan at the Hearth show, even had pizza from them. They seem like a better long-term investment.


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> It's cute but looks more like a novelty item. The opening is small and so is the area for the pizza. I would want something about twice that size. Some of the reviews and pictures appear to be staged. Like the one with a pizza on a pizza peel that is wider than the oven opening. The quality also seems poor. Read the 1 star reviews for some perspective.
> 
> I've seen the Ooni 3 and the Camp Chef Artisan at the Hearth show, even had pizza from them. They seem like a better long-term investment.


I have been looking at the Ooni ovens, the ads pop up frequently. My plan with the Terra cotta oven was just to make bread outside. Maybe I'll get an Ooni next summer.


----------



## begreen

Sounds dicey for bread with the small opening and uneven heat. My wife suggests getting a decent bread maker machine. She is a trained pastry chef and now makes all our sandwich bread in the breadmaker. She has perfected a very nice whole wheat loaf. A solar oven might also be fun to play with for baguette-style bread if one can get consistent temps for the baking duration.


----------



## PaulOinMA

I agree.  Read the reviews after seeing the dimensions.  Someone said it fits a 5" or 6" pizza.


----------



## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> I agree.  Read the reviews after seeing the dimensions.  Someone said it fits a 5" or 6" pizza.



Good points to all, I'm attempting to cancel my order.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

It’s loquat season down here in Texas Hill Country.  The other night I picked and processed seven pounds of the little fruits.  They don’t have much flesh in comparison to skin and seeds, but our tree had an abundant crop, and I wanted to see what I could do.





The first picture just shows what loquats look like.  I had never heard of them before moving here.  I think people grow the trees as ornamentals, and the fruits come after mild winters.  They are also called Japanese plums or medlars.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve made loquat jelly from the skins I saved from the food mill (top right in the photo), loquat jam with cardamom (bottom right),  and loquat barbecue sauce (top left).  The front left is peach peel/pit jelly  (and yes, I didn’t skim the foam).  I had a bunch of unprotected peaches that I picked yesterday and made a big batch of peach salsa.  That’s in our fridge.  It’s yummy but not so photogenic.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had BLTs for lunch this week, and it reminded me of the mayonnaise discussion that we had earlier in the thread.  Since I had to make a fresh batch, I thought I’d post a picture and give a recommendation for using a stick/immersion blender for the process.  In my experience it eliminates the need to add the oil slowly the way you must with a conventional blender or food processor.  I have no idea what the science is about the emulsification process there, but I just love putting all my ingredients in, processing for 30 seconds and being done.




Has anyone ever heard of nun’s puffs?  I hadn’t until my oldest read me a recipe she wanted to try.  It’s like a sweeter, richer popover and more fuss, but I gave her permission provided that she did the unloading of the dishwasher first and cleaned up afterwards (a struggle in our house).  She did and made a tasty breakfast for us, too.  Here’s her picture.


----------



## begreen

I have not tried making mayo with the immersion blender. That sounds like a good idea. Never had a nun puff, though my mother said she got them pretty puffed up during her Catholic school days.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

It has been hot down here, and my tastes change in the summer.  I made sourdough crackers and hummus for dinner yesterday.    There was leftover hummus but no more crackers, so I ended up having to make a batch of “wheat thins” for lunch today.  My four year old pretends to make food, too, and he put his crackers on the table as well.









I also managed to make up a batch of simple granola earlier in the week.  It was a hit on top of homemade yogurt with homegrown blueberries.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> It has been hot down here, and my tastes change in the summer.  I made sourdough crackers and hummus for dinner yesterday.    There was leftover hummus but no more crackers, so I ended up having to make a batch of “wheat thins” for lunch today.  My four year old pretends to make food, too, and he put his crackers on the table as well.
> 
> View attachment 260355
> View attachment 260356
> 
> 
> View attachment 260363
> View attachment 260364
> 
> 
> I also managed to make up a batch of simple granola earlier in the week.  It was a hit on top of homemade yogurt with homegrown blueberries.
> 
> View attachment 260373


Do you grow your own oats for the granola? I'm considering a grain mill and flaker to make my own rolled oats from oats we plan on growing.


----------



## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> Do you grow your own oats for the granola? I'm considering a grain mill and flaker to make my own rolled oats from oats we plan on growing.


That's a lot of work for a bowl of granola.


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> That's a lot of work for a bowl of granola.



Also useful for chicken and livestock feed. I eat a lot of oats normally as well, usually every morning.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

SpaceBus said:


> Do you grow your own oats for the granola? I'm considering a grain mill and flaker to make my own rolled oats from oats we plan on growing.



No.  Even if I wanted to, I think we’re too hot and dry a climate.  I’ve never really aspired to grow grain crops, though we do eat a lot of oats and einkorn wheat.  Our efforts this season are concentrated on tomatoes and cucumbers, and long term we are nurturing young blueberry bushes, citrus trees, and olives.  You should come join us in the garden thread, Spacebus.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan finished the cinnamon rolls that were in the freezer.  Took six with us on vacation last week to have as an evening TV treat.

Will make a batch this week.  Two 13- by 9-inch pans.  12 cinnamon rolls each.  Will give one pan to the girl across the street that watched our two cats last week while we were on OBX.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

As the weather heats up here in Texas, I try to move away from using the kitchen oven as much.  I’ve been relying more on the crockpot and the grill.  I don’t have a grill pan for veggies but discovered that a pizza plate that I own but don’t usually use (it doesn’t quite fit properly in our usual oven) worked well for fish and brussels sprouts.




We’re also endeavoring to raise a bunch of cucumbers this year, which we eat in a variety of ways.  My kids all love pickles, though, so I promised to ferment a batch.  The right-hand jar is sliced spears that I started earlier in the weak.  The cloudy brine and more olive tone to the skins is a sign that fermentation is progressing.  The left-hand jar is whole pickling cucumbers just after they were packed in brine.  There are a few peppers thrown in as well.




I wanted to try something different with a few of the cucumbers this week, so today I made a cucumber sorbet.  I simply pureed a pound of cucumbers with 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 2/3 cup of sugar in my blender and froze it in our ice-cream maker.  It was a huge hit with most of the family.  I liked it, but prefer savory cucumbers.  It was good for variety, though, and is a great summer dessert.  I think lemon juice would be even better.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> As the weather heats up here in Texas, I try to move away from using the kitchen oven as much.  I’ve been relying more on the crockpot and the grill.  I don’t have a grill pan for veggies but discovered that a pizza plate that I own but don’t usually use (it doesn’t quite fit properly in our usual oven) worked well for fish and brussels sprouts.
> 
> View attachment 260774
> 
> 
> We’re also endeavoring to raise a bunch of cucumbers this year, which we eat in a variety of ways.  My kids all love pickles, though, so I promised to ferment a batch.  The right-hand jar is sliced spears that I started earlier in the weak.  The cloudy brine and more olive tone to the skins is a sign that fermentation is progressing.  The left-hand jar is whole pickling cucumbers just after they were packed in brine.  There are a few peppers thrown in as well.
> 
> View attachment 260776
> 
> 
> I wanted to try something different with a few of the cucumbers this week, so today I made a cucumber sorbet.  I simply pureed a pound of cucumbers with 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 2/3 cup of sugar in my blender and froze it in our ice-cream maker.  It was a huge hit with most of the family.  I liked it, but prefer savory cucumbers.  It was good for variety, though, and is a great summer dessert.  I think lemon juice would be even better.


Is there any secret to making pickles? I'm surprised to see you using bail lid jars, I've read they aren't to be trusted with preserving foods, but I really have no idea. I have several larger 2-3 liter bail lid jars for flour, grain, etc.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Only tried pickles once.  They weren't what what I wanted as far as taste.  I like half sour pickles.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

SpaceBus said:


> Is there any secret to making pickles? I'm surprised to see you using bail lid jars, I've read they aren't to be trusted with preserving foods, but I really have no idea. I have several larger 2-3 liter bail lid jars for flour, grain, etc.



These aren’t the usual vinegar-based, canned pickles so widely available.  These pickles are lactofermented only with a saltwater brine and time.  They can take a couple of weeks just to make them in the first place, but they are very stable because the fermentation is a natural preservation process.  (It’s very similar to sauerkraut.) I’ll refrigerate them once the flavor deepens to our liking, and that slows down the fermentation.  We’ll eat them fast enough that I don’t really have to worry about a long-term storage solution.  I’d love to have so many cucumbers that I had jars and jars of pickles to last through winter, but that hasn’t ever happened.  I’ve never tried to preserve by canning in these jars.

If you are thinking of pickle-making, two tips I’ve found very helpful are to be sure to cut off the ends of the cucumber even if you’re leaving it whole.  I think there may be some enzyme at the blossom end that can contribute to mushiness.  Also, a source of tannins such as horseradish, grape, or oak leaves in the jar can help preserve the crunch.

@PaulOinMA , were the pickles you tried vinegar-based or fermented?  It might be easier to achieve the half-sour flavor with natural fermentation.  It just takes some time and testing.


----------



## PaulOinMA

It was so long ago that I don't remember.  Really wishing I had a jar of half sour pickles in front of me now.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> It was so long ago that I don't remember.  Really wishing I had a jar of half sour pickles in front of me now.



You made me wish it, too.  My daughter just suggested that we needed to taste test them again, and I agreed.  We were quite surprised to find that they had, in our opinion, fermented enough to taste delicious.  We had to have a second spear to verify, but they’ve now moved to the refrigerator.  It’s been hot down here in Texas, so that speeds up fermentation, and the pickles are in small spears rather than whole, and that speeds the process, too.


----------



## fbelec

in that one jar it was cloudy is there a reason?


----------



## DuaeGuttae

fbelec said:


> in that one jar it was cloudy is there a reason?



It’s just part of the lactic acid bacteria fermentation process.  Eventually the cloudiness can settle into white particles at the bottom of the jar.  

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/common-pickle-problems/

I was just commenting to my older daughter yesterday that I far prefer the aesthetics of the unfermented pickles in brine.  Her response was nice.  “I prefer the cloudy, dull ones because that means deliciousness.”  She‘s a pretty big pickle fan, to the point that she adopted the nickname of ”Pickles” for a while.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

My older daughter got it into her head this past weekend that she wanted to make gumbo.  Two of our children may be allergic to shellfish, so the shrimp had to be prepared separately and only added to the bowls of those who could have them.  (Thankfully the allergic children don’t really care for shrimp, so they didn’t mind. )  It was a good opportunity to help my twelve year old learn more about meal planning and cooking, and we had two good dinners out of it.  It makes me want the okra in the garden to hurry up.  It’s still tiny right now.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> My older daughter got it into her head this past weekend that she wanted to make gumbo.  Two of our children may be allergic to shellfish, so the shrimp had to be prepared separately and only added to the bowls of those who could have them.  (Thankfully the allergic children don’t really care for shrimp, so they didn’t mind. )  It was a good opportunity to help my twelve year old learn more about meal planning and cooking, and we had two good dinners out of it.  It makes me want the okra in the garden to hurry up.  It’s still tiny right now.
> 
> View attachment 260989


Gumbo sounds good, definitely a lot of meals!


----------



## begreen

There are several delicious Indian recipes for okra. I love it and I bet the kids would too. Serve with rice and dahl. Extra points if you have some naan with it. There are many variants, some mild, some spicy, some with curry, etc. Just Google Indian Okra Recipe and you will find a lot of them.  Here is a simple one that is not spicy. We like to make Bhindi Masala too.









						Easy Indian Style Okra
					

A traditional Indian okra recipe that uses fresh okra and spices, cooked in a skillet. Onion, cumin, ginger, and coriander add wonderful flavor.




					www.allrecipes.com


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> There are several delicious Indian recipes for okra. I love it and I bet the kids would too. Serve with rice and dahl. Extra points if you have some naan with it. There are many variants, some mild, some spicy, some with curry, etc. Just Google Indian Okra Recipe and you will find a lot of them.  Here is a simple one that is not spicy. We like to make Bhindi Masala too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Easy Indian Style Okra
> 
> 
> A traditional Indian okra recipe that uses fresh okra and spices, cooked in a skillet. Onion, cumin, ginger, and coriander add wonderful flavor.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.allrecipes.com



Mmm.  I love Bhindi Masala.  My husband and I used to do quite a lot of Indian cooking before we discovered food allergies in our family that had us on a pretty limited diet for a number of years.  We’re beginning to expand again, though, and I did some very mild Indian cuisine today for lunch: aloo gobi and a cucumber raita.




Our okra in the garden is still only about four inches tall.   I can buy big bags of frozen okra, but I sure hope to harvest some fresh pods this summer.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Made Sloppy Joes last weekend.  Joy of Cooking recipe, with double-concentrated tomato paste added to make it like what mom made when I was a kid in the 1960s.

Had it open-faced on a roll with shredded Monterey Jack and scallions.

Really took me back to being a kid growing up in Huntington, CT.  Will definitely be making them again this summer.


----------



## SpaceBus

I made a really ugly loaf of bread in my 14 qt dutch oven suspended over a fire today. It's not photo worthy, but it does taste good. The bottom was pretty badly burned so I had to cut it off, otherwise it's pretty good. Probably next time I'll try a little less hydration and a smaller loaf. This one was quite large and took an eternity. The dutch oven probably could have been closer to the fire as well. I can't wait for indoor baking weather to return!


----------



## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> I made a really ugly loaf of bread in my 14 qt dutch oven suspended over a fire today. It's not photo worthy, but it does taste good. The bottom was pretty badly burned so I had to cut it off, otherwise it's pretty good. Probably next time I'll try a little less hydration and a smaller loaf. This one was quite large and took an eternity. The dutch oven probably could have been closer to the fire as well. I can't wait for indoor baking weather to return!


May I suggest a good bread machine for summer? There are times when electricity is a better solution than fire.


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> May I suggest a good bread machine for summer? There are times when electricity is a better solution than fire.


Indeed, we have one, but I don't know how to use it. The dutch oven method is really more of a novelty. I do enjoy frying and sauteing with my Ecozoom Versa, but the automatic bread maker is probably worth finding recipes for. I pretty much only use spelt four, so finding recipes is hard.


----------



## begreen

SpaceBus said:


> Indeed, we have one, but I don't know how to use it. The dutch oven method is really more of a novelty. I do enjoy frying and sauteing with my Ecozoom Versa, but the automatic bread maker is probably worth finding recipes for. I pretty much only use spelt four, so finding recipes is hard.


If interested I can recruit my wife to get you started on a good whole wheat bread and if you are very nice, also a pizza dough. I will ask her about spelt flour changes. What make/model bread machine do you have?


----------



## SpaceBus

begreen said:


> If interested I can recruit my wife to get you started on a good whole wheat bread and if you are very nice, also a pizza dough. What make/model bread machine do you have?


It is a machine my wife bought many years ago, right out of high school if I remember correctly. It's a White Westinghouse WRT-7000 automatic bread maker. Can't find the manual online, but I think if I weigh out my flour appropriately I can get away with using the 1 1/2 or 2 lb whole wheat bread settings and substituting "bread machine yeast" for sourdough starter. I'm not even sure if it works, I grabbed it out of the mother in law's storage unit on a whim while helping her pack it up. It took me a while of searching before finding a whole wheat recipe my wife likes, turns out sourdough was the key. Now she doesn't really care for white bread anymore, which I didn't think would ever happen. 

Of course it gets really hot just as I get good at baking high hydration spelt loaves. My last indoor loaf was 75% hydration with 100% spelt flour and I was able to get "windows" while stretching and folding. I'll probably mix the dough by hand, fold it, and then use the bread maker just for the very end. I'm also considering using my counter top convection oven, it makes wonderful cookies, but I've never tried bread in it. I think even the countertop oven or the bread maker will make the house warm, but hopefully after this weekend I'll be able to bake in the evenings again without getting the house too warm. We fried eggplant and made meat sauce with the wood cooker a few days ago, the weather this year has been wild.


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## PaulOinMA

Making this today:

*Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta and Basil*

Very good summer pasta recipe.  Will add ricotta to plated servings, as we will have leftovers, and don't want the ricotta to disappear in the dish.









						Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta and Basil
					

When the weather gets warm, spaghetti and meatballs just isn't gonna cut it. Serve up this skillet pasta with summer squash, ricotta and basil instead.




					www.purewow.com


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## DuaeGuttae

@PaulOinMA , one of my favorite sauces for pasta is higher in zucchini than tomatoes.  I’m a pretty big squash fan, though.  The recipe you posted also looked quite good to me.

@SpaceBus,  I used to use a lot of spelt for bread before switching over to einkorn.  I’m not sure I have a recipe to offer for the breadmaker, but I’ll look and see.  I do use the breadmaker successfully for einkorn sourdough.  Einkorn is very sticky, so I let the breadmaker knead it for me, then I cut it off until it’s time to bake.  It takes some care, but I find it helps me.  Right now I’m off of gluten entirely for a bit, so I’m not sure when I’ll next make a loaf of bread.

I got a used breadmaker last summer just to avoid heating up the house with the oven.  In my case we have a large pantry, and the breadmaker actually does its job in there, and that keeps the heat out of the kitchen.  I don’t notice it warming the pantry too much.

I cooked tonight’s dinner on the grill (likewise an effort to keep the oven off and the heat out of the house).  I was quite pleased with how it turned out.  I had made some mayonnaise with lime basil recently, and the flavor was a little too strong for my children as a dip or spread, but the last of it worked very well as a rub on the chicken before roasting.  They were quite surprised at dinner when I told them the “secret ingredient.”


----------



## SpaceBus

I need to take more pics of our food. Yesterday we made a small eggplant lasagna. We baked the lasagna in the countertop convection oven and it came out perfect and the house didn't get hot. It ended up cooling off yesterday evening so we baked a banana bread loaf in the wood cooker.

This summer weather has been great for cooking outside and I've been pan frying breaded eggplant. I like this much better than doing it inside, so much less splatter and mess.


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## PaulOinMA

For bread baking in a Dutch oven ... there are charts showing number of charcoal briquettes on top and bottom of a Dutch oven corresponding to temperature in the oven by size of Dutch oven..


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## PaulOinMA

Had the leftover pasta as a cold pasta salad for dinner the past two nights.  Great summer dish.  Never had it cold before.

Will consider making it to bring to a summer potluck.  Very good cold with ricotta dollops and freshly grated Parmesan Romano.

Might also add fresh mozzarella next time I make it.


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## PaulOinMA

Strawberries were on sale.  Nan made shortcake yesterday.

Someone asked her what she uses for strawberry shortcake, and couldn't understand when she said "shortcake."  They kept asking if it was pound cake or something else.

Here's the recipe from a colleague's wife.  They're English.  Very easy.  Pretty much a plain scone.

*Shortcake*​ 
Recipe from Tom Wolf’s wife, 1990.  Tom was a colleague at Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Stir together:

2 cups flour
4 tsps. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/16 tsp. nutmeg

Blend in: 1/3 cup butter/margarine –

Stir up: 1 egg plus 1/3 cup milk and stir in, little by little, into dry ingredients – till dough holds together.

Can either make one 9-inch pan and one shortcake – or individual ones.  Just make piles of them on a baking sheet and sort of pat them into shape with a fork.  Makes about eight-plus or so.

Bake 12 minutes at 425 °F – but watch them.  Sometimes they burn on bottom.


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## DuaeGuttae

Yum, we love shortcake and scones around here.

@SpaceBus, I’ve thought of you several times this week as I’ve been working in the kitchen, probably because I’m very conscious of trying to keep heat out of the kitchen.

One thought that I had was I wondered if you have a crock pot/slow cooker.  Those can be surprisingly versatile.  One of my favorite uses is to cook “baked” potatoes or sweet potatoes.  The baked potatoes won’t have the dry skin, but they are still yummy.  We used ours earlier this week to simmer meatballs and tomato sauce.  (I did use a skillet to brown the meatballs first and to cook down the sauce some to speed the process.)




The tomatoes came from a neighbor’s garden, not ours, but I went out and picked the herbs (parsley for meatballs, basil and oregano for the sauce).  It was quite a hit.

I made a sweet potato bread the other day.  I used the food processor for the batter but baked it in my bread maker.  Out of curiosity I measured the temperature of the wall in my pantry before and after baking.  It was 79 degrees before baking, 84 degrees after.  This was in the immediate vicinity of the breadmaker.  A few feet away it was 80 degrees.  Our kitchen has a western wall of windows and is usually warmer than our interior pantry, so I’m glad to have the additional heat contained there, even though it doesn’t seem to add a lot.


----------



## SpaceBus

We actually put the electric range back in the kitchen, but haven't used it. For a week it got really hot, but then dropped back down. I baked a loaf of peanut butter bread in the wood cooker last night since it was under 60df all day. 

I do think about a crock pot, it would be handy for making broth in the summer. We tend to buy bone in meat, so I save the bones for broth and dog food.


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## begreen

Fresh pie cherries are ripening and the birds left some for us this year. That means cherry pie and oh my how I have missed you.


----------



## SpaceBus

Begreen, we finally cooked with electrons last night, NC style pulled pork in the oven. It was in the 60's outside so it only raised the house temp a few degrees, but it was pleasant anyway. I'll probably make a bread loaf soon.


----------



## EODMSgt

Hard to believe bear season is just a couple months away. I need to make some room in the freezer so I'll be cooking this recipe again in a couple days. Doesn't get much simpler for a recipe and it's great ladled over egg noodles or rice. 

Crock Pot Bear Roast:
1 bear roast 
1 stick of butter
3 bacon slices (chopped up)
Yellow pepperoncini (amount depends on personal taste)
I pack dry Au Jus mix
1 pack dry ranch seasoning
Throw it in a crockpot on low all day and enjoy.


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## PaulOinMA

Cherry pie is my favorite fruit pie.

Making the following today.  Will cook diced chicken in a skillet for the recipe.  Have wraps instead of pita.

*Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad*

Prep Time: 15 mins
*Ingredients*

3/4 cup reduced fat greek yogurt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium cucumber, chopped
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
6 pitas, for serving
*Instructions*

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the pitas and mix well. Chill until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes.
Serve on pita bread.









						Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad - Host The Toast
					

Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad. Delicious? Check. Easy? Check. Healthy? Check. Find out how to make the no-cook quick summer salad!




					hostthetoast.com


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## thewoodlands

I just had kidney beans (drained) in stewed tomatoes with garlic,red pepper flakes,pepper, warmed up with some pecorino romano cheese sprinkled on top before you eat it. I also had a hot tomato salad, sliced up a tomato, add salt,red pepper flakes, oregano with some olive oil.


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## DuaeGuttae

So many delicious-looking and -sounding foods on this page alone.

@begreen, that pie looked beautiful.

@PaulOinMA, I’ve had tzatziki on the brain since last week when I made a fresh batch (about a gallon) of yogurt.  I have three slicing cucumbers almost ready to pick in the garden, and I’ll use at least one for that.  I’m not sure if I’ll make it into a chicken salad or not, but it sounds yummy.  I’ve also made BLT chicken salad before, and that was a big hit with my kids.

My daughter made a request yesterday for butternut squash soup.  I had squash in the freezer and six cups of homemade broth in the fridge that needed to be used or frozen, and it was sweltering today, so it seemed a good opportunity.  My kids loved it, as it’s usually part of our Thanksgiving dinner, so it seemed like a feast to them.  

I used this recipe for the most part with some necessary changes for our sensitivities.  Sensitivities aside, I also recommend not using the “2 tsps hot sauce” step, as “hot sauce” seems to be quite a variable term, and I did once ruin a batch using too hot a sauce.  I use a little sprinkle of ground red pepper instead.  The soup itself is tasty, but the relish definitely takes it up a notch.

https://www.rachaelray.com/recipes/pumpkin-soup-with-chili-cran-apple-relish/

I first had this soup at a dinner party years ago that was put on by some students at the school where I taught.  The whole meal was amazing, but this soup stood out to everyone, and they ended up printing up and handing out recipes to all the teachers who were there.

Inspired by @SpaceBus, I also cooked some pulled pork in the crock pot today.   (The pork cooked in a vinegar sauce, and once I shredded it I put it back in the crock pot with loquat barbecue sauce I made a couple of months ago.) I baked hamburger buns on our gas grill to keep the heat out of the kitchen, and served up the meal with cole slaw.





The good news about all this cooking is that now I also have a couple of meals of leftovers in the fridge.


----------



## SpaceBus

Pulled pork and butternut squash soup sound sublime. We ordered a crock pot,  finally. Turns out I don't like making broth in the summer, should be a good job for the crock pot. It also can pressure cook and has a rice setting.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Butternut squash soup.  Yum.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

SpaceBus said:


> Pulled pork and butternut squash soup sound sublime. We ordered a crock pot,  finally. Turns out I don't like making broth in the summer, should be a good job for the crock pot. It also can pressure cook and has a rice setting.



I make a lot of bone broths and have found that I prefer the pressure cooker over the crock pot for them.  My pressure cooker is a simple stove-top one, not integrated with the crock pot.  I’ve never used one of those multi-function machines, though I have a friend who swears by hers.  It might be worth investigating the pressure cooking feature for making broth.

(Also, I meant to say that the weather wasn’t sweltering yesterday, which made it a good day for soup, and I just noticed that I said it was sweltering.  Oops.)


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan was out of shortcake.  She asked if I could help her with the next batch.  She cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.  I use my hands for scones unless there is a lot of butter to cut in.  They come out better.

She was out of strawberries, and I said that we have ripe peaches.  I peeled and diced half a  peach.  She really liked peach shortcake.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had green spaghetti sauce tonight—lots of zucchini and basil and oregano.  It does have some tomatoes, but half of those were a green variety I grow.  There is a bit of red and orange from a handful of red tomatoes and some sweet peppers.  It was definitely a hit, and now the kids think I need to add zucchini to the fall garden rotation.




The sauce was meatless because I knew folks would be eating a goat cheesecake made with lots of eggs for dessert afterwards.  I actually cooked this one on our grill, too, and it worked but not without problems.  I never really thought about how out of level our grill is, but it became apparent only after I started cooking the cheesecake.  The batter rolled from back to front, but thankfully remained in the pan.  We ended up with one crispy thin side (where the blueberries are) and one thick gooey side.  (It was 98 degrees today at dinner time, which was why I really didn’t want to turn on the oven.)




I thought of you, @begreen, as I was pitting all those cherries.  My fingers are still a bit stained.


----------



## Country Living in VA

DuaeGuttae said:


> I make a lot of bone broths and have found that I prefer the pressure cooker over the crock pot for them.  My pressure cooker is a simple stove-top one, not integrated with the crock pot.  I’ve never used one of those multi-function machines, though I have a friend who swears by hers.  It might be worth investigating the pressure cooking feature for making broth.
> 
> (Also, I meant to say that the weather wasn’t sweltering yesterday, which made it a good day for soup, and I just noticed that I said it was sweltering.  Oops.)


I have one of the "Insta Pots" and really really like it.  I use it regularly and it save a lot of time.  It works well for me since I don't usually get home from work until after 5:00 PM.  Don't get me wrong, I love a crockpot as well, but I can use the instapot and get as good and in some cases better quality and taste in a much quicker timeframe.  For instance, I can take a pound of dried pinto beans, rinse, add a 3-4 cups of water, I use a ham hock and cook it for an hour in the instapot, let the steam feed off on its own and I swear you would have thought I cooked it all day long.


----------



## Country Living in VA

DuaeGuttae said:


> We had green spaghetti sauce tonight—lots of zucchini and basil and oregano.  It does have some tomatoes, but half of those were a green variety I grow.  There is a bit of red and orange from a handful of red tomatoes and some sweet peppers.  It was definitely a hit, and now the kids think I need to add zucchini to the fall garden rotation.
> 
> View attachment 261438
> 
> 
> The sauce was meatless because I knew folks would be eating a goat cheesecake made with lots of eggs for dessert afterwards.  I actually cooked this one on our grill, too, and it worked but not without problems.  I never really thought about how out of level our grill is, but it became apparent only after I started cooking the cheesecake.  The batter rolled from back to front, but thankfully remained in the pan.  We ended up with one crispy thin side (where the blueberries are) and one thick gooey side.  (It was 98 degrees today at dinner time, which was why I really didn’t want to turn on the oven.)
> 
> View attachment 261437
> 
> 
> I thought of you, @begreen, as I was pitting all those cherries.  My fingers are still a bit stained.


Boy that looks good!  I have been cooking a lot on my grill lately as well-helps keep the house from getting so hot & less time washing pots and pans.


----------



## SpaceBus

I used my "Multi-Cooker" as a pressure cooker to make broth a few days ago and that turned out well. I'm using the broth to make beef stew, but using it as a slow cooker on high for the stew.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

It has been very hot here for the past several days, and so I have been making lots of use of the crock pot and the grill.   The oven just stays off for the summer, but it has been so hot in the evenings that I haven’t even wanted to grill.  (We cooked our egg-pancake dish on the grill this morning when it was still cool.)  The other day I cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot without using added water, and it did crisp up a bit (I did the last hour with the lid ajar).  Last night I also did something I’ve never done before; I used the breadmaker bake setting to cook a meatloaf.  It worked well and gave us enough leftovers for lunch today.  Tonight the leftover chicken will go into fried rice.


----------



## Country Living in VA

I am a glutton for punishment is guess.  I am going to can some green beans this weekend on an open fire outside.  I will of course do most of the prep work inside and just use the fire to process the beans after they are loaded in the jars.  I have canned some quarts of bread and butter pickles inside, but boiling water for sterilizing jars and then processing them makes the house very humid as to be expected.  Pickles only take about 15 minutes of processing time, but the green beans will probably take about an hour.  Thought I would try to get it done early in the morning while it is cool.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Excellent and easy caramel sauce recipe.









						Caramel Sauce
					

Thick, rich, homemade caramel sauce, perfect for topping ice cream and/or cake.




					www.kingarthurflour.com
				




Third caramel sauce recipe my wife made.  _Joy of Cooking_  recipe was o.k.  Recipe from 

Kiene, Julia.  _The Betty Furness Westinghouse Cook Book_.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954

was o.k., too.  But, not what Nan was looking for.  Said it would be good in flavored drinks.

The KAF recipe is much more like a caramel candy made into a sauce.


----------



## SpaceBus

Country Living in VA said:


> I am a glutton for punishment is guess.  I am going to can some green beans this weekend on an open fire outside.  I will of course do most of the prep work inside and just use the fire to process the beans after they are loaded in the jars.  I have canned some quarts of bread and butter pickles inside, but boiling water for sterilizing jars and then processing them makes the house very humid as to be expected.  Pickles only take about 15 minutes of processing time, but the green beans will probably take about an hour.  Thought I would try to get it done early in the morning while it is cool.


I look forward to reading about your results.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> It has been very hot here for the past several days, and so I have been making lots of use of the crock pot and the grill.   The oven just stays off for the summer, but it has been so hot in the evenings that I haven’t even wanted to grill.  (We cooked our egg-pancake dish on the grill this morning when it was still cool.)  The other day I cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot without using added water, and it did crisp up a bit (I did the last hour with the lid ajar).  Last night I also did something I’ve never done before; I used the breadmaker bake setting to cook a meatloaf.  It worked well and gave us enough leftovers for lunch today.  Tonight the leftover chicken will go into fried rice.


I can't believe we didn't get our multi-pot sooner. Last night we made carnitas in a little over an hour including prep time by using the pressure function. Usually it takes me all day slow cooking the pork.


----------



## Country Living in VA

SpaceBus said:


> I can't believe we didn't get our multi-pot sooner. Last night we made carnitas in a little over an hour including prep time by using the pressure function. Usually it takes me all day slow cooking the pork.


Everyone I talk to says the same thing about the pressure function and how well it works.  This isn't like your grandmothers pressure cooker at all, it is very simple.  It does take some time getting used to how long to cook things.  There are buttons for meats, beans, ect, but the presets usually aren't long enough and I just adjust the minutes accordingly.  You mention cooking the pork for carnitas, I recently cooked up a batch of skinless chicken breasts with taco seasoning for tacos and the chicken was about as tender as I have every had cooking it for 35 minutes.


----------



## SpaceBus

Country Living in VA said:


> Everyone I talk to says the same thing about the pressure function and how well it works.  This isn't like your grandmothers pressure cooker at all, it is very simple.  It does take some time getting used to how long to cook things.  There are buttons for meats, beans, ect, but the presets usually aren't long enough and I just adjust the minutes accordingly.  You mention cooking the pork for carnitas, I recently cooked up a batch of skinless chicken breasts with taco seasoning for tacos and the chicken was about as tender as I have every had cooking it for 35 minutes.


My wife was at first very intimidated by the pressure cooking function and didn't trust it because of her grandmother's pressure cooker.


----------



## Country Living in VA

SpaceBus said:


> My wife was at first very intimidated by the pressure cooking function and didn't trust it because of her grandmother's pressure cooker.


It is really pretty easy compared the old pressure cookers.  I generally just close the lid, set the release valve to closed, set the temperature and once it is cooked, turn it off and let the pressure release on its own-then just open the lid.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I just wanted to put in a plug for using the pressure cooker to cook hard-boiled eggs.  In mine it takes about 5 minutes at high pressure, then I release the pressure and move the eggs to ice water.  Using the pressure cooker seems to make the eggs peel more easily.  They were so easy today, in fact, that my ten-year-old son peeled them for me while I cooked the bacon on the grill and made the mayonnaise (using bacon fat as part of the oil).   It made for a nice lunch with leftovers for tomorrow’s breakfast.


----------



## SpaceBus

DuaeGuttae said:


> I just wanted to put in a plug for using the pressure cooker to cook hard-boiled eggs.  In mine it takes about 5 minutes at high pressure, then I release the pressure and move the eggs to ice water.  Using the pressure cooker seems to make the eggs peel more easily.  They were so easy today, in fact, that my ten-year-old son peeled them for me while I cooked the bacon on the grill and made the mayonnaise (using bacon fat as part of the oil).   It made for a nice lunch with leftovers for tomorrow’s breakfast.
> 
> 
> View attachment 261599


I will have to try next time we have boiled eggs.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Temperatures forecast in the 90s the next four days starting tomorrow.   Making a large batch of gazpacho this afternoon.   Won't cook for a few days.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Temperatures forecast in the 90s the next four days starting tomorrow.   Making a large batch of gazpacho this afternoon.   Won't cook for a few days.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> Temperatures forecast in the 90s the next four days starting tomorrow.   Making a large batch of gazpacho this afternoon.   Won't cook for a few days.



We love gazpacho around here.  It’s definitely a treat and wonderful for a heat wave.

I’ve got granola going in a large crock pot now, and I made up a batch of hummus for tomorrow.  I’ve been requested to have a Mediterranean birthday dinner for one of my children, so I’ll need to make pocket bread tomorrow.  I‘ll have to figure out whether I‘m going to try to cook it on the grill or the stovetop because the oven just heats the kitchen too much.  We’ll have grapes (possibly frozen) instead of cake for dessert.  We hardly ever eat them, so it will be a huge treat.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

It's too hot for hot soup down here, but my twelve year old was inspired by our discussion of "primordial soup" to make up a batch of what she pictures in her head.  Evidently it's red, in this case through paprika rather than tomatoes.  She had to work with what we had in the house.





We've also been enjoying fermented dilly beans this summer.  My garden hasn't produced any beans, unfortunately, but I've been growing dill inside (it's too hot outside), and when I need to prune it back I use the excess for a jar of dilly beans.  They've been a big hit, and my kids love to drink the brine.  It's great after I've been working outside.


----------



## begreen

Tonight's simple delight was homemade salsa almost entirely from the garden with sweet tomatoes and peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro and some cumin and spices added. Simply delish. Red jalapenos and fresno peppers added some heat.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I now need to go look up "fresno" peppers.  We are attempting to grow jalapeno peppers for the first time this year.  My daughter wanted her fall garden to focus on pickling, so it's got three hot (but not too hot) pepper plants and two cucumber vines.  It's a wonderful thing to be able to eat out of the garden.


----------



## begreen

I love pickled hot peppers. Fresno peppers are mildly hot, but tasty. Habeneros are hotter if that is desired. We have poblanos, sweet yellow bananas, bells, jalapenos, & allepo (hot) this year. In past years we have grown hot Bulgarian carrot peppers which dry very nicely.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I had a tough headache this afternoon.  My daughter wanted permission to bake a cake on the grill.  It wouldn't have suited our planned dinner, so we came up with another idea that she could grill as well.  The headache made me a bit shaky, I think, so I'm afraid the picture of her beautifully presented salmon and asparagus didn't turn out.  Her cake didn't meet her aesthetic standards, but I was pretty impressed for a twelve year old with very limited help from her dad regarding the grill.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Making chili this afternoon.  A variation of Perry Como's Favorite Chili from "The International Chili Society Official Chili Cookbook."

Went food shopping this morning and bought the rest of what I needed along with regular grocery shopping.  Just put out chili ingredients on the counter.  Very little cumin.  Need two teaspoons.  Guess I'm going back to Price Chopper right after lunch.


----------



## thewoodlands

I made some sauce on the 11th and grilled up some chops on the 12th with pasta. The wife made some Utica Green's that I just finished tonight, that chit is great.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

thewoodlands said:


> I made some sauce on the 11th and grilled up some chops on the 12th with pasta. The wife made some Utica Green's that I just finished tonight, that chit is great.



Yum.  

I just had to go look up "Utica Greens."  It does sound delicious.  I'm a huge fan of all sorts of greens.  For dinner tonight we had fried pears and onions, grilled pork chops, and sauteed sweet potato leaves.  Texas summers are just too hot for most greens, but the sweet potato foliage is thriving.  I did just plant some kale, so I'm hoping it will do well in the fall.


----------



## thewoodlands

DuaeGuttae said:


> Yum.
> 
> I just had to go look up "Utica Greens."  It does sound delicious.  I'm a huge fan of all sorts of greens.  For dinner tonight we had fried pears and onions, grilled pork chops, and sauteed sweet potato leaves.  Texas summers are just too hot for most greens, but the sweet potato foliage is thriving.  I did just plant some kale, so I'm hoping it will do well in the fall.


I just looked through our files for the recipe on the computer, we don't have it typed up but I'll try and post it before the weekend.


----------



## thewoodlands

DuaeGuttae said:


> Yum.
> 
> I just had to go look up "Utica Greens."  It does sound delicious.  I'm a huge fan of all sorts of greens.  For dinner tonight we had fried pears and onions, grilled pork chops, and sauteed sweet potato leaves.  Texas summers are just too hot for most greens, but the sweet potato foliage is thriving.  I did just plant some kale, so I'm hoping it will do well in the fall.


I found the same recipe from the same person on the net, enjoy.


DuaeGuttae said:


> Yum.
> 
> I just had to go look up "Utica Greens."  It does sound delicious.  I'm a huge fan of all sorts of greens.  For dinner tonight we had fried pears and onions, grilled pork chops, and sauteed sweet potato leaves.  Texas summers are just too hot for most greens, but the sweet potato foliage is thriving.  I did just plant some kale, so I'm hoping it will do well in the fall.








						Recipe: Utica Italian Greens (escarole) - 3 recipes - Recipelink.com
					

Utica Italian Greens (escarole) - 3 recipes, Side Dishes, Assorted




					recipelink.com
				




It's the first Utica Greens Recipe from Janet Chanatry.
My wife uses 3 heads of Escarole, five gloves of garlic, 1/2 lb. of prosciutto, 2 cups of Chicken Broth, 1 cup of bread crumbs mixed in and 1/2 a cup of bread crumbs on top to brown.

Enjoy


----------



## kennyp2339

While not the healthiest meal, I just picked up a stove top pressure cooker and will be attempting fried chicken in it this evening, we're having a small bonfire in the neighborhood and half the neighbors here are celebrating fall coming in with hot cider and fall deserts, the other half is still more or less holding onto summer (me with the Hawaiian shirt and basket of fired chicken) should be fun, need to cut the grass and get some slash wood ready.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

kennyp2339 said:


> While not the healthiest meal, I just picked up a stove top pressure cooker and will be attempting fried chicken in it this evening, we're having a small bonfire in the neighborhood and half the neighbors here are celebrating fall coming in with hot cider and fall deserts, the other half is still more or less holding onto summer (me with the Hawaiian shirt and basket of fired chicken) should be fun, need to cut the grass and get some slash wood ready.



Yum.  I enjoy a good friend chicken (and fried okra, too), though I don't do it much.  I'm confused about the reference to the stove-top pressure cooker, though.  Is that for pre-cooking the pieces, then  coating and frying?  I use a pressure cooker regularly but not for crispy stuff.  In fact I'm hoping this weekend to make some Indian chicken in it.  I just need to get some ginger first.


----------



## kennyp2339

DuaeGuttae said:


> I'm confused about the reference to the stove-top pressure cooker, though. Is that for pre-cooking the pieces, then coating and frying?


The plan is to heat up the oil in the pressure cooker to 350, add the coated chicken in then put the lid on for 10min, saw it on youtube, looked pretty simple and delicious.


----------



## SpaceBus

I hadn't thought to use one for frying food. This winter I'd like to treat myself to a nice All American pressure canner.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

kennyp2339 said:


> The plan is to heat up the oil in the pressure cooker to 350, add the coated chicken in then put the lid on for 10min, saw it on youtube, looked pretty simple and delicious.



My pressure cooker specifically disallows deep-frying, and I admit that the idea makes me pretty nervous.  It would be nice to have a way to contain spatters, though.  I have a pan with a basket that I use on the stovetop when I make the occasional french fries or chicken nuggets for my kids, and one rule I have is that they're never allowed by the stove when I'm frying.

I used my pressure cooker to try a butter chicken recipe I had found.  It was easy to make, and as promised, it yielded a good meal and lots of leftover sauce.  (I tripled the recipe because I have a large family and a large pressure cooker.)  We had rice and cauliflower with it.  We'll have leftovers tomorrow with okra probably.




The recipe came from a site called TwoSleevers.com and is for "Instant Pot Butter Chicken."  The site is very "busy" and was for me hard to navigate, but the recipe itself worked very well.  I plan to explore more there because there are tons of recipes for pressure cookers.


----------



## fbelec

just curious how much oil do you use frying and what do you do with the oil after cooking both stove top and pressure


----------



## DuaeGuttae

fbelec said:


> just curious how much oil do you use frying and what do you do with the oil after cooking both stove top and pressure


 
I'm not sure whether this was addressed to me or to @kennyp2339 or to both of us, but I'll answer for what I do for my stove-top deep frying oil.

I have a one or one and a half quart stainless steel pitcher that lives on my counter.  It has a lid and a strainer top, and when oil has cooled from deep frying I'll pour it into that for storage.  I tend to use the full container a few times before I discard it in a "grease can" in that trash (whatever other container I'm throwing out at the time).  Since I deep fry in batches and occasionally add more oil than what will fit back in my container, I'll often have an empty oil bottle on hand.  I'll funnel any extra into that and label it with a Sharpie.  I don't deep fry too often, but it is an occasional treat.  I think the proper amount of oil really just depends on what size fryer you have and what it takes to cover your food but not be too close to the rim of the pan.


----------



## kennyp2339

Sorry for the late reply, I made the chicken last night. My stove top pressure cooker is a 8 quart model, I fried 8 chicken legs, filling the cooker almost to the half way point with vegetable oil. Preheated the oil to 365 deg f.
The breading was a cup and a half all purpose flour, 2 tbsp garlic salt, 1 tdsp black pepper, 2 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tbs each of basil, time, oregano. Whisk the dry ingredients together, in a separate bowl I made an egg wash using 2 eggs and almost a cup of milk whisked.
Let the chicken come up to room temp - out of the fridge on a plate for an hour or so, drench in egg wash, then dredge in the breading, throw into the oil, let all the chicken cook as is without the lid for one min, then gently turn the chicken with a big spoon to make sure all area's are covered, the minute of cooking keeps the breading on. Maintain the 350 to 375 deg oil, put the lid on and set the stove timer for 7 min, after the time is up release the pressure, turn stove off, this takes about a minute or so, the oil will still be frying away, take chicken out, put on rack with paper towel underneath to drain for 4-5min, serve when ready, still can be very hot. 
Depending on the amount of moisture in the chicken will determine if you get the full locking seal of the pressure cooker, this was the best homemade fried chicken I ever had, crispy crust, good flavor and moist meat, will def be doing again, also  I just dumped the oil once cooled off into a gallon milk container, it will be dumped at my recycling center next time I go. 
To add to the meal, I took 4 medium / large size white Idaho potatoes, removed the skins, cut the into quarters then chopped fairly thin, in a bowl I mixed them with some olive oil, took a large baking sheet and covered it with foil, preheated the oven to 425 deg f, spread the potatoes on the baking sheet, seasoned it with some sea salt and black pepper, then added 1 whole diced onion to the top, then a drizzle of house Italian dressing, placed in oven for 45min, they come out great, the left overs heated the next morning in a cast iron pan and served with eggs are the best btw (home fries we call it back east)


----------



## fbelec

thank you both. one more question if you save the oil after cooking how long before it goes rancid? if cooking meat.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

@kennyp2339, that sounds delicious.  I've heard of "home fries" before but never really knew what it meant.  Here was our version of potatoes and eggs this morning.  (Leftover spinach mashed potatoes as a nest for baked eggs.)  It was cool enough this morning that I didn't mind using the oven.


The afternoon snack was strawberry lassi, and I had fun sending my younger daughter out to gather mint and rose petals for the garnish.



@fbelec, I've never had oil go rancid, but most of my deep frying (which is not that frequent) is either "Irish" potatoes, sweet potatoes, or okra.  I tend to use oil three times, so if I want to make a meat or something really strongly flavored (deep-fried brussels sprouts which I tried once), I'll do that on the last cycle of oil, so I'm discarding it anyway.  If I do something like make a double batch of chicken nuggets and put half in the freezer, I'll keep the "meat oil" until I fry the other half, which is usually only a few days later.  I do strain the oil with the strainer in my container but also filtered through a paper towel, so there are no pieces of meat left in it.  Still, it's not my regular habit to keep oil that I've cooked meat in for long.  (Growing up I'm pretty sure my mom always kept the oil she used for frying fish, and I'm pretty sure she still does.  I'll see if I can remember to ask her about it.  I'm sure she must have discarded it at times, but I really have no memory of that.  She still fishes from her pond pretty regularly and eats fish often.)


----------



## fbelec

thank you.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Butternut squash and corn soup yesterday to start soup and stew season.  Lots of leftovers for the week.  Made about 6 quarts in a 7-quart stock pot.

Here's the recipe: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/corn-and-squash-soup/

What I do.  Very easy.

Split two butternut squash lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds.  Place in baking dish with a little water and bake for in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes or until done, a fork is easily inserted.

While the squash is baking ...

Cook diced bacon in stock pot.  Remove with slotted spoon when done and drain on paper towel.  Retain bacon fat in pot.  Saute two celery ribs and a medium onion, diced, until soft.  Add two tablespoons flour and cook.  Slowly stir in stock.  I had an open quart of no-salt-added vegetable stock in the refrigerator, so I used that.  It was just under a quart.  Bring to boil with stirring and boil for two minutes.  Cover and turn off heat.

Squash should be almost done.  Let squash cool a little and peel carefully with a knife.  Mash squash.

Add squash, two 15-oz. cans creamed corn, 2 cups half & half, parsley, and freshly ground black pepper to stock pot.  Stir and heat.

Ladle into bowl and serve with diced bacon, shredded cheese, croutons, and sour cream.  Yum. 

Old picture from 2011 ...


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Yum.  (My eight year old tells me that I always say that on this thread, but I figure it's pretty appropriate.)  I've never put butternut squash and corn together, but I love both in lots of other preparations, so I think I'll have to give that a try.  Thanks for the recipe.

Yesterday I made a huge batch of chili.  I was feeding a (small) solar-panel installation crew, but I also wanted to make a bunch for my family.  Thursday night I browned beef bones, Friday I made a couple of batches of broth, Saturday I put the spice grinder, electric skillet, and pressure cooker to work.  After feeding my family and three workers, I had six quarts for the freezer.  It will be nice to have on hand when I need quick meals in cooler weather.


My husband made a batch of bacon and cheese biscuits for breakfast this morning.  They were hearty enough that we had leftovers for lunch along with some sauteed green beans from the garden.


----------



## kennyp2339

Here's another favorite of mine - Shrimp linguine with a quick homemade red sauce 
Ingredients: 3 cups of large uncooked shrimp - deveined w/ no shell , 1 can of plum tomatoes, fresh minced garlic, fresh basil & itialin parsley, 1/2 cup of white wine,  1/2 a zucchini chopped, & linguine  
I use a cast iron dutch oven pot - heat up about a table spoon of olive oil then dump shrimp in (medium heat needed) stir shrimp adding salt and pepper seasoning, after 2 min of cooking add half cup of white wine, let wine boil off, total cook time approx 3 - 3 1/2 min, remove shrimp into separate bowl, lower stove top heat to low setting. 
Let pot cool , add another table spoon of olive oil, add table spoon of minced garlic, and the chopped up zucchini, while thats cooking, take a blender or bullet and add can of plum tomatoes, blend it for 15 - 20 seconds - you want the tomatoes chopped, but not blended, some chunks are fine for texture, after the zucchini softens add the tomato, mix, then add a little salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chopped basil, let this simmer cook for 10min, 
At this time also add the linguine to a separate boiling pot since it takes about 10min to cook, after the ten min is up, add the shrimp to the sauce and let it cook for an additional 3 min, drain pasta and add to sauce, turn heat off and serve. 
This is a very simple dish to make, it just takes a little bit of learning heat management with cooking, has tons of fresh flavors and is nice during the cooler weather when you want something springy but also filling.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

That sounds truly delicious, Kenny.  I used to use frozen shrimp occasionally to add meat to tomato sauce, and it was simple and delicious.  Unfortunately two of my children seem to have shellfish allergies, so I've lost that ability now.

I recently acquired a large electric skillet and have been enjoying the ease of cooking meals for my family of six in it.  Yesterday it was a curry dish with onions, eggplant, okra, beef and rice.  
	

		
			
		

		
	





Today it was chicken thighs with onions and asparagus.  
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
  We'll have leftover chicken for another meal tomorrow with different vegetables.


----------



## kennyp2339

Zucchini veggie balls (meat balls) 
3 medium zucchini's with the ends cut off, with a cheese grater shred them (consistency of ground beef, almost effortlessly to do) 
The complicated part: using either a larger clean dish towel or cheese cloth, take the shreaded zucchini and place it in the middle, take the sides of the cloth and bring the ends to your hand, grip tight and start twisting the cloth, essentially your wringing out the water from the zucchini, there's a lot more water then you think, so when your done wringing it out, reset the cloth again and do it again at least 2 or 3 times total, you want as much water out of the zucchini as possible.
After that place in large mixing bowl, in a separate pan, cook up a chopped onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic, low heat for about 7-8 min, or until the onion is translucent (again removing moisture) take off of stove, place in a bowel and let it cool for 20min.
Once thats cooled off place in the mixing bowel. 
Add two eggs, 1 cup of bread crumbs, sea salt and black pepper for taste, mix by hand until everything is well combined, you can add freshly chopped parsley to, if the mixture feels to wet keep adding breadcrumbs until you can form a ball with you hands, fyi it will still feel wetter then normal meatballs, you just want the mixture to hold together.
Now make dimples in each ball, place some shredded cheese into the center, then re-roll, after rolling place in a sperate bowl with more breadcrumbs and coat the outside. 
Heat up vegetable oil or peanut oil, get it up to 375 and then carefully place in batches the veggi balls in, let them go for 2-3 min, then roll them over and cook for another 2 min or until they look richly brown and crispy, take out and cool off on a plate with a paper towl underneath. 
I served mine with a homemade tomato sauce, I prepared that at the same time, (1) 32oz can of plum tomatoes, I crush them by hand until the chunks are small, in a sauce pan I cooked onions w/ garlic until they were translucent, then added 1/2 cup of white wine, let that boil off, some sea salt, black pepper, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, then added the hand crush tomatoes (with its juice from the can) a table spoon of white sugar, some dried oregano and 8 leaves of chopped fresh basil, simmer or low bubble for an hour, mixing every ten min (low temp is your friend here, no sauce burn)


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan is taking her parents to OBX for the week.  I'm home alone until the 26th.    

Going to buy flank steaks and tri-tip at Wegmans on Tuesday morning after I do the blood work for my annual physical Thursday.  There's no BBQ in the freezer, so I'll smoke it on Wednesday.

Made Onion & Garlic Dry Rub  from _Championship Barbeque Secrets for Real Smoked Food_ by Karen Putman.


----------



## kennyp2339

Simple chicken thighs tonight.
Take chicken out and let it rest / come to room temp, season with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
Preheat the oven to 425, also preheat a 12" cast iron pan on the stove top use low to medium heat setting, I add a little oil to the pan once its warmed up
Place chicken skin side down, let it cook for about 5min or until the chicken can be flipped without the skin sticking to the pan (it will release, this also gives the chicken a crispy skin
once the chicken has been flipped, place in preheated oven and back for 20 - 25min or until the internal temp is 175deg f.
Very simple dish, doesn't take a lot of time to make and pretty tasty
FYI on the cast iron pans, I'm big into those, a cast iron pan on low heat makes some of the best dishes, I bought the cheapo cast iron lodge set from walmart years ago, no need to spend a fortune here. The secret is to re-grind the pan after purchasing, take a drill with a good grinding pad and go to work, takes about 20 min of grinding, what your trying to do is take off the microscopic ridges that makes food stick, once the pan is re-ground, clean with soap and water, then coat the inside of the pan with some oil, place pan in the oven and let her rip at 450 deg for 20 min, bam the seasoning is done and you'll have a pan that lasts forever. Care is simple, you can clean with salt if your cooking something greasy, you can soap and water it then recoat with some cooking spray.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Mushroom and garlic pizza the last two nights.  A little whole wheat flour added to the AP flour.


----------



## fbelec

I've got a lodge cast iron 12 inch really heavy but live it. You are 100% right kenny I coat it after washing non stick now.

Now if I could master stretching dough my pizza would be much better and half the work


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## PaulOinMA

Pizza dough stretches easier after it rests a while.

Here's the Wagner and Griswold Society (WAGS) forum, if you like cast iron cookware.  I'm cooking moderator.



			Wagner and Griswold Society (WAGS) Forum - Maintenance Mode


----------



## DuaeGuttae

@kennyp2339, @fbelec, @PaulOinMA , I, too, am a fan of cast iron cookware, though at this point we use enameled.  I wanted to give a bit of a public service announcement, if I may.  If you do regularly cook with cast iron, you should probably make sure that you have an iron test as part of bloodwork when you have it done just to make sure that your levels are normal.  One of the more common genetic disorders among Caucasians (particularly those with Northern European ancestry) is Hereditary Hemochromatosis.  It's an iron overload disorder, and it is easily treated if you know you have it.  The problem is that a lot of people (particularly men) don't get diagnosed until they have some sort of organ failure (heart attack, diabetes) stemming from too much iron being deposited in tissues.  My husband and I are both carriers, and at least one of our children inherited both recessive genes.  He is too young to have problems, but his doctors do make sure to keep tabs on him, and we don't eat iron-fortified foods or cook in plain cast iron anymore.


----------



## fbelec

thank you for that Duae Guttae the older i get it seems i am getting more side affects and things i never worried about. now diabetic. i will talk with my doc on the next visit.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Men do have a problem getting rid of excess iron, as we don't menstruate.  Women are efficient at getting rid of excess iron.

I used to be a regular blood (and platelet) donor.  Blood donation help remove iron. 

I always joke that men get rid of excess iron by working on cars.  My Chilton manual wasn't broken in until it had blood on it.   

If you look at assay for multivitamins, men's vitamins might not have iron, whereas women's do.  My wife is low iron so she takes a slow-release iron pill daily.





__





						Products
					

Explore all the vitamins and products Centrum has to offer. Discover the variety of products we have to support the overall health of men, women and children.




					www.centrum.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

fbelec said:


> ... Now if I could master stretching dough my pizza would be much better and half the work ...



King Arthur Flour has a product called Easy Roll Dough Improver.


----------



## fbelec

Thanks Paul


----------



## PaulOinMA

French onion soup last night.  Will be dinner for the week.

Onion soup recipe from _Joy of Cooking_ with a couple of changes.  More onion.  Two quarts beef stock; one quart no salt added vegetable stock.  A little red wine added.

Bread recipe was from breadworld.com, the Fleischmann's Yeast web site.  The directions for shaping the dough had changed from when I copied it over a decade ago.





__





						Country French Bread
					






					www.fleischmannsyeast.com
				




Have plain yogurt left, so I'll make two more loaves this morning to bake tomorrow.

My soup just had mozzarella.  I was pleased to find Comte in the supermarket when I went to get Gruyere for my wife's crock.  She asked in Paris what cheese they use: Comte.


----------



## begreen

Speaking of cast iron skillets, we made this Sticky Onion Tart in a 10" skillet for the first time the other night. It was delicious and will be repeated.


----------



## PaulOinMA

That looks good.  Do you have the recipe or a link to the recipe?


----------



## begreen

It tastes good too. There were no leftovers. 








						Sticky onion tart | Jamie Oliver vegetarian recipes
					

Slow-cooked sticky onions, crisp puff pastry, garlic and bay. This sticky onion tart is a really brilliant vegetarian main course for a special occasion.




					www.jamieoliver.com


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I love caramelized onions!

I had a big cooking day on Friday.  I had made bread the night before, so we had "toad in the hole" (fried eggs in toast) for breakfast.  I cooked up pumpkin soup with chili cran-apple relish for lunch, while my husband replaced a bake element in our oven.  To celebrate that success, I made some oatmeal cranberry cookies to eat with our dinner as a celebration.  We had plain burgers and sauteed kale with the cookies.



Last night we had a fire-pit fire with our children and cooked kielbasa and (somewhat pre-cooked) potatoes on long sticks over the coals.  We had carrots sticks as our vegetable because I couldn't pull off anything else for a campfire, but it was a big hit.  They want to repeat the experience this evening.


----------



## PaulOinMA

My mom always called toad-in-a-hole: Egyptian eggs.  Just had one for breakfast this morning. 

They are in the Nancy Drew cookbook as Hollow Oak Nest Eggs.  My wife has a copy from when she was a kid.  I buy additional copies when I see it at library book sales, as it's not that common.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

That Nancy Drew Cookbook looks fun, @PaulOinMA.  I was a big Nancy Drew fan many, many years ago.

I made pizza the other day and thought of this thread (@fbelec).  I use einkorn wheat which tends to be quite sticky compared to more common modern varieties, and I have trouble rolling out dough and then moving it.    I've loved having a bread maker to get me out of a lot of kneading of sandwich loaves, and I use it to mix up my pizza dough as well.  My solution to the rolling problem is just to spread the dough directly on the stone on which I plan to cook it after I've put a dab of olive oil on the stone.  I'll use my lightly oiled hands at first, let it rest, and then use a rolling pin if necessary.  A pizza purist would want the stone to be thoroughly preheated first, but I've decided with cooking not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  It's much easier for me to roll my dough right where I plan to cook it.  If it's thick dough or heavy toppings, I'll prebake the crust a bit, otherwise everything goes into the oven at once.  Here's the bacon and banana pepper pizza I made recently.






We are having some very small harvests from our garden, and I had some okra pods, peppers, and grape tomatoes that needed to be used, but they weren't enough on their own for a side dish.  I sauteed them with some frozen corn and garlic, and it made a nice treat.


----------



## fbelec

looks great. i usually make two pizza's so i could make the first pizza on the stone but would be out of luck for the second. my wife said to me that i should cook the dough a few minutes then pull it out and load the toppings. the last time i preheated the oven to 500 with the stone in it. funny how the stone turned black when i heated it.


----------



## begreen

fbelec said:


> I've got a lodge cast iron 12 inch really heavy but live it. You are 100% right kenny I coat it after washing non stick now.
> 
> Now if I could master stretching dough my pizza would be much better and half the work


We use a stone for pizza. No heavy metal for our dough.


----------



## fbelec

i like using my pizza stone duaeGuttae is using a sticky dough i been told make a dry dough so it doesn't stick to anything and to let it rest for 20 minutes before i touch it


----------



## DuaeGuttae

fbelec said:


> looks great. i usually make two pizza's so i could make the first pizza on the stone but would be out of luck for the second. my wife said to me that i should cook the dough a few minutes then pull it out and load the toppings. the last time i preheated the oven to 500 with the stone in it. funny how the stone turned black when i heated it.



I usually make two pizzas, too, though the one I pictured was a loner.  I only had enough tomatoes on the counter to make a small batch of sauce, and we were running low on cheese as well.  I actually have two pizza stones, a smaller one received as a wedding present and a larger one we bought once our family grew.  I also have two other stone baking sheets, and all get regular use.    I find them particularly helpful when I make crackers as I just roll the dough out of the sheets and cut whatever shapes I'm using right on the stone.


----------



## begreen

First time attempt at making bagels. Looking good and the house smells great. Waiting for them to cool down now.


----------



## fbelec

looks like a keeper they look great


----------



## Deets

Hard to beat a good ribeye.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> First time attempt at making bagels. Looking good and the house smells great. Waiting for them to cool down now.
> 
> View attachment 266831



Those look delicious, begreen.  I'm impressed (and so was my four year old who saw your picture and said, "Those are some awesome goodies.")  I made some pretzels last night for the first time in a long, long time.  I even had a hard time remembering how to fold them.  We ate them with a mustard cheese dipping sauce and cauliflower on the side.


----------



## begreen

The bagels turned out to be a success. I will definitely make them again, soon. 

I haven't made pretzels. Looks intriguing and tasty.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Bagels look great.

My wife likes salt bagels, which are hard to find here in MA.  Much more a New York bagel.

Toasted garlic bagel with butter.  Yum.


----------



## fbelec

Deets said:


> Hard to beat a good ribeye.
> View attachment 266958


that is for sure. i went out to eat for our anniversary at burtons. had a ribeye that i could cut with my fork


----------



## PaulOinMA

Sesame chicken last night.  Brown rice, too.  Leftovers tonight and tomorrow.






						Flawless Sesame Chicken (Restaurant Style) Recipe - Food.com
					

This is the recipe you've been looking for!  It makes a perfect sesame chicken.  This excellent recipe comes out perfect every time with little fuss a




					www.food.com
				




Old picture ...


----------



## PaulOinMA

Barbequed Saturday to put some in the freezer.  Two flank steaks and a tri-tip.  Pretty quick.  Mustard and onion and garlic dry rub from Karen Putman's BBQ book.

Let it cool overnight and cut into 4-oz. pieces for the freezer.  Plastic wrap, then freezer paper.  Labeled and put in freezer.  Picture is the tri-tip before freezer paper and labeling.   Set for a while. 

Piles of kindling off the corner of the driveway.


----------



## begreen

Pizza Night here. This one came out well. Homemade garden sauce, top-quality mozzarella, and garden herbs made a very tasty pizza.


----------



## Prof

Cooked a 15 lb bird in little under 2 hrs today. Unfortunately it ended up getting carved while I was working on mashed potatoes, so no pics of the finished product, but there were no complaints at the table.


----------



## fbelec

nice job prof. did you get any smoke into it? im a city boy i never had smoked turkey until a friend of mine decided to do it. that hasn't happened again and that was about 30 years ago but it was so good. sorry just dreaming.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan made a chocolate cream pie yesterday.  Excellent.  Recipe from _Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book. 

Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book: FOBEL, JIM: 8601422493399: Amazon.com: Books _

One of my favorite pies.  Others are lemon chess and cherry.


----------



## Prof

fbelec said:


> nice job prof. did you get any smoke into it? im a city boy i never had smoked turkey until a friend of mine decided to do it. that hasn't happened again and that was about 30 years ago but it was so good. sorry just dreaming.


We take the lid off for the last 20 min to make the skin crispy. At that point there isn't much smoke, so we don't get a smoky flavor. I know what you are saying about smoked turkey--I started making smoked turkey legs in the grill (AKA caveman pops).


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Thanks for telling us about your turkey, @Prof.  With cooking times like that, it made me wonder how quickly you manage pizza in that oven.  2 minutes? 

Today was a pretty full cooking day for me (along with schooling three of my children).  We had a big harvest of satsuma mandarins from a tree in our backyard this weekend.  (We would have liked to have left them on the tree longer, but a very hard freeze threatened, and we didn't want to lose them.)  I was therefore today doing some juicing of oranges and some recipes with that juice.




This is our "back-up" refrigerator in our garage.  It's been unplugged for months as it can't keep things cool enough consistently, but it can do chilling oranges when the garage is cool.  We have been and will continue to give oranges away, but you can see why I need to come up with some ways to use and preserve these.

My first was marmalade.  I managed to make two different messes while cooking it, but it turned out.  I used mostly juice and peel in this.  I think I'll try to make the peel finer in future batches and include a bit more pulp. 



(Here's a shot of the batch of English muffins I made so that we would be prepared for breakfast tomorrow.  Six of them went towards  Canadian bacon and cheese sandwiches for lunch today.  The side was cabbage and tomato from our fall garden.) 



Dinner tonight was orange chicken.  My husband did cut up all that meat for me, but I breaded and fried it and coated it in the orange sauce.  We ate it with rice and cauliflower.  It was a hit.  Thankfully there are leftovers for tomorrow.


----------



## begreen

That would be a hit here too. My son loves orange chicken.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> That would be a hit here too. My son loves orange chicken.



I actually scrolled back through this thread last night to find a recipe you had posted here a while back.  I ended up finding a different one for tonight in order to use more orange juice.  Maybe you can try this one out for your son while oranges are in season.  (The recipe deep fries the meat; I did more of a pan fry.)  The sauce turned out really well.  (I used fresh garlic and ginger and red pepper as well.)









						Chinese Orange Chicken
					

Chinese Orange Chicken made at home is way better than take-out. Crispy fried chicken with a sweet and tangy orange sauce. The perfect orange chicken recipe




					www.modernhoney.com


----------



## Prof

DuaeGuttae said:


> Thanks for telling us about your turkey, @Prof.  With cooking times like that, it made me wonder how quickly you manage pizza in that oven.  2 minutes?
> 
> Today was a pretty full cooking day for me (along with schooling three of my children).  We had a big harvest of satsuma mandarins from a tree in our backyard this weekend.  (We would have liked to have left them on the tree longer, but a very hard freeze threatened, and we didn't want to lose them.)  I was therefore today doing some juicing of oranges and some recipes with that juice.
> 
> View attachment 268322
> 
> 
> This is our "back-up" refrigerator in our garage.  It's been unplugged for months as it can't keep things cool enough consistently, but it can do chilling oranges when the garage is cool.  We have been and will continue to give oranges away, but you can see why I need to come up with some ways to use and preserve these.
> 
> My first was marmalade.  I managed to make two different messes while cooking it, but it turned out.  I used mostly juice and peel in this.  I think I'll try to make the peel finer in future batches and include a bit more pulp.
> 
> View attachment 268321
> 
> (Here's a shot of the batch of English muffins I made so that we would be prepared for breakfast tomorrow.  Six of them went towards  Canadian bacon and cheese sandwiches for lunch today.  The side was cabbage and tomato from our fall garden.)
> View attachment 268324
> 
> 
> Dinner tonight was orange chicken.  My husband did cut up all that meat for me, but I breaded and fried it and coated it in the orange sauce.  We ate it with rice and cauliflower.  It was a hit.  Thankfully there are leftovers for tomorrow.
> 
> View attachment 268323


Yeah 1-2 minutes for a pizza. Any longer that and it's charcoal.


----------



## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> I actually scrolled back through this thread last night to find a recipe you had posted here a while back.  I ended up finding a different one for tonight in order to use more orange juice.  Maybe you can try this one out for your son while oranges are in season.  (The recipe deep fries the meat; I did more of a pan fry.)  The sauce turned out really well.  (I used fresh garlic and ginger and red pepper as well.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Chinese Orange Chicken
> 
> 
> Chinese Orange Chicken made at home is way better than take-out. Crispy fried chicken with a sweet and tangy orange sauce. The perfect orange chicken recipe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.modernhoney.com


Thanks. We'll have to try it.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had a little feast last night.  We have a "prize jar" in our house that comes out for notable achievements or contributions, and my eight year old won our family spelling bee a couple of weeks ago.  Her prize from the jar was "a lunch or dinner of your choice," and yesterday was a good time for me to fulfill that prize.  We had French onion soup and Caesar salad. (The older children thought some grilled chicken would be good, too, so we offered it, but most people didn't eat it as the salad ended up being almost a meal in itself.)  I made baguettes to accompany the soup, and used one to make garlic croutons for the salad.  They were a hit.

I didn't used the traditional method of emulsifying egg yolks in my salad bowl, instead using leftover homemade mayonnaise that was already in my refrigerator.  I was pretty impressed with the recipe for a Caesar-type dressing, and I plan to use it in the future as a dip as well.  (I used balsamic vinegar as a substitute for prepared worcestershire, and I just blended everything with my stick blender.)  My kids really loved it.









						Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing - Once Upon a Chef
					

TESTED & PERFECTED RECIPE- My family loves this rich & creamy version of Caesar salad dressing. Not overly garlicky or fishy -- it's just right.




					www.onceuponachef.com


----------



## kennyp2339

Now that the chill is gripping through the country, its time for some easily made, great tasting biscuits.
Preheat oven to 500 deg f (if cooking with cast iron preheat skillet) 
In a bowel 1 & 3/4 cup self rising flour, 1.5 tsp salt 
Mix in 1 cup of heavy cream and fold dough over a few time making a ball
Lay ball on flat surface and roll out to 1/2 thick, depending on what you use biscuit cutter size wise this will yield 4 -6 biscuits 
Coat top of biscuit in melted butter for golden brown effect, place on baking sheet or preheated cast iron pan, bake for 8.5 - 9min 
take out of over and place on cold plate, serve when your ready. 
Its simple, easy and pretty filling, great for breakfast, or and excellent addition to your favorite soup on that cold snowy day.


----------



## fbelec

kennyp what do you like on your biscuits. i'm from the north and never had biscuits so please excuse my ignorance

thanks
frank


----------



## kennyp2339

@fbelec eggs and bacon for breakfest, or plain with just butter


----------



## SpaceBus

Prof said:


> Cooked a 15 lb bird in little under 2 hrs today. Unfortunately it ended up getting carved while I was working on mashed potatoes, so no pics of the finished product, but there were no complaints at the table.


I didn't realize your built in oven was direct flame! Must make for some very interesting flavors. 

We culled five roosters about a week ago and cooked two of them. The first one was not brined long enough and was a bit tough. Number two through five were all brined for at least 24 hours and the second rooster we cooked was just as tasty but amazingly tender. We still have five roosters to cull, probably going to do it next week. 
The pic is the first bird I slaughtered and roasted. The rest have their legs tucked under a piece of skin instead of having them up in the air.


----------



## fbelec

nice job on the chicken boy i'm glad i check this site out late everything looks so good and that chicken is making me hungry


----------



## PaulOinMA

I may ask you for some feathers.  Our cats go crazy when we play with a duck or turkey feather I find in the yard.


----------



## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> I may ask you for some feathers.  Our cats go crazy when we play with a duck or turkey feather I find in the yard.


We dried the feathers from our first, a blue australorp rooster. We will probably be keeping the feathers from the next two australorps and some from the three gold laced wyandottes up next.

The pic through the patio door is one of the blues we are doing this weekend and the other is a stock photo of a gold laced wyandotte rooster.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Neat looking bird.  Sure does have a lot going on. 

Our friend down here in NC has chickens, too.  My wife asked her to keep feathers she sees in the yard.


----------



## SpaceBus

How many would you be interested in? I could fill a document envelope and get them to you pretty cheaply. Also, what kind of feathers? There are a few basic groups like the long flight feathers, tail feathers, down, and the long neck feathers (cockles).


----------



## PaulOinMA

I have no idea.  Feather, feathers. 

This looks like the turkey feather that I saw a turkey pull our and drop in our front yard as I saw a flock of two dozen cross our lawn.  Cats love it.  whiskers now goes to the drawer that he knows its in. 

Free shipping 10 pcs precious wild turkey tail feathers | Etsy


----------



## PaulOinMA

I'm on OBX this week to work around the house.  Brought a piece of barbequed flank steak and made barbequed beef fajita wraps for three nights.

Beans, dried.  Black, red kidney, or other.
Rice, brown

Cooking oil, canola
Bell pepper, sliced
Onion, sliced
Chili powder
Cumin
Barbequed beef.  Flank steak, tri-tip, etc.  Cut to bite-sized pieced
Corn, frozen, thawed.
Cornstarch
Hot sauce (optional)
Cheese, shredded.  Monterey Jack or other.
Sour cream
Burrito-sized wraps

*Directions*

Pick through beans and discard any foreign materials.  Soak overnight in water.  Place in fresh water and simmer 30 minutes.  Turn off heat and let stand in hot water until done.  Drain, reserving the liquid.

Preheat oven to 325 ℉.  Rinse brown rice.  Bring recipe amount of water to boil in oven safe sauce pan.  Add rice, stir, cover, and place in oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.  Transfer cooked rice to a bowl.

Add oil to heated wok or skillet.  Add green pepper, onion, chili powder, and cumin.  Stir fry.  Add the following and stir fry to heat: beef, corn, beans, and rice.  Add a little bean liquid and cornstarch.  Stir while heating to thicken sauce.

Place steak mixture down the center of wrap leaving bottom to fold up.  Add hot sauce, if desired.  Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.  Fold the bottom up and the sides over.  Pick up and enjoy!


----------



## SpaceBus

PaulOinMA said:


> I'm on OBX this week to work around the house.  Brought a piece of barbequed flank steak and made barbequed beef fajita wraps for three nights.
> 
> Beans, dried.  Black, red kidney, or other.
> Rice, brown
> 
> Cooking oil, canola
> Bell pepper, sliced
> Onion, sliced
> Chili powder
> Cumin
> Barbequed beef.  Flank steak, tri-tip, etc.  Cut to bite-sized pieced
> Corn, frozen, thawed.
> Cornstarch
> Hot sauce (optional)
> Cheese, shredded.  Monterey Jack or other.
> Sour cream
> Burrito-sized wraps
> 
> *Directions*
> 
> Pick through beans and discard any foreign materials.  Soak overnight in water.  Place in fresh water and simmer 30 minutes.  Turn off heat and let stand in hot water until done.  Drain, reserving the liquid.
> 
> Preheat oven to 325 ℉.  Rinse brown rice.  Bring recipe amount of water to boil in oven safe sauce pan.  Add rice, stir, cover, and place in oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.  Transfer cooked rice to a bowl.
> 
> Add oil to heated wok or skillet.  Add green pepper, onion, chili powder, and cumin.  Stir fry.  Add the following and stir fry to heat: beef, corn, beans, and rice.  Add a little bean liquid and cornstarch.  Stir while heating to thicken sauce.
> 
> Place steak mixture down the center of wrap leaving bottom to fold up.  Add hot sauce, if desired.  Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.  Fold the bottom up and the sides over.  Pick up and enjoy!



How is the weather out there in the winter? I always thought it would be nice to have a house somewhere in OBX.


----------



## PaulOinMA

It was cool earlier this week.  50 this morning.  Going to work in the yard soon.

Our house is all the way north in Corolla.

More neighbors around us have relocated here fulltime.  Three this year right by us.  Two more around the corner on the same street a few houses away.  We can't see doing that, though.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Snowed all night and going to snow all day today. Will go outside with the snow blower when it ends this afternoon.

Snow days are days for plett. Little Swedish crepe-like pancakes. Yum!


----------



## begreen

No snow here thankfully, but cold rainy days are upon us. Soup weather. I made a batch of chicken pho which turned out well and was a family pleaser.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

No snow expected here either, of course.  I'm glad not to have traffic mess and the need to protect my tender plants, but I miss the beauty of a good snowfall.  

I made crepes earlier in the week for breakfast (with orange marmalade, of course).  They were the typical thin French kind.  I'll have to look into plett, @PaulOinMA .  I've never heard of that.

  Even without snow, it has been soup weather here, @begreen,  more because it's been so dry, and simmering a broth could add a touch of humidity. I made a lima bean and kale soup and had a first for me.  I really couldn't get the beans to soften completely despite cooking them much longer than I would have expected.  They were "hand-me-downs," so to speak, from a friend's mother's pantry, and I think they must have been pretty old.  The soup turned out acceptably, but it wasn't super-popular with my crew.  I enjoyed it personally, especially with a splash of fish pepper-infused apple cider vinegar at the table.  We froze the leftovers, and it will do when I need a quick meal at another time, but it won't be a repeat recipe for us.


----------



## fbelec

any day is soup day for me. i love soup. i've got one hitch. out of the four of us i am the only soup eater. i never met a person that didn't like soup until i meet my wife. anytime i make it it's for one. with left overs of course.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Making the following tomorrow: *Spaetzle With Kielbasa and Caramelized Onions*.  Will substitute Swiss for the Emmentaker.

Spaetzle With Kielbasa and Caramelized Onions Recipe - NYT Cooking (nytimes.com)

You can find the recipe a lot of other places, if you don't want to create an account to view the above.  Just search the title: 

What's for Dinner: Spaetzle with Kielbasa and Caramelized Onions | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com) .

Some pictures from a a previous time ...


----------



## PaulOinMA

A spaetzle maker is not needed, but makes it easier.  Here's  the one I have.

Amazon.com: Spaetzle Classic Round Noodle Maker by Westmark: Spaetzle Maker Stainless Steel: Industrial & Scientific


----------



## PaulOinMA

Checked one of my go-to places for cooking supplies. Much less expensive spaetzle maker ... 

10" Spaetzle Maker (webstaurantstore.com)


----------



## PaulOinMA

Just made cornbread.  Recipe from Black-Eyed Sally's, Hartford, CT.

Barstow Stove Co. NES (New England style) gem pan.  Also called a French roll pan.

Warm with butter.  Yum.  Only 11 in the second picture.  Nan already ran off with one. 

They are a great size as a snack for car trips.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We did a little advance Christmas cooking today: an apple pie and a pecan pie.  They're hiding in the cooled oven now to wait until tomorrow.  The plan is to have a meal of ham steaks (would have been ham but couldn't find an uncured one in the stores this year, and one of my children is allergic to certain preservatives), sweet potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts.

We also had a special dinner for Christmas eve: roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and asparagus.  It was a sunny afternoon with highs in the 50's, and with all the baking, we didn't need to stoke the stove.


----------



## begreen

Somebody said to make brownies in a cast iron skillet. This is the only cast iron I had. Nobody is eating my brownies.


----------



## fbelec

nice


----------



## PaulOinMA

Here's a really good brownie recipe.  I omit the nuts and coconut and increase the chocolate chips, as mentioned in the comments.

Milk Chocolate Brownies Recipe - Food.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan and I are on the Outer Banks.  I make two meals down here that we can have for the week.  This week will be cheesy corn bake and the barbequed beef fajita wraps posted above.

Last night was cheesy corn bake, which is a side at Jack Stack BBQ, Kansas City.  I turn it into a meal by (1) saute onion with butter in the first step, and (2) add more ham.  Easy, fast, great one skillet meal.

*Cheesy Corn Bake*​
http://www.food.com/69046

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/jack-stack-cheesy-corn-bake-1276881

This recipe is credited to Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue in Kansas City, MO (https://www.jackstackbbq.com/) . Nothing like Kansas City barbecue, and this is a very popular side dish served at the "Stack."

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 teaspoons flour
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ cup milk
6 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, cut up
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen whole kernel corn, thawed (2-pound bag)
3 ounces diced ham

Directions

Melt butter; stir in flour and garlic powder.  Add milk; cook and stir over medium heat.  Heat until thick and bubbly; stir in cheeses. Cook/stir over low heat until cheeses melt; stir in corn and ham.  Bake in 2 qt. casserole for 45 minutes at 350 ºF.

*Paul’s Notes:* Best made in an oven-safe skillet which reduces cooking time a lot.  Use white cheddar.  Top with paprika.  Excellent as a one-skillet meal.  Sauté onion in butter and increase the amount of ham to make it a one-skillet dinner.

Picture from 2015 ...


----------



## Woodsplitter67

Last nights dinner to bring in the new year...  Fillet.. grilled shrimp, roasted asparagus and loaded baked potatoes.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I decided to make a pumpkin pie as part of our supper for tonight.  It was doing double duty as the carbohydrate for the meal and the dessert.  We had a side salad with lettuce, baby kale, parsley, and a couple of green onions from the garden.  My husband grilled the burgers, and he added salt, pepper, and some balsamic vinegar to the ground beef when he made the patties.  They were quite tasty.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Chinese food.  Hadn't made Lemon Chicken since 2018.  Really good.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




*Lemon Chicken*

Adapted from the _Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook _by the Editors of Consumer Guide, 1980.

4 boneless chicken breasts
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash ground pepper
1/8 cup water
1 egg
4 scallions, sliced
Rice, brown
Deep fryer with oil

Lemon Sauce

¾ cup water
¼ cup lemon juice
1 ¾ tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp. cornstarch
1 ½ tbsp. honey
1 tsp. chicken bullion granules
½ tsp. grated pared ginger root

1. Cook rice, following package directions.
2. Heat deep fryer and oil
3. Cut chicken into pieces.
4. Combine cornstarch, salt and pepper in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken.  Beat egg in a bowl and mix with the water.  Add to the cornstarch mixture and mix.
5. Add chicken and mix to coat completely.
6. Add chicken pieces individually to the deep fryer so that they do not stick together.  Cook in batches and drain.
7. While cooking chicken, combine all remaining in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling.  Reduce heat and stir occasionally until thickens.
8. Add cooked chicken to serving bowl.  Add sauce and mix to coat chicken.  Top with sliced scallions.
9. Serve over cooked rice.

The book’s recipe doubles the recipe.  It calls for 4 whole chicken breasts taken off the bone to produce 8 boneless breasts which are then flattened slightly.  It doubles the other ingredients, and uses for 4 egg yolks rather than 1 whole egg.  It also cooks the flattened, chicken breasts whole, and slices them after cooking.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Egg, mushroom, and cheese on a bagel.  Used a little Griswold square egg skillet rather than a Wagner Ware or Griswold breakfast skillet.  Grilled the bagel with butter on a Griswold 9/609 round griddle.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Pot roast on Saturday.  Three-and-a-half pound chuck roast.  Didn't add mushrooms this time.

*Herb-Stuffed Yankee Pot Roast*​From _Cuisine at Home_, Issue No. 79, February 2010.

*A Beef Roast Classic*

Pot Roast has been a tradition in New England since colonial times.  Interestingly enough, Yankee Pot Roast isn’t restricted to a well-defined list of ingredients, but this one-pot meal invariably includes a selection of root vegetables.

We used potatoes, carrots, and turnips in this pot roast, but similarly sized chunks of rutabaga or even celery also would taste good.  Since the meat needs a longer time to cook, add the vegetables to the pot a couple of hours after starting the braise.

*Herb-Stuffed Yankee Pot Roast *with root vegetables

Makes 4 servings, 2 ½ cups sauce; Total time: about 4 ½  hours.

FOR THE BEEF –

1 beef chuck pot roast (2 ½ - 3 lb.)
3 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. sliced garlic cloves
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE SAUCE –

2 medium onions, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 bay leaf

FOR THE VEGETABLES –

2 cups baby red potatoes
1 medium turnip, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups button mushrooms
Sprigs fresh thyme

*Preheat* oven to 325 °F.

*Trim* exterior fat from roast.  Using kitchen twine, tie roast around its circumference.

*Combine* thyme, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper.  Pat meat dry.  Cut 1-inch-deep slits into the meat with a paring knife; stuff with thyme mixture.  Season roast well on both sides with salt and pepper.

*Heat* oil in a large, ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Sear roast on all sides until well browned 8 – 10 minutes.  Transfer roast to a platter.

*Sauté* onions, celery, and diced carrots in pan drippings, stirring often, until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste; stir until it starts to brown on the bottom of the pot.  Stir in flour.

*Deglaze* the pot with wine, scraping up any brown bits.  Stir in broth; bring liquid to a boil; return seared roast to the pot.  Cover pot, place in oven, and braise for 2 hours.

*Remove* pot from the oven.  Transfer roast to a platter.  Strain sauce, discard vegetables.  Stir Worcestershire, Dijon, and bay leaf into sauce.  Return roast and sauce to the pot.

*Add* potatoes with turnip and carrot pieces to pot.  Cover pot; return roast to the oven.  Cook until meat is fork-tender, 1 – 1 ½ hours more.

*Add* mushrooms to the pot during the final 10 minutes of cooking.  Transfer roast and vegetables to a platter.  Using a fork, break meat into pieces.  Bring sauce to a simmer; skim off and discard fat.  Season sauce with salt and pepper.

*To serve*, spoon sauce over pot roast and vegetables; garnish with thyme sprigs.

Per serving: 638 cal; 26 g total fat (6 g sat); 112 mg chol; 375 mg sodium; 26 g carb; 3 g fiber; 63 g protein.

[*Paul’s note*: Use quart of no-salt-added beef stock.  Two turnips.  Put the strained vegetables through a food mill back into the sauce.  No reason to discard them.  Thickens the sauce.  Use combination bag of red, purple, and white fingerling potatoes.  Blanch and peel white boiling onions and add with mushrooms to cook at end.  Add celery at end.]


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## ispinwool

Peach pie in Old Iron. I finally got the hang of how to season cast iron cookware so I've been using it more often


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## PaulOinMA

Peach pie looks good.  Here's a really good peach and blackberry pie recipe that was in Parade in the Sunday newspaper, oddly enough.

*Peach Blackberry Pie*​Sheila Lukins, Dash (_Parade Magazine_)

When you brush the bottom pie crust with an egg wash, you keep the fruit from making the pie soggy as it bakes.  By sprinkling the top crust with sugar, it makes for a great sugary crust.

Ingredients

Pie Crust for a 9-inch double-crust pie
5 cups peeled and sliced ripe peaches
¼ cup fresh blackberries
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp ground crystallized ginger (a food processor or spice grinder may be used to grind the ginger)
5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed light-brown sugar
1 egg white
2 tsp water
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions

Prepare the pie dough, rolling out the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie plate.  Roll out the top crust and place it on a plate.  Wrap both crusts and chill until ready to use.

Combine the peaches, blackberries, lemon juice, and salt; set aside.   Combine the ginger, flour, and brown sugar; toss with the fruits. Let rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Combine the egg white and water in a small bowl.  Remove the pie crusts from the refrigerator.  Brush some of the egg-white mixture over the bottom and sides of the bottom pie crust to prevent sogginess.  Add the fruit filling, mounding the peaches in the center.

Cover the filling with the top crust.  Trim the overhang to 1 inch.  With water, moisten the edges of the crusts where they meet, then press together lightly and turn under.  Crimp the edges decoratively.  Cut 6 decorative steam slits in the top crust.  Brush the top crust lightly all over with the remaining egg-white mixture.  Sprinkle lightly with the granulated sugar.

Place the pie on the center rack of the oven and bake until it is golden and the juices are bubbling, about 60 to 70 minutes.  Let the pie cool on a rack before serving just slightly warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6 to 8.  Per serving (based on 8): 510 calories, 55g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 30g fat, 45mg cholesterol.


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## begreen

PaulOinMA said:


> Peach pie looks good.  Here's a really good peach and blackberry pie recipe that was in Parade in the Sunday newspaper, oddly enough.
> 
> *Peach Blackberry Pie*​Sheila Lukins, Dash (_Parade Magazine_)
> 
> When you brush the bottom pie crust with an egg wash, you keep the fruit from making the pie soggy as it bakes.  By sprinkling the top crust with sugar, it makes for a great sugary crust.
> 
> Ingredients
> 
> Pie Crust for a 9-inch double-crust pie
> 5 cups peeled and sliced ripe peaches
> ¼ cup fresh blackberries
> 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
> Pinch of salt
> 2 Tbsp ground crystallized ginger (a food processor or spice grinder may be used to grind the ginger)
> 5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
> ¼ cup packed light-brown sugar
> 1 egg white
> 2 tsp water
> 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
> 
> Directions
> 
> Prepare the pie dough, rolling out the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie plate.  Roll out the top crust and place it on a plate.  Wrap both crusts and chill until ready to use.
> 
> Combine the peaches, blackberries, lemon juice, and salt; set aside.   Combine the ginger, flour, and brown sugar; toss with the fruits. Let rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
> 
> Combine the egg white and water in a small bowl.  Remove the pie crusts from the refrigerator.  Brush some of the egg-white mixture over the bottom and sides of the bottom pie crust to prevent sogginess.  Add the fruit filling, mounding the peaches in the center.
> 
> Cover the filling with the top crust.  Trim the overhang to 1 inch.  With water, moisten the edges of the crusts where they meet, then press together lightly and turn under.  Crimp the edges decoratively.  Cut 6 decorative steam slits in the top crust.  Brush the top crust lightly all over with the remaining egg-white mixture.  Sprinkle lightly with the granulated sugar.
> 
> Place the pie on the center rack of the oven and bake until it is golden and the juices are bubbling, about 60 to 70 minutes.  Let the pie cool on a rack before serving just slightly warm or at room temperature.
> 
> Serves 6 to 8.  Per serving (based on 8): 510 calories, 55g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 30g fat, 45mg cholesterol.


Are you using frozen peaches for this?


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## PaulOinMA

Just checked my photograph log.  The pictures were late July 2011, so they were fresh peaches.  Wow.  It was 10 years ago.

I also drained the fruit in a strainer to remove _some _of the liquid after it sat for one hour.  Felt that there was too much weeping for the pie.

The lattice was made on waxed paper then transferred to the pie top.


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## DuaeGuttae

I always say that it is my aspiration to become one quarter of the woman that my mother is.  I'm not there yet, but yesterday I reminded myself of her.  She always used to (and still does) put tins of bread to rise on the mantel above her woodstove.  Yesterday was a warm day in Texas, and so we didn't stoke our fire in the morning after the overnight load.  We still had lots of coals, though, and they were putting off gentle heat till afternoon.  I mixed up a big batch of dough in my mom's bread bucket and made it into dinner rolls.  I put the pie plates of rolls on our mantel to rise.  I had 36 rolls total, enough for everybody to have two with yesterday's lunch of chicken salad and for two bags with one dozen each for the freezer.


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## begreen

My wife loves the trivet top on the T6 for raising dough. She swings them out for gentle warming.


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## PaulOinMA

Don't think I've posted this: cast iron skillet chocolate chip cookie with broiled mini marshmallows and chocolate dipping sauce.  Yum.

Make the cookie.  Cut into wedges.  Place mini-marshmallows on top and briefly under toaster oven broiler.  Drizzle with chocolate dipping sauce.  Yum.

*Cast Iron Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie*​
http://sugarcrafter.net/2011/06/10/cast-iron-skillet-chocolate-chip-cookie/

Posted on June 10, 2011 @ 12:13 am

Having finally learned how to use and care for my cast iron skillet, my next step was to use it to bake something sweet, of course! For quite a while, I’ve been dreaming about making a giant chocolate chip cookie in a cast iron skillet…and not too long ago, I finally made those dreams come true. This huge cookie is soft and chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges – perfection in my book, and I’m not even a crispy cookie kinda gal. Just like drop cookies, this dough comes together in a matter of minutes, except it’s even easier since you simply press all of the dough into the skillet and bake. This is a great dessert to serve to guests with ice cream, whipped cream, or chocolate or caramel sauce. If you have a cast iron skillet, give this a try…and if you don’t, put one on your wish list – you’ll be glad you did!

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10″ cast iron skillet lightly with vegetable oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat about 2 minutes.

Add in the egg and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes longer.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Press the dough into the skillet as evenly as you can.

Bake about 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Transfer the skillet to a wire rack to cool. When ready to serve, cut into wedges. Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top while it’s still warm!

*Nan’s comments:*  Use less chocolate chips and adjust the ratio of sugar to brown sugar to 1:1, a half cup of each.  Place a 9-inch parchment round in the bottom of the skillet.  Bakes in less than 40 minutes.

*Chocolate Dipping Sauce*​
Crafts, Kevin.  _Ebelskivers.  Filled pancakes and other mouthwatering miniatures._  San Francisco, CA: Weldon Owen Publishing, 2009.

¾ cup water
½ cup (4 oz / 125 g) sugar
2/3 cup (2 oz / 60 g) unsweetened Cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine ¾ cup (6 fl oz / 180 mL) water and the sugar.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear, 3 to 5 minutes.  Whisk in the cocoa powder and salt, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  The sauce will thicken a little more as it cools.  (The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.)

Makes about ¾ cup (6 fl oz / 180 mL).

*Paul’s Note:  *Lasts a lot longer than 3 days in refrigerator.


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## PaulOinMA

Kluski last night.  Hadn't made it in a long time.

Nan had kluski with butter and salt.  I had it with butter and shredded Romano from an old Mouli grater.

Pictures of leftovers.  I'll have with leftover gravy from the pot roast above.  

*HOMEMADE KLUSKI NOODLES*

From _Favorite Recipes_
Felician Sisters
Our Lady of Angels Convent
Enfield, Connecticut

1 beaten egg
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 cup flour

Mix egg, salt and cream; add flour slowly to make a stiff dough.  Knead until smooth.  Sprinkle flour on board, roll dough thin.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Cut into strips with a sharp knife, then slice small pieces like kluski.  Cook in boiling salted water and drain.  Serve with chicken broth or just buttered.

*Paul’s notes*: My grandmother flatten the dough and removed  small pieces of dough with a tablespoon and flicked the dough into the boiling water her thumb.

I triple the recipe, roll out, and slice into strips and pieces with a wavy pastry cutter.  Can also use a pizza wheel.


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## begreen

PaulOinMA said:


> Kluski last night.  Hadn't made it in a long time.
> 
> Nan had kluski with butter and salt.  I had it with butter and shredded Romano from an old Mouli grater.
> 
> Pictures of leftovers.  I'll have with leftover gravy from the pot roast above.


Any special type of flour or just GP?


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## PaulOinMA

Just AP flour.  I  buy King Arthur.   Employee owned company in VT.

Making pizzas today.   I add some cake flour, but don't think we have any.  Do have whole wheat in the freezer,  so I will add a little of that.


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## Woodsplitter67

Just made 3.75 gallons of chicken florentine soup


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## DuaeGuttae

Woodsplitter67 said:


> Just made 3.75 gallons of chicken florentine soup
> View attachment 273145
> View attachment 273146



Wow!  I make some big quantities sometimes to freeze, but I think my largest pot tops out at 10 quarts.  It sure looks delicious.  Enjoy!

I made some yummy vichyssoise on Friday with turkey broth from bones from Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately I forgot to refreeze them after they had cooled, and they sat out long enough that I asked my husband to take them out for the vultures.  I'm roasting a chicken tonight just to make sure that I have a carcass on hand in the freezer.  I have lots of beef bones, but I always like to keep chicken carcasses for broth, too.  I think a good broth adds so much to a soup both in terms of flavor and nutrition.


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## Woodsplitter67

DuaeGuttae said:


> Wow!  I make some big quantities sometimes to freeze, but I think my largest pot tops out at 10 quarts.  It sure looks delicious.  Enjoy!
> 
> I made some yummy vichyssoise on Friday with turkey broth from bones from Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately I forgot to refreeze them after they had cooled, and they sat out long enough that I asked my husband to take them out for the vultures.  I'm roasting a chicken tonight just to make sure that I have a carcass on hand in the freezer.  I have lots of beef bones, but I always like to keep chicken carcasses for broth, too.  I think a good broth adds so much to a soup both in terms of flavor and nutrition.



I agree.. I use the carcass as well as parts with skin ..  makes the best broth.. a good base is the key to a flavorful soup.. normally I make a 5 gallon batch.. my wife asked me to keep it down a little..freezer space is short.. I made chicken noodle soup 2 weeks ago.. like 4.5 gallons got frozen..


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## PaulOinMA

Two pizzas Saturday night.  Dough recipe is adapted from _Joy of Cooking_, substituting a little whole wheat flour for a portion of the AP.  Sauce is Leone's Marinara Sauce from: Leone, Gene.  _Leone’s Italian Cookbook_.  New York: Harper & Row, 1967. 

Toppings are under the cheese.  Mine on the left of mushroom and garlic.  Nan's is pepper and onion.


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## PaulOinMA

Making aebleskiver Sunday for the Super Bowl.  Danish pancake balls.  An Aebleskiver Sunday.    

Making two savory and one sweet.

Savory will be (1) chicken bites with creamy dressing.  Will have chicken and shallot and served with buttermilk dressing.  And (2) spicy corn aebleskiver with scallion, jalapeno, Monterey jack cheese, and corn.

Dessert will be cherry-almond aebleskiver, but substituting plum preserves for cherry preserves since we have it in the refrigerator.

Recipes from a little cookbook: Crafts, Kevin.  _Ebelskivers.  Filled pancakes and other mouthwatering miniatures._  San Francisco, CA: Weldon Owen Publishing, 2009.


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## PaulOinMA

Here's making some in 2015, if anyone's curious.


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## PaulOinMA

Most of my pans are Griswold 962.  Can buy others here: Aebleskiver pans and mix .

Lodge has one, too: Aebelskiver Pan | Lodge Cast Iron .


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## DuaeGuttae

Woodsplitter67 said:


> I agree.. I use the carcass as well as parts with skin ..  makes the best broth.. a good base is the key to a flavorful soup.. normally I make a 5 gallon batch.. my wife asked me to keep it down a little..freezer space is short.. I made chicken noodle soup 2 weeks ago.. like 4.5 gallons got frozen..



I had to make beef broth earlier this week when I made a slow-cooker Beef Burgundy.  (Our "burgundy" is actually a mixture of pomegranate juice, rice vinegar, and water, because of some food sensitivities to grapes in our family.  It works really well, surprisingly enough.)  I usually put carrots, celery and onion scraps in with my beef bones, but I think one of the best ingredients for the broth is a couple of bay leaves.  We have a small tree we planted outside our back deck, and I love being able to harvest the older leaves for cooking.  




This was our dinner Tuesday night, with leftovers on Wednesday.  Two quarts went into the freezer for a later date.

This week we were able to get some collard greens grown locally.  I grew up eating them, but I think that tonight's dinner of slow-cooked collards and ham and corn bread muffins was the first time my husband or children had had them.  (Of course, we also had pepper vinegar on the table, too).  I'm glad to say that they were a success, and I introduced my children and husband to the term "potlikker."


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## PaulOinMA

Anyone have pancakes for dinner Tuesday?  Shrove Tuesday. Nan always had a pancake supper at her church in NJ when she was a kid.  Her former church here in MA did it, too. The men's group at her former church would do the pancake supper, and I would cook at it.

Griswold 9/609 round griddle.


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## PaulOinMA

Nan saw a quiche on the web site of a bakery she likes this week.  Said she wanted a quiche.  Hadn't made one in years.  Way, way too long.

Forgot the couple of tablespoons of flour in the quiche filling since I was making it from memory.  Yeah, well, you know how that goes. 

*Flaky Pastry*

From _Jim Fobel’s Old Fashioned Baking_.
​1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening or ¼ cup shortening and ¼ cup chilled, unsalted butter, sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

In a large bowl stir together flour and salt.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the ice water (toss ice cubes with water to make sure it’s good and icy) and stir In quickly with a fork just to moisten.  Sprinkle another tablespoon of ice water over the top and quickly stir in.  Add just enough of the remaining water to make a dough that holds together.  On a sheet of wax paper flatten into a 6-inch disc, cover, and chill for about 1 hour or as long as a day or two.

*Notes:* Better with butter and shortening.  Cut in the butter and shortening with pastry blender until the dough just about holds together by itself.  Roll out between wax paper.  Makes a single pie crust.  _Best_ with lard and butter.

*Ham and Cheese Quiche*
​Adapted from the many recipes found at http://www.recipezaar.com.

*Ingredients*

9-inch pie crust
3 eggs
¾ cup milk
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup cooked ham, diced (or other breakfast meats)
1 cup green pepper and onion, diced
1 rounded cup cheese, shredded
Salt, scant
pepper
oregano
garlic powder

*Directions*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add eggs, milk, flour, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder to a bowl and whisk to blend.  Add meat, pepper and onion, and cheese.  Pour ingredients in the crust and spread evenly.  Place pie ring so the edge of the pre-baked crust.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Enjoy!


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## DuaeGuttae

@PaulOinMA , your quiche is giving me ideas for tomorrow. A cold spell will be moving in (a normal Texas cold spell, not the Valentine’s Day deep freeze), so it will be a good day to use the oven.  I’ve got goat cheese and bacon.  I’ll have to see if there’s asparagus left.

We had a cilantro plant in our garden that survived remarkably well during the recent freeze here in Texas.  I decided today that I needed to use some leaves, so that inspired me to cook Indian food. Here’s what I managed with help from my husband on the main dish.




6 pieces of naan, one for each family member.  A dry chicken curry ( https://twosleevers.com/chicken-karahi/ ) topped with (not finely chopped enough) cilantro leaves.  My kids aren’t huge cilantro fans, so this let them avoid them more easily.  An okra masala dish that is a favorite in our family.  I was able to cook it quickly in the same skillet from which I had just removed the curry.  That was nice.  It turned out to be quite a hit, and I have leftovers of everything except naan.  We’ll have the next round with rice.


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## PaulOinMA

I have the genetic trait that has cilantro taste very soapy.  Not my favorite thing.   

Why Cilantro Tastes Like Soap, for Some - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

I was shopping one year for ingredients to made *Baked Green Rice (Arroz Verde) *for my wife's birthday. I make Mexican food for her birthday since it is May 5. Ingredient list called for coriander. Wasn't thinking and put a bunch in my shopping cart. Then it his me: isn't coriander cilantro? Tasted a leaf. Back it went. 

I froze six pieces of the quiche so I had a ready-made breakfast.  Nan has a cinnamon roll on Friday mornings, so I had a piece of quiche last Friday.

Nan was making fun of me later because I was going to make pasta with some of the beef gravy from the pot roast I still have in the freezer for dinner.  I'm Catholic, and  it was a Friday in Lent.  I said that the guidelines stated that I should abstain from the flesh of animals (i.e., meat) on Fridays.  Gravy doesn't qualify.

I thought for a second, and it hit me: "the ham in the quiche would qualify, though." 

Just so easy to grab a piece of the quiche for breakfast not even thinking it has meat in it.

My Methodist wife thinks the rules are pretty ridiculous that gravy is exempt.  

Laws of Days of Abstinence, Penance and Fast - Mater Dei Catholic Parish (materdeiparish.com)


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## DuaeGuttae

Thanks for that article, @PaulOinMA.  I found it very interesting, especially the discussion from the neuroscientist about his own brain changing his perceptions of cilantro’s flavor.  We in our family all seem to notice the soapiness (I have not confirmed this with the four year old), but we have different reactions.  My husband and I both love Indian food, and I think grew to appreciate cilantro through different exposures to that, though too much is still off-putting.  I don’t really enjoy harvesting it because of the smell on my hands.  Basil, on the other hand, I love to inhale its fragrance.  I can’t ever imagine trying a cilantro pesto.

My four year old loves to eat cilantro plain.  I add it to dishes, but even I would never do that.   He’ll ask for a leaf or two off the plant when we’re in the garden together.  He also loves eating leaves of parsley, basil, lettuce, and kale.

The next one up hates it with a passion.  She even asked us to rearrange the table last night so that the dish containing cilantro was not in front of her.  (Nevertheless, it’s an ingredient in one of her favorite salsas.). I think the garnish last night was too much and too large, but it did make it easy for us not to serve it to her.  She did like the chicken dish as a whole.

The oldest two don’t love it but don’t hate it with a passion.  One of them preferred to avoid it in the chicken curry last night; the other actually admitted that he thought it suited the dish and liked it in that context.

I don’t plan to grow or cook with huge amounts, but I do like introducing my kids to flavors in different combinations.  My oldest also wanted a salsa garden, and she admits that a little cilantro just might be a good thing for that.


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## Jan Pijpelink

Yesterday was the Lady's birthday. Her favorite meal.


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## DuaeGuttae

@Jan Pijpelink, I think no one wanted to follow your photo.  I can’t compete, but I’ll just plunge ahead anyway.

My kids will take any excuse to have a celebration, and they’ve been looking forward to Pi Day for weeks now.  My husband this afternoon made the crust and filling for a lime pie.  I put it together and made the meringue.  We had half of it for dessert this evening after a simple dinner of chicken thighs and green beans.  The leftover pie is designated for breakfast on Pi + One Hundredth Day.


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## begreen

We had Pi Day pizza, note the pepper arrangements.


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## PaulOinMA

Looks like Stonehenge, too.  You could make it for the solstice.   

There was a story on Stonehenge on BBC World News America last night, and I was just looking for it online.  That's why I have it in my head.


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## PaulOinMA

The story I want to post still isn't posted on BBC World News America.  It had King Arthur Pendragon in it.

Arthur Uther Pendragon - Wikipedia 

Um ... o.k.


----------



## clancey

That P Day Pizza looks terrible what are all those black things in it.?  clancey


----------



## begreen

clancey said:


> That P Day Pizza looks terrible what are all those black things in it.?  clancey


Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, onions and red peppers. It tasted great.


----------



## clancey

HA HA HA----TERRIBLE...clancey


----------



## begreen

I take it you don't like olives. Too bad, they're wonderful.


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## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, onions and red peppers. It tasted great.



Quadruple yum on that, and I loved the pepper arrangement.  I showed the picture to my husband, and he just thought I was showing him a pizza.  Then he looked closer and laughed and laughed in appreciation.  I’ll need to show my kids tomorrrow.


----------



## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> Quadruple yum on that, and I loved the pepper arrangement.  I showed the picture to my husband, and he just thought I was showing him a pizza.  Then he looked closer and laughed and laughed in appreciation.  I’ll need to show my kids tomorrrow.


I'm glad he got a kick out of it. The tomato sauce was from our garden tomatoes too. Pizza dough was King Arthur pizza flour.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> I'm glad he got a kick out of it. The tomato sauce was from our garden tomatoes too. Pizza dough was King Arthur pizza flour.



We used our last garden sauce long ago.  I hadn’t had much to put up, but I’m trying a new determinate sauce tomato this year (Rio Grande) to see if I can get some more.   We have found a brand in our local store—Pomi—that has really good flavor.  We used that on Sunday to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce.  Today I used the leftover sauce to make a goat-cheese lasagna.  (It’s really not that hard when the sauce is already made.  Usually I’m cooking the sauce at the same time, and it’s a big project from start to finish.  I need to remember that lasagna isn’t so bad when the sauce is already done, and maybe I’ll make it more often.)


----------



## PaulOinMA

Easy Easter dinner for the two of us.  Plum-sauces pork medallions and corn pudding-stuffed tomatoes.

Bought a 2 1/4-pound pork loin roast and cut four, 4-ounce pieces.  Froze the rest for Chinese food, pork with onion.  Easy to hollow the tomatoes with a grapefruit spoon.  Will have leftover plums and plum sauce with chicken breast.

*Plum-sauced Pork Medallions*​
_Stir-Fry Etc.  Meals for Life_.  From the Kitchens of Healthy Choice® Foods.  Minnetonka, MN: Cy Deycosse Incorporated, 1996.

*Ingredients*

¼ cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
½ c. red plum jam
1 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
¼ tsp. ground ginger
2 small plums, each cut into 8 wedges
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 8 pieces
Cayenne powder

*Directions*

Spray 8-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.  Add onion and oil.  Cook over medium heat for 4 to 7 minutes, or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to low.  Stir in jam, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger.  Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until jam is melted, stirring occasionally.  Stir in plums.  Set aside.

Pound pork pieces lightly to 1-inch thickness.  Sprinkle both sides of each with cayenne.  Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.  Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork.  Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or just until meat is no longer pink, turning over once.  Serve topped with plum sauce.

*Corn Pudding Stuffed Tomatoes*​
From the Test Kitchens at _Taste of Home_.

*Ingredients*

8 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Minced fresh parsley

*Directions*

Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato; scoop out and discard pulp.  Sprinkle inside of tomatoes with half of the salt and pepper.  Invert on paper towels to drain.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and remaining salt and pepper.  Combine the eggs, cream, corn, and butter; stir into dry ingredients.  Spoon into tomatoes,

Place in a shallow baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 ºF for 38–40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of corn pudding comes out clean.  Sprinkle with parsley.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

That sounds delicious.  I’ve heard of stuffed tomatoes but don’t believe I’ve ever had them.  

We had baked asparagus in bechamel sauce (with diced ham and mushrooms and pecorino Romano) served in crepes for our Easter dinner yesterday afternoon.  We had the leftover filling today with bread and butter.


----------



## begreen

We bake stuffed tomatoes and peppers frequently during the summer. They usually are stuffed with a variation on a rice pilaf mix.


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## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> We bake stuffed tomatoes and peppers frequently during the summer. They usually are stuffed with a variation on a rice pilaf mix.



I grew up with stuffed peppers (rice, tomato, and ground beef, I think) but not stuffed tomatoes.  My mother grew tons and tons of tomatoes, and we ate them fresh and  processed jars and jars of juice, soup, and sauce.  I’ve just never had a stuffed one.


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## PaulOinMA

Nan made a butterscotch pie over the weekend.  Never made it before.  I did the crust for her.

*Aunt Myra's Butterscotch Pie*

Fobel, Jim.  _Jim Fobel’s Old Fashioned Baking_.  Ney York: Ballantine Books, 1987.

An incredibly rich pie filling is lightened by mounds of meringue in this very old and much favored family recipe.

Makes one 9-inch pie.

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
One 12- to 13-ounce can evaporated milk
Water
4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 single-crust pie shell, baked and cooled

MERINGUE

4 egg whites at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Place the brown sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl.  Add enough water to the evaporated milk to measure 2 cups.  In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and then whisk in ½ cup of the diluted milk.  Whisk the egg-milk mixture into the dry ingredients until thoroughly blended and then whisk in the remaining milk.  Transfer to the top of a double boiler over simmering water.  Whisk or stir constantly until very thick, 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla, continue to stir until the butter melts.  Place a round of waxed paper directly on the surface and cool for 15 minutes.  Pour into the baked pie shell and cover with a round of waxed paper.  Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.

Prepare the meringue: Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.  In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy.  Do not overbeat of the meringue will be dry and lumpy.

Remove the waxed paper from the pie filling and pile the meringue on top, mounding it in eth center, swirling decoratively, and spreading it out to overlap the crust slightly all around to discourage shrinking.

Bake the pie in the center of the oven until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool on a rack, and then refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.  When slicing, dip a sharp knife in very hot water before making each cut.

*Our Notes:* Used whipped cream topping.  Make whipped cream following the recipe from Chocolate Cream Pie.  Use only 1 cup heavy cream for the topping.


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## DuaeGuttae

Sounds yummy.  

I had a bit of a cooking adventure recently.  My youngest was turning five, and I had told him that I would make rhubarb crisp for his birthday dessert.  It turns out that I didn’t have rhubarb in the freezer, but I needed to go to the store anyway.  Well, there wasn’t even any frozen rhubarb at the store.  I had to come up with plan B on the spot.

It’s strawberry season in Texas, so that seemed a pretty obvious choice, but I wanted that sour tang that comes from rhubarb.  What’s easily available in Texas that would go with strawberries?  Hibiscus!

It’s been hot here, and we’ve been drinking iced hibiscus tea.  We‘ve bought tea bags before, but I recently found the  whole dried calyces available in the corner of the produce department where all the dried chili peppers are sold.  It’s much more economical to buy that way, and the whole calyx can be eaten after it has been steeped.  I probably mixed about half a cup of used calyces into my strawberry filling.  It made a nice contrast (though it reminded one child of tentacles), and the dessert was a hit.  Thankfully the birthday boy was perfectly happy with the substitution.


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## clancey

MY BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP SOON...Can I have some pie too made with strawberries---yes---you could mail it to me...That"s one lucky grand child....I bet he eats about three slices all at once...lol clancey


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## DuaeGuttae

clancey said:


> MY BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP SOON...Can I have some pie too made with strawberries---yes---you could mail it to me...That"s one lucky grand child....I bet he eats about three slices all at once...lol clancey



Happy upcoming Birthday, Mrs. Clancey.  The pie is all gone, I’m afraid, though no one ate three slices all at once.  I can be a pretty strict mommy about some things, and I like to have leftovers.  We have a family of six, and we ate slightly more than half the pie for dessert, and then the kids were allowed to have the other half for breakfast the next morning.


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## DuaeGuttae

I had a small harvest of kale yesterday and lots of Swiss Chard.   My kids love kale, but the Swiss Chard has not gone over well this spring.  (I‘m new to growing it and thought it would be a hit because my kids love beet greens, but the chard is earthier and has not gone over well sauteed or in soup.). Thankfully it turned out to be not only acceptable to them mixed with kale in quiche but even delicious.

I used this recipe as the inspiration, substituting about 1/3 of the chard with kale, and using two whole eggs instead of egg whites because I wanted to make it a bit easier.   









						Crustless Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Quiche
					

This quiche uses potatoes on the bottom in place of the crust. Swiss chard sauteed with garlic give the egg custard more flavor and texture.  Goat cheese on top gives lovely bursts of flavor, very tasty.




					recipeland.com


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## clancey

Looks like healthy "green stuff" out of your garden and I will wait for my rhubard pie made with strawberries next year...clancey


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## kennyp2339

Forgot to take pics lol, but I did my fav cast iron pan pork chops tonight, 
Pork chops about 1 - 1.25" thick, take them out of fridge, open them up. lightly salt both sides, let sit out for 30-40min
In a bowl or gallon bag (poor mans shake & bake) - mix 1 tbl sp of flour, 1 tbl sp of chilly powder, 1 tbl sp of garlic powder and 1 tbl sp of onion powder, 1/2 tbl sp of both black pepper and paprika, mix together.
After pork chops have been sitting out for more then 30min, heat 1.5 table spoons of olive oil in a cast iron pan, set stove to medium, pat pork chops dry with paper towels, then (I like to chuck 2 at a time in the bag) coat with season mix and transfer to hot pan.
Cook, essentially braze one side of the pork chops 3 min then flip, lower stove temp, cover with lid or foil and cook another 4 - 5 min, check center of meat after that time, its important, once the pork chop hit 145 deg f take out of pan and put on plate.
Now turn heat back up to medium, pour in 1 to 1 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 1.5 table spoons of apple cider vinegar and an estimated table spoon or so of honey, use a spatula and scrap the pan will bringing the liquid to a boil, mix occasionally and let the vinegar cook off (smells bad to me) you will want to let the mix boil and reduce down to half its original size add a table spoon of butter. 
Start slicing the pork chops up, once the "gravy" is reduced turn stove off and transfer the pork chops back into the mix, or dump the mix into a bowl and serve.


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## clancey

That sounds really good,,,Made me hungry.. clancey


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## PaulOinMA

My wife's birthday is today.  Made a Choco-nilla Cake yesterday.  Recipe from the KAF web site.

Choco-nilla Cake | King Arthur Baking 

Recipe above is slightly different from the older recipe, which I made.  The filling in the older recipe is similar to the topping using 12-oz. chocolate chips.  Think I would like the new recipe better.

 My wife is the cake and cookie baker.  I'm more breads, scones, cinnamon rolls, and brownies.  Made a cake because she wanted it for her birthday.

Just saw the following on the KAF web site:  Chocolate Caramel Cake | King Arthur Baking .  Yum!  That's next!

Making Mexican food for her birthday, as it's Cinco de Mayo: Almond Chicken (Pollo Almendrado) and Skillet Red Rice (Arroz a la Mexicana).


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## PaulOinMA

Nan cut a piece for a mid-afternoon snack.


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## begreen

Happy


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## PaulOinMA

Nan's birthday dinner because it was Cinco de Mayo.  As posted above: Almond Chicken (Pollo Almendrado) and Skillet Red Rice (Arroz a la Mexicana).

Chicken recipe calls for three full  chicken breasts, which is six individual breasts.  I halve the recipe because we split a chicken breast because they are frequently so large currently.  Will have three dinners out of the cooking.

Recipes from: _Mexican Cooking Class Cookbook_.  By the Editors of Consumer Guide.  Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, 1990.

There are other cookbooks for Chinese, Wok, Japanese, Italian.   Excellent series of cookbooks readily found online and at library book sales.  Remember pre-pandemic library book sales?  Miss going.

Recipes to be posted below.


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## PaulOinMA

*Almond Chicken (Pollo Almendrado)*​
_Mexican Cooking Class Cookbook_.  By the Editors of Consumer Guide.  Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, 1990.  Spiral bound hardcover. 

½ cup (125 mL) blanched almonds
3 whole chicken breasts ( 1 pound or 450 g each), split, boned, skinned
2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 mL) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter or margarine
¼ cup (60 mL) finely chopped white onion
1 fresh Anaheim or poblano chili, roasted, peeled, seeded, deveined (see page 5), finely chopped
1 small tomato, seeded, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock or broth
¼ teaspoon (1 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream
Tomato wedge
Fresh coriander sprig

1,  Process almonds, about ¼ at a time, with on/off pulses in electric spice grinder to fine powder.

2.  Dip chicken in almonds on small plate to coat all sides; reserve remaining almonds.

3.  Heat 1 tablespoon (15 mL) oil and the butter in deep 10-inch ( 25-cm) skillet over medium heat until foam subsides.  Add as many breasts as will fit in a single layer without crowding.  Cook until chicken is light brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, reducing heat if almonds get too dark; remove to plate.  Repeat with remaining chicken, adding 1 tablespoon (15 mL) oil, if needed.

4.   Add remaining 1 tablespoon (15 mL) oil and the onion to skillet; sauté over medium heat until soft, anout 3 minutes.  Add chili, chopped tomato, and garlic; sauté 1 minute.  Add stock, salt, and reserved almonds; heat over high heat to boiling.

5.  Add chicken to skillet; reduce heat to low.  Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove chicken to serving dish; keep warm, covered.

6.  Add cream to cooking liquid; heat over medium-high heat to boiling.  Cook and stir until sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes; pour over chicken.  Garnish with tomato wedge and coriander.

Makes 6 servings.


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## PaulOinMA

*Skillet Red Rice (Arroz a la Mexicana)*​
_Mexican Cooking Class Cookbook_.  By the Editors of Consumer Guide.  Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, 1990.  Spiral bound hardcover.

2 tablespoons (30 mL) lard or vegetable oil
1 cup (250 mL) raw long-grain white rice (not converted)
½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt
½ teaspoon (2 mL) ground cumin
Pinch pure hot chili powder
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 ½ cups (375 mL) chicken stock or broth
1/3 cup (80 mL) shelled fresh or thawed frozen peas
2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped pimiento
Pimiento strips

 Heat lard in 10-inch (25-cm) skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add rice; cook, stirring constantly until rice turns opaque white, about 2 minutes.

Quickly add onion; sauté over medium heat 1 minute.  Stir in garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder.  Add tomatoes; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.

Add stock; mix well.  Heat over high heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.  Simmer, covered, until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in peas and chopped pimiento.  Cook, covered, over low heat until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed, 2 to 4 minutes longer.  Rice grains will be slightly firm (al dente) and separate, rather than soft or sticky.  Serve, garnished with pimiento strips.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Our notes: Make in oven safe 3-quart saucepan and place in 325 ℉ oven for 45 minutes.  Remove and let stand for 10 minutes.  Stir.


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## DuaeGuttae

I think I might have to give that Skillet Red Rice a try.  

We had a cooking success last week in that I finally found a way to prepare Swiss Chard that three of my kids enjoy, and the last tolerates.  Since it’s growing well in our garden, I needed a way to get them to want to eat it, and my previous attempts had not been very well received by three of the children.  The successful attempt was baked chard with cheese sauce (the same basic sauce that I use on Welsh Rarebit).

One large bunch chard, thick stems removed, and leaves chopped.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Precook the thick stems of the chard for a few minutes, then add the chopped leaves and cook for a few more minutes.  Drain.  Put in casserole dish and top with cheese sauce.  Bake for about 10 minutes in 350 degree oven.




It was cool and damp the other day, so it was a good day to use the oven.  I had planned the chicken and potatoes the day before, and when I asked my third (formerly chard disliking) child what the vegetable should be, I was very pleased when she requested chard with cheese sauce.


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## clancey

You kind of need to get used to something like that but cheese sauce is great and so is chicken and potatoes..Yes..clancey


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## DuaeGuttae

I made a great pizza sauce today.  I had two pounds of tomatoes from the garden, but I also had a couple of zucchini and a small eggplant that I wanted to use.  Instead of topping the pizza with them, I decided to incorporate them into the sauce as an experiment, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.  I sautéed onion first, then added eggplant, then zucchini, and I cooked those down a good bit before adding minced garlic, fresh basil, oregano, and thyme, and finally adding the tomatoes that I had run through our hand food mill.  Once I put those in, I puréed the concoction with an immersion blender, and cooked it down while I mixed up the pizza dough.  It made a great sauce for dinner and extra for the freezer.  I’m hoping to be able to make more of it in coming weeks as the tomatoes ripen.


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## DuaeGuttae

Our Father’s Day meal:









						Skirt Steak with Paprika Butter
					

"I love skirt steak because it's just fatty enough, and it cooks quickly, which is great for dinner parties," says Vinny Dotolo. He serves the steak t...




					www.finecooking.com
				




We buy a grass-fed steer every few years, and we had inside skirt steak in the freezer from the last purchase three years ago.  I found the recipe above, and it was quite a hit with the whole family.  I made the garlic butter in the same pan the steak had been cooked in.  I didn’t see a need not to have the meat drippings or to dirty another dish.

Mashed potatoes (the last harvest from our garden)

Vegetables Masala (onion, pepper, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes from the garden).  Those are not necessarily my husband’s favorite vegetables, but he’s on board with eating what the garden gives, so the garam masala flavoring improves it for him.




The best news is that it was such a hearty meal that we have enough leftovers for a second.  I love it when the next day’s lunch or dinner is already covered.


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## EbS-P

Cedar plank salmon on the grill. Grated a little butter on the top with some limes and clementines.   Season to your taste.  Ours was the last picture. Mostly cinnamon allspice and hot pepper.  

I would like to try some pecan or apple planks.
Evan


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## PaulOinMA

From the Stonyfield yogurt web site.  Made it Sunday, and we are finishing it tonight.  Excellent recipe for hot summer days when you don't want to cook for a few days.

*Wild Rice & Chicken Salad*

The prepared rice mix lets you get a jump start on this satisfying fruit and nut salad. If you can't find fig vinegar, feel free use to use another lighter, sweet variety of vinegar, like raspberry or apple cider.

Ingredients

1 box long grain and wild rice mix (6 ounces)
1/2 c Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Yogurt
2 T fig-flavored vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
3/4 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 T olive oil
1 lb. boneless (skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips)
1 Gala apple (cored and chopped)
7 scallions (trimmed and chopped)
1/2 c chopped toasted pecans
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 head Bibb lettuce (separated into leaves, rinsed and dried)

340 Calories; 12g fat; 22g protein.  6 Servings.

Preparation

Step 1 - Prepare rice mix following package directions, discarding any seasoning packet.

Step 2 - Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix yogurt, vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; set aside.

Step 3 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to skillet and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook for 6 to 9 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove chicken from skillet and cut into bite-size pieces.

Step 4 - In a large bowl, stir together chicken, apple, scallions, pecans and cranberries. Add rice and stir to combine. Pour yogurt dressing over top and gently mix.

Step 5 - To serve, make bowls with individual Bibb lettuce leaves.  Equally divide the rice salad among the leaves.  Or, line a large serving bowl with the lettuce leaves; spoon the salad into the bowl.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 340.  Calories from Fat: 110.  Total Fat: 12g.  Saturated Fat: 1.5g.  Cholesterol: 45mg.  Sodium: 380mg.  Total Carbohydrate: 38g.  Dietary Fiber: 4g.  Sugars: 12g.  Protein: 22g.  Vitamin A: 20%.  Vitamin C: 10%.  Calcium: 8%.  Iron: 10%.

http://www.stonyfield.com/recipes/wild-rice-chicken-salad

*Notes -* Adjust ingredients and amounts to suit personal preference.  We do the following.

Rinse brown rice and add to recipe amount of water in an oven-safe sauce pan.  Bring to boil.  Place in 325 ℉ oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand covered for 10 minutes to steam.  Spread in baking pan to dry and cool.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and cook a hot, oiled skillet.  Cool.

Cut scallions.  Cut whole almonds in half.  Add to dried cranberries in mixing bowl.  Add cooled rice and chicken.  Stir.  Place in refrigerator.

Mix vanilla yogurt, balsamic vinegar, deli mustard, and a little salt and pepper.  Place in container in refrigerator.

Dice cored gala apple.  Place serving of chicken-rice mixture on individual serving plate.  Top with diced apple and dressing.  Enjoy!

Even easier if you have pre-cooked, seasoned boneless chicken in the freezer from grilling.


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## PaulOinMA

Rinse rice and cook while preparing other ingredients.

Sunday was 1 1/2 cups brown rice and 3 cups water in an oven safe sauce pan into the oven.  20-oz. chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked in a hot, oiled skillet.


Dried cranberries, scallion, and whole almonds cut in half.


Mixed with cooled rice and chicken.


Vanilla Greek yogurt, balsamic vinegar, deli mustard, freshly ground pepper, and a little salt.


Topped with diced gala apple and a little dressing.  Yum!


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## DuaeGuttae

Interesting that you opted to change out plain yogurt for Vanilla flavored.  The recipe looks very tasty, but I wouldn’t have thought of that substitution.

 I checked out a kids’ cookbook from the library recently for my eight year old.  She picked out a Brazilian black bean dish that I made for lunch yesterday.  We had leftovers today with blistered shishito peppers on the side.  A gardening friend recommended that I give them a try, and she was right that they’re growing well for me, and my kids really enjoy the dish.




Tonight’s dinner is going to be an Indian chicken dish, also inspired by the kids’s cookbook.  We’ll have bhindi masala for a side because I just picked up a big bag of fresh okra from our local farm store.  We’ve got tomatoes, onions, and peppers from our garden.


----------



## begreen

Yum, I love a good bhindi masala.


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## PaulOinMA

We have salad, yogurt, fruit every day for lunch.   Have vanilla yogurt in refrigerator.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> We have salad, yogurt, fruit every day for lunch.   Have vanilla yogurt in refrigerator.



I love lunches like that.  I’m also a great believer in using what’s on hand, but I’m not sure I’d ever have been bold enough to try a sweetened yogurt in a savory dish.

I made a curry sauce with plain yogurt last night and marinated chicken thighs in it.  My husband then grilled them for me while I sauteed the bhindi masala.  I was very pleased with how it turned out, except that I added a bit too much lime juice to the sauce. I think I’ll repeat the recipe but cut that in half.

To the blender I added:
1 and 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lime juice (I used four actually but the cooked sauce was a bit tart, so I’m adjusting the list)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 hot (fish) peppers (seeds and membrane removed)
3 ginger leaves
1 inch of peeled ginger root

I marinated the chicken for about 90 minutes in the refrigerator.  That was enough time to add some good flavor.  I did boil the marinade on the stovetop, and it made a good topping on the rice, though it was a bit tart.


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## PaulOinMA

Didn't want to cook again this week because of the heat wave.  Made this on Sunday: *Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta and Basil.*

Recipe here*: Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta and Basil Recipe - PureWow .*

Having it as a cold pasta salad for dinner for a few nights.  Add the ricotta and top with shredded Romano when plated.

More pictures in here: Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta, and Basil - Too Many Chefs in the Kitchen - Wagner and Griswold Society (WAGS) Forum (griswoldandwagner.com)


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## begreen

I made a variation of the chicken and rice salad on Sunday. It came out pretty good. We already had some cooked rice and chicken. I used homemade yogurt and added some garlic powder and diced celery to it. Tasted good.  There were no leftovers.


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## DuaeGuttae

I spent the morning making ketchup from fresh garden tomatoes.  They were not all sauce tomatoes, so it took some time to cook down, but I ended up with almost six cups.  Once it cooled, I added some whey drained from our homemade yogurt, and I’ll let it ferment for a couple of days before moving it to the refrigerator.




Of course, in light of the ketchup making, we had homemade French fries and hamburgers for dinner with zucchini and eggplant on the side.


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## DuaeGuttae

I’ve been harvesting a lot of cucumbers recently.  I’ve filled all my large pickle jars, I’ve made salads of all sorts, but this morning my son remembered that there were some leftovers from cucumber popsicles in the fridge.  We had been outside in the heat and humidity, and it was a great cooling and hydrating snack for us.

I wanted to post the recipe here for anyone who might be interested.  We used plain refined sugar and a chili lime seasoning.  Not everybody in our household likes them, but I’ll be making another couple of batches for sure.  They are good snack for my son and me after we spend time in the garden.





__





						Cucumber Lime Yogurt Pops - Alton Brown
					






					altonbrown.com
				




I’ve also used the recipe linked below for Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing for inspiration.  Most recently I added some feta for variation, and that was well received.  I find it a good idea to salt and drain my cucumbers before making the salad if I’m going to make a large batch.  It keeps well that way for a couple of days.  I might need to try some other recipes in the next couple of days.









						Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing
					

Creamy Cucumber Salad with a tangy lemon Yogurt Dressing with Mint. Sensational side salad for Middle Eastern food, Indian food, and summer grill outs!




					www.recipetineats.com
				




Tonight we had some pretty simple chicken and rice leftovers for dinner, but we needed a vegetable.  I picked beans this evening and noticed that one, just one, cob of corn was ready.  What to do with one cob for six people?




There’s a little sautéed onion and banana pepper, green beans, and corn.  We’ve been having a lot of tomatoes, too, so I wasn’t going to use them at first.  When I was cooking, though, I could just tell that the dish needed red.  It was a good addition.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had an Asian-inspired Fourth of July lunch: grilled chicken marinated in a Satay sauce and another cucumber salad with a soy and sesame dressing.  My husband prefers this kind of dressing over a yogurt- or vinegar-based one. I figured we just needed to vary our cucumbers.  I’m getting behind in using them.









						Asian Cucumber Salad
					

This recipe for Asian cucumber salad is cucumbers and colorful veggies tossed in a zesty sesame dressing. The perfect quick and easy side dish!




					www.dinneratthezoo.com


----------



## clancey

That sure looks like a wonderful meal...I am hungry now and will look in my icebox to see what I can eat--shame on you--making me hungry like this...looking good yum yum all gone...clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

My wife sent me some Julia Child quotes.

_A party without cake is just a meeting.

When you flip anything, you just have to have the courage of your convictions ... you can always pick it up if you’re alone in the kitchen. Who is going to see?

If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.

The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit!_


----------



## clancey

I like your attitude...lol clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Today was tomato sauce day.  I made two small batches by filling a cookie sheet with cored and halved tomatoes and roasting them.  This helps get some of the excess liquid off, makes the skins very easy to remove, and helps bring out the flavor.  I didn’t season or add onion, garlic, or herbs to these batches, just because I wanted some plain sauce for a recipe I was cooking and for the freezer.  I ran the skinned tomatoes through a food mill.  (I know the food mill would have removed the skins, too, but they’re super easy to pluck off, so I prefer it that way.)




The white tomatoes are just a different variety from my garden.  They taste a little milder than the red ones but still are pretty good.  Once they were together in the sauce, it still looked like normal tomato sauce.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I had some saladette tomatoes in the garden that cracked this week because of a rather unexpected four inches of rain.  This morning I turned the cracked tomatoes into just enough pizza sauce for two pies.  It’s somewhat rainy this morning, and the temperature is still in the 70’s, so it was okay to use the oven.  (Often in July I’m grilling everything to avoid heating the kitchen; this week has been very different weather.) I used up an open package of Canadian bacon and some banana peppers and the few spears of okra that my plants have just started bearing.  It made a pretty good pizza topping.


----------



## clancey

That looks not good--all that dull green in it swirled around---not for me...clancey


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## PaulOinMA

Sunday was a hot day here.  Vanilla-ish malt in the afternoon.  Milk, vanilla ice cream, Carnation malt powder, and whipped cream.  Vanilla-ish because I accidentally ordered chocolate malt powder the last time.  Hamilton Beach Drink Master gets used a lot here.  I highly recommend getting one.

We have large malt/milk shake glasses .  The Jets glass is a little smaller, but still a lot larger than a regular glass.  I keep a couple in the refrigerator.

Mobil was giving out NFL glasses in different sizes in the mid-1980s with a fill-up.  Have a lot of Jets glasses.


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## PaulOinMA

My wife is away for the weekend and a couple of days in VA.

Barbequed (smoked) flank steak panini for dinner last night using an early, mid-1990s George Foreman grill.

Although I bake, I buy Arnold Country Style Bread when it is on sale as two-for-whatever.  Comes in several different varieties.  Good bread.  Mayo, raw onion, 3-oz. barbequed flank steak, Monterey Jack cheese, barbeque sauce.  Yum!


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## DuaeGuttae

Those both look tasty, @PaulOinMA .  

I used a new technique in cooking green beans.  We’ve been sautéing them a lot this summer with the occasional boiling, but this afternoon I tried a crockpot method.  I didn’t have the pepper flakes called for in the recipe so substituted a small fish pepper from the garden.  I also omitted the sugar and lemon juice, and we ate them hot from the crock pot.  Most in the family thought they were good.  My teenager had two servings; the eleven year old had three.









						Melt An-Tour-Mouth Green Beans with Turkish Pepper from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook by Paula Wolfert
					

The Greeks have a saying that they use frequently to convey the importance of patience: Slowly, slowly, sour grapes turn to honey.Since you need patience for this green bean recipe, I advise using...




					app.ckbk.com
				




I don’t think it will be a regular, but it was a nice way to use green beans and tomatoes from the garden without having to fuss at dinner time.


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## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> Those both look tasty, @PaulOinMA .
> 
> I used a new technique in cooking green beans.  We’ve been sautéing them a lot this summer with the occasional boiling, but this afternoon I tried a crockpot method.  I didn’t have the pepper flakes called for in the recipe so substituted a small fish pepper from the garden.  I also omitted the sugar and lemon juice, and we ate them hot from the crock pot.  Most in the family thought they were good.  My teenager had two servings; the eleven year old had three.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Melt An-Tour-Mouth Green Beans with Turkish Pepper from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook by Paula Wolfert
> 
> 
> The Greeks have a saying that they use frequently to convey the importance of patience: Slowly, slowly, sour grapes turn to honey.Since you need patience for this green bean recipe, I advise using...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> app.ckbk.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don’t think it will be a regular, but it was a nice way to use green beans and tomatoes from the garden without having to fuss at dinner time.


Sounds like Allepo pepper would be perfect for this, though I can't access the recipe. You need to belong to the club.


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## DuaeGuttae

I’m sorry about the link not working.  I don’t actually belong to the club myself. 

I found a recipe for slow-cooked green beans in my paper copy of _How to Cook Everything_, and the author mentioned that it was inspired by Paula Wolfert.  I googled “Paula Wolfert crockpot green beans” and the recipe came up.  I’ll see if I can copy and paste.
*INGREDIENTS*

1½ pounds thick green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup peeled, seeded, and chopped canned tomato or 1 large juicy tomato, halved, seeded, and grated
¼ teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes (see Mail Order Sources)
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt
Lemon juice

SIDE DISH
SALAD
GLUTEN-FREE
VEGAN
*METHOD*
Place everything in the clay insert of an electric slow-cooker. Add 2tablespoons water, cover with a small round of crumpled parchment, and set on the lid. Cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, or on high for 3½ hours, until the beans are very tender. Taste for salt. Allow to mellow overnight. Serve cool with a few drops of lemon juice to taste.

I’m looking forward to having the leftovers tomorrow, and I’ll try the lemon juice on it then.


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## clancey

That sounds really good and I might try that down the road..clancey


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## PaulOinMA

Green bean recipes sound good.

Makes me always think of the time I needed beans for a cold salad.  I just grab beans by the handful.

There was a little old lady in front of the beans, picking them up one-at-a-time, holding it close to her face, and inspecting them.  Went in her bag if they passed inspection.

Decided to do the rest of my food shopping first, and I'd grab a couple of handfuls of beans right before I went to check out.


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## clancey

Ha Ha Ha---now I am going to the store....clancey


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## begreen

How do you grate a big juicy tomato? And those green beans must be pretty tough to cook that long. We lightly steam fresh garden green beans. Can't stand them when they are cooked to an olive green mush.


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## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> How do you grate a big juicy tomato? And those green beans must be pretty tough to cook that long. We lightly steam fresh garden green beans. Can't stand them when they are cooked to an olive green mush.



I asked the same question about grating a tomato to myself and my daughter.  I then proceeded to slice and dice up a couple of mine that needed using.

A couple of my beans were a little more filled out than I would use for lightly steamed (the ones I miss for a day when picking), but most of them were young and tender from the garden that morning.  My kids actually like beans “cooked to death” when we sautée them, so I figured they’d be okay with slow-cooked green beans.  (They were olive green, thankfully not  mush, but definitely not crisp.). It worked for variety for us, but it would not be to everybody’s taste.

We haven’t had the leftovers yet because I really needed to harvest Swiss Chard this morning.  I used half to accompany Welsh Rarebit for the afternoon meal, and half will go to the freezer.

The plan for dinner tonight is









						Pasta With 15-Minute Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
					

Juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes burst open in warm olive oil, creating a luxuriously silky sauce that comes together in minutes.




					www.epicurious.com
				




since I picked about 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes on Monday.  (Some needed a bit more time to ripen, but we were expecting rain, and a couple of my varieties split.)


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## clancey

I would cook my fresh beans with the rest of the ingredients in a wok so that they would not get too mushy...I also like crisp vegetables unless I have ham and cabbage then its okay a little mushy on the cabbage only,,,lol  Everything sounds just great..clancey


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## bholler

PA dutch chicken pot pie tonight at the camp site in WV


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## bholler

clancey said:


> I would cook my fresh beans with the rest of the ingredients in a wok so that they would not get too mushy...I also like crisp vegetables unless I have ham and cabbage then its okay a little mushy on the cabbage only,,,lol  Everything sounds just great..clancey


I always do beans in a pan with butter and garlic


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## clancey

Sounds good to me--I love string beans...clancey


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## DuaeGuttae

bholler said:


> PA dutch chicken pot pie tonight at the camp site in WV



I grew up with chicken pot pie being served as a casserole topped with biscuits.  I make it for my kids with an actual pie crust.  A quick search tells me that this is more of a chicken stew with homemade dough squares.  Sounds like something I need to look into.  Do you have a recipe to share?


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## DuaeGuttae

Today was a somewhat big cooking day in our house.  I had thawed fish yesterday for supper but ended up not cooking it so needed to prepare it for the noon meal.  I planned to batter it lightly and deep fry it.  When I went to the garden this morning, I noticed an abundance of male pumpkin blossoms (the same species as zucchini).  Since fried zucchini blossoms are so popular in Italy, I figured I’d try the batter and deep frying technique on the pumpkin.  They were delicious.  (We also had green beans.)






Dinner was Greek salad with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and the last green onions from the garden.  We had caramelized blondies with macademia nuts and white chocolate chips as a special treat for dessert.  Not the most photogenic, but it was yummy and rich.  Our family of six only ate half, and the five year old couldn’t even finish his piece.


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## bholler

DuaeGuttae said:


> I grew up with chicken pot pie being served as a casserole topped with biscuits.  I make it for my kids with an actual pie crust.  A quick search tells me that this is more of a chicken stew with homemade dough squares.  Sounds like something I need to look into.  Do you have a recipe to share?


No recipe I have just been making it since I was a kid.  Ham beef venison chicken squirrel etc it doesn't matter.  But it's always better in a pot over a fire.


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## DuaeGuttae

I made a yummy nectarine-pepper jam this afternoon.  We ate it on fresh biscuits, and we cooked pork chops in a sauce made from the leftovers in the cooking pot.  This was a hit with the whole family.




Here’s the recipe I used for inspiration. 









						Peach jalapeño jam
					

Texans love their peaches. I’d say that this love ranks right up there along with bluebonnets, barbecue, cheese enchiladas and football. And for good reason, as Texan peaches are the best. I’ve always assumed everyone




					www.homesicktexan.com
				




  I was making close to a double batch, but I accidentally did not increase the sugar at all, and it was a good accident for our tastes.  I used three ripe fish peppers (they tend to run hotter than jalapeños), and the heat was noticeable but not overpowering.  I can see it being excellent on cheese and crackers.


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## begreen

We make our jams quite low sugar and like them that way. Much more of the fruit flavor comes forward with less sugar.


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## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> We make our jams quite low sugar and like them that way. Much more of the fruit flavor comes forward with less sugar.



I agree with letting the fruit flavor come forward.  We also don’t use commercial pectin, and that lets us have more freedom with sugar ratios.  I made a small batch of jelly the next day from the nectarine pits and peels and boiled it a bit too long.  For some reason it wasn’t sheeting off my spoon as I expected, and I ended up with a bit too firm a gel, but it’s still a hit.

Today for lunch we had some leftover roast lamb, bread, and grilled cucumbers all served with a feta cheese dip.

Here is the recipe that I used for grilling the cucumbers.  I made my own version of the feta dip based on what we prefer, and my kids actually said it was the best dip I’ve ever made.  I need to type out what I did before I forget.









						Grilled Cucumbers with Creamy Pickled Feta Dip
					

Raise your hand if you love pickles!  I love pickles so much that in middle school a friend and I declared (unfortunately




					www.shelikesfood.com
				




3/4 cup yogurt, blended with an equal amount of feta cheese, one tablespoon of lemon juice, 3 cloves of garlic, a large bunch of za’atar (Syrian oregano) and a few mint leaves, one teaspoon of salt, one half teaspoon of pepper.  I added another 1/4 cup of feta after the blending was done and stirred it in.  I think it was a bit too heavy on the salt, but it worked as a dip.

My eleven year old in particular loved the dip, and he’s not a huge fan of leftover lamb, so this was a good way to make it more palatable to him.  My eight year old went back for seconds and thirds on the grilled cucumbers.  She says they may be even better than pickles.  The others liked the cucumbers okay but said that I needn’t go to the trouble of grilling in the heat again.  That was my impression, too.


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## begreen

Your family is lucky to have such an adventuresome cook.  We have a griddle pan that we use on the stove for when we want to grill and the weather is too hot or cold outside, though normally it gets more use in the winter. Staub makes a nice heavy one. 

We use Sure-Jell low sugar pectin. What do you use in lieu of this?


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## DuaeGuttae

Thanks, Begreen.  Sometimes they think I’m too adventuresome, but I’m blessed to have kids that enjoy good food.

I have a griddle pan as well, and I debated using it.  What I really need to do is move the little wood rack down off our deck and switch the grill to the other side that is in the shade.  The past few days have been much more sunny, and it’s just too intense for me.  (Our solar panels have had higher production this past week than any other this summer.    I had forgotten just how intense the sun can be since our weather has been unusually cloudy and even rainy at times.)

I don’t use any pectin in part because for years we were on a strict elimination diet, and it was an ingredient that could give my son eczema.  His skin is much better now and his sensitivities are not so severe, so we’ve added in other things that we never used to eat like lemon juice.  When I make jam or jelly from a low acid fruit, I just add lemon to it.  I don’t make that many, though.


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## EbS-P

Three B’s over an open fire. Burgers, bean and bread pudding.


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## DuaeGuttae

EbS-P said:


> Three B’s over an open fire. Burgers, bean and bread pudding.
> 
> View attachment 280966
> View attachment 280967



Will you tell us more about bread pudding, please?

Right now whatever comes out of our garden is what we build our meals around.  Our okra is just beginning to take off, and I only have four plants producing (two more getting ready), so our quantities are small.  I had enough today, though, to fry up a batch.  Because I already had breading and hot oil, we also had fried fish.  My husband fried some potatoes, though I’m not sure we really needed them on top of the other food.  Everybody enjoyed it, but there were leftovers of everything.


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## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> Will you tell us more about bread pudding, please?


Told kids they could roast marshmallows. Forgot to get them at store.  I still owed them a desert they said.

I don’t follow recipes, just use them as a guide.  Call it 6 eggs, 6-7 cups skim milk, 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, enough bread to fill, spice to taste (just grabbed some pumpkin pie seasoning).  Cooked an hour that was to long, 40 min next time.  Still came out great.  First time cooking in a Dutch oven.  Will repeat. Probably will get a larger Dutch oven.   I see a wood fired oven in my future.  
Evan.


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## DuaeGuttae

Thanks for the details on the bread pudding.  I have two nice Dutch ovens that I use all the time for cooking, never on a campfire, however.  One is five quarts, I think, the other six.  They are great for a variety of tasks, especially when feeding four hungry kids.

I often use recipes just for inspiration, too, though I use recipes for some things like breads or pastry quite faithfully, even to the point of measuring my ingredients with a gram scale.  In part that’s because we use a lot of einkorn flour because of some non-celiac gluten intolerance in the family, and it can be much more difficult to handle than modern wheat.

We had our leftovers from yesterday for our supper tonight.  That gave me a little extra time to prepare food for the freezer.  Today’s cooking project was empanadas with a calzone-type filling: onion, hot pepper, spinach, tomato, garlic, oregano, goat cheese, and a a little Pecorino Romano (in part because I had some fresh tomatoes to use).  I made thirteen empanadas and have some filling left over.   The empanadas are cooling now and will be put away to be used for lunches in the future.  I’ll spread the leftover filling on focaccia dough tomorrow for an easy lunch.


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## DuaeGuttae

The leftover empanada filling actually worked quite well as stromboli filling instead of being focaccia topping today.  Normally I wouldn’t use an egg simply to add sheen to the top (though I admit it’s beautiful), but I wanted to make sure that the dough stayed well sealed, and I therefore used an egg wash as part of the rolling up process.  Since I already had an egg beaten and a brush dirty, there was no reason not to coat the top.  I got some “oohs“ and “aahs” over thsee when they came out of the oven.  My nine year old helped cut the slits and was very proud of her role in creating a scrumptious lunch.


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## fbelec

they do look great


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## EbS-P

Seafood paella!  So I don’t recommend a paella pan that doesn’t fit in your oven…. Unless your family is as hungry as mine!


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## DuaeGuttae

That looks really, really good!  I love seafood, especially shrimp, but I don’t get to eat it these days.  Two of my children appear to have a shellfish allergy, so it’s no longer part of the menu.  Sad.

How large is that pan?  Is it just the handles that prevent it from fitting in the oven?  I imagine that four growing boys can put away a lot of food!


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## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> That looks really, really good!  I love seafood, especially shrimp, but I don’t get to eat it these days.  Two of my children appear to have a shellfish allergy, so it’s no longer part of the menu.  Sad.
> 
> How large is that pan?  Is it just the handles that prevent it from fitting in the oven?  I imagine that four growing boys can put away a lot of food!


I think I ordered the 22” enameled pan,  oven is 16” deep (I really like the convection function and would not trade it for a larger oven) .  3 cups rice,  2# shrimp and 4# of muscles.   It could hold one more cup of rice.  

  I tried it on the stove top and it didn’t go very well. Burned in the center under cooked rice on the edge. Tried it on a wok burner, same results.  This was by far the best way for a pan that size.


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## DuaeGuttae

I’ve been doing crock pot cooking this week.  Wednesday night was tamale pie, a mixture of seasoned ground beef topped with cornbread mixed with corn kernels, tomatoes, and peppers.  It was a great way to use some cherry tomatoes and peppers from the garden.  I don’t have a photo of the finished product, but I took a shot of the hot pepper, garlic, and oregano seasoning that I made in the food processor.  It was a great combination.
	

		
			
		

		
	




Yesterday I harvested a bunch of shishito peppers from two container grown plants on our back deck.  They’re little peppers, and it took a long time for me to halve and deseed them for a crock pot pepper steak, but as my nine-year-old daughter said, it was worth the effort.  They provided a great flavor with just a bit of heat.  I’m just about to go eat the leftovers, and I expect that the pepper steak, like the tamale pie, will be even better the second day.


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## begreen

Sounds good. When you say cornbread, was this cornbread dough cooked up in the crockpot on top of the other ingredients or prebaked cornbread?


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## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> Sounds good. When you say cornbread, was this cornbread dough cooked up in the crockpot on top of the other ingredients or prebaked cornbread?


Cornbread batter (eggs, milk, cornmeal and masa) cooked in the crockpot on top of the seasoned ground beef.  The chopped tomatoes and peppers were mixed into the batter, though.  

I should also mention that about ten minutes before serving, I sprinkled the top with shredded cheddar.  The heat remaining in the crockpot melted that on top.


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## PaulOinMA

Easy roast chicken and vegetables.  4 1/2-lb. roaster chicken.    2-lb. small red potatoes, carrot, celery, onion.  Melted butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, garlic powder/sea salt/freshly ground pepper.  Griswold 12/719 cast iron skillet.


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## PaulOinMA

Making buckeyes this week.  Chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls.   Haven't made them in a while.



			https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/buckeyes.2606579/#post-29138199


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## DuaeGuttae

We had a fajita dinner last night with homemade tortillas.  They tasted great, but I need to improve on my rolling technique.  I just can’t manage good circles.

Our peppers were little shishitos from our garden.  I picked just over three quarters of a pound and set up an assembly line on our table.  My nine year old cut the tops, passed them to the fourteen year old who sliced them in half, then I took them and scraped out the seeds with a little baby spoon.  It’s definitely more labor intensive that chopping a bell pepper, but my bell peppers haven’t grown well this year, and the shishitos have done great.  Now I have some sliced peppers in the freezer, too.


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## kennyp2339

Penne with Mushrooms and Spicy Sausage | Pasquale Sciarappa Recipes
					

This penne with mushrooms and spicy sausage dish can also be made using your favorite pasta. Now that tomatoes are in season, they are more full of flavor and



					orsararecipes.net


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## EbS-P

How about a birthday cake (it’s chocolate!).  My wife and I team up.  Can you guess the theme?


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## DuaeGuttae

EbS-P said:


> How about a birthday cake (it’s chocolate!).  My wife and I team up.  Can you guess the theme?
> 
> View attachment 282334



Does Vinny identify himself as a Ravenclaw, or is that just where the name looked best?  I am a Ravenclaw in our household as is my third child.

I’ve got four kids, and the oldest divided them into houses a couple of years ago.   We have little glass vases and fake gems in red, yellow, blue, and green where they can get gems added or taken away for excellent or particularly bad behavior.  It’s not in use at the moment, but they enjoyed it when we did it.

You and your wife are pretty impressive as cake decorators.  I have one child  (the Gryffindor) who breaks out in hives because of food dyes, so that gives me a great excuse not to go to all that trouble.  Phew.


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## begreen

Got a new Ooni pizza oven for my birthday. This was the first run. Not perfect, it's a different style of baking from the home oven and fast. The second pizza was done in about a 75 seconds! We were also trying out a new flour which was not pleasing. It was too soft. Will go back to 00 flour for the next try. The toppings were delicious regardless. Homemade sauce, garden onions, peppers, good quality mozzerella, olives and artichoke hearts.


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## PaulOinMA

Happy birthday!


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## clancey

Food looks really good and may I ask what a ravanclaw is?  clancey


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## fbelec

Happy Birthday    that pizza sounds like a good combo


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## MrCool1

How awesome, and Happy Birthday!
J and I have been talking about a woodfired oven/grill combo for outside - but I have to show her this when she gets up!
and you can never go wrong with artichoke hearts!
33 outside just south of Eugene and I just put another load in the stove......


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## MrCool1

clancey said:


> Food looks really good and may I ask what a ravanclaw is?  clancey


sounds like a Harry Potter "houses" reference to me!


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## clancey

I am so ignorant on that stuff but "you might be right"..lol clancey


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## ispinwool

begreen said:


> Got a new Ooni pizza oven for my birthday. This was the first run. Not perfect, it's a different style of baking from the home oven and fast. The second pizza was done in about a 75 seconds! We were also trying out a new flour which was not pleasing. It was too soft. Will go back to 00 flour for the next try. The toppings were delicious regardless. Homemade sauce, garden onions, peppers, good quality mozzerella, olives and artichoke hearts.
> 
> Looks WONDERFUL!  Where is this oven located? kitchen/patio? ...I'm thinking we really need a video!


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## MrCool1

I skipped the slow cooker yesterday - threw 3 (HUGE) chicken breast halves in, covered with swiss cheese, a can of cream of chicken soup mixed with a quarter cup of milk, and the some stuffing mix on "my" side. then drizzle a 1/4 cup of melted butter over - if you don't do the stuffing, probably want to skip that butter part!
  350 degrees for an hour. 
 J had to work late so I tried to time it for when she was supposed to get home. missed by 20 minutes. I got this off the internet years ago, apparently it can be made up ahead of time and frozen - sometimes I make a couple and freeze one to cook later. seems to turn out just as well.
J hates stuffing, so I figure its best if I try to accommodate! and the stuffing sneaks over while cooking - so I still hear about it!


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> Got a new Ooni pizza oven for my birthday. This was the first run. Not perfect, it's a different style of baking from the home oven and fast. The second pizza was done in about a 75 seconds! We were also trying out a new flour which was not pleasing. It was too soft. Will go back to 00 flour for the next try. The toppings were delicious regardless. Homemade sauce, garden onions, peppers, good quality mozzerella, olives and artichoke hearts.
> 
> View attachment 283163
> View attachment 283164
> View attachment 283165



Happy Birthday, Begreen.  You have my taste in pizza toppings.  Yum!


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## DuaeGuttae

MrCool1 said:


> sounds like a Harry Potter "houses" reference to me!


Yes, that’s the reference.  About ten years ago, my husband got me the books from the library when I had an extended time of being sick in bed, and I really enjoyed them.  When we were moving to Texas we listened to the first book or two on CD for the long car trip for the kids.  Most of my reading for the past decade and a half has been children’s literature, trying to preview or at least share everything my kids read.  I can now no longer keep up, though I do still tend to read what the younger ones are reading because they like to talk about it with me.


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## DuaeGuttae

MrCool1 said:


> I skipped the slow cooker yesterday - threw 3 (HUGE) chicken breast halves in, covered with swiss cheese, a can of cream of chicken soup mixed with a quarter cup of milk, and the some stuffing mix on "my" side. then drizzle a 1/4 cup of melted butter over - if you don't do the stuffing, probably want to skip that butter part!
> 350 degrees for an hour.
> J had to work late so I tried to time it for when she was supposed to get home. missed by 20 minutes. I got this off the internet years ago, apparently it can be made up ahead of time and frozen - sometimes I make a couple and freeze one to cook later. seems to turn out just as well.
> J hates stuffing, so I figure its best if I try to accommodate! and the stuffing sneaks over while cooking - so I still hear about it!
> 
> View attachment 283228



I think removable crocks in slow cookers were a great upgrade not only for washing but also for the chance to stick the whole crock in the oven on occasion. I do that, too, when I realize that I’m not going to manage to have my meal cooked in the time I have, though I try to avoid using the oven too much in the summers down here.


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## MrCool1

DuaeGuttae said:


> I think removable crocks in slow cookers were a great upgrade not only for washing but also for the chance to stick the whole crock in the oven on occasion. I do that, too, when I realize that I’m not going to manage to have my meal cooked in the time I have, though I try to avoid using the oven too much in the summers down here.


we don't have  A/C - so we watch what we do with the oven in July and August - our 100 degree days this year were in late June early July - when I was re-roofing the house! ( hated that!)
another reason I like the slow cooker - we have a covered back porch - and the slow cooker works just fine out there instead of any extra heat in the house. our trees have gotten big enough we have a few acres we call the "dark woods" - fir trees sneaking past 40', and no sun ever hits the ground in there. 10 degrees cooler in there in the summer - so we have picnic dinners in there a lot in the hot weather.
now that I might have time, next year we want to do a summer kitchen - with a wood fired oven - grill and smoker - with a metal roof - and hopefully chimney out the smoke from it all.  toughest part of that is our woods are under forestry rules - so when the burning ban starts, we can't barbecue unless propane - so we don't bother. and usually we quit before then - these fir and pine needles really want to go.....


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## begreen

Yes, we don't do much oven cooking in the summer and none on the very hot days. The stove top and the grill get used a lot more. We use the dutch oven much more in the winter, mostly for slow cooking on the wood stove.


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## DuaeGuttae

My husband helped me make a large batch of orange chicken last night.   We kept the sauce separate so that people could apply it as desired. All six of us enjoyed the chicken for dinner,  and we had plenty to keep some for leftovers and still put some of the breaded chicken in the freezer for use at a later date.  It was a lot of work to bread and fry a large bowl of chicken, but the rave reviews and the future meals are good rewards.


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## PaulOinMA

Yum!  Found a great sesame chicken recipe online.  I will post the link tomorrow when I'm on my laptop.

I have a great story about buying my wok in 1988.  I will post that, too.


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## PaulOinMA

I love orange chicken.   Recipe please.   Would always get it at Ollie's Noodle Shop in NY near Broadway.


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## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> I love orange chicken.   Recipe please.   Would always get it at Ollie's Noodle Shop in NY near Broadway.



Here’s the base I used.  I subsittuted fresh garlic, ginger, and hot pepper, and didn’t add zest or green onions simply because I didn’t have them.   I’m sure they would add, though the meal was delicious anyway.









						Chinese Orange Chicken
					

Chinese Orange Chicken made at home is way better than take-out. Crispy fried chicken with a sweet and tangy orange sauce. The perfect orange chicken recipe




					www.modernhoney.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Thanks!  Here's sesame chicken.






						Flawless Sesame Chicken (Restaurant Style) Recipe - Food.com
					

This is the recipe you've been looking for!  It makes a perfect sesame chicken.  This excellent recipe comes out perfect every time with little fuss a




					www.food.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Bought my wok in early 1988.  It was my first job out of grad school.  A colleague was a Chinese woman.

She called Chinese chili paste "spicy bean tea."

Showed her the recipe I followed for peanut sauce.  She laughed, "too many ingredients."

She knew how much I liked to make Chinese food.  I was leaving that job for another division within the company.  Went in her office right before I was leaving and told her I bought a wok over the weekend.

Thought she would be pleased.  Instead, I had this little Chinese lady screaming at me.

"Why for you buy wok?  Why for you buy wok?  That be go way gift!  Now need new idea!"


----------



## clancey

That's a nice memory of days gone by and I love cooking with my stainless steel wok and so easy too..Those folks have the right idea about cooking...You can put anything with it to make a real nice meal just like a "stock pot" from years ago...thanks...clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

Just wanted to pass on a place, if anyone is looking for a wok.






						The Wok Shop: Selling woks and Asian kitchenware for over 48 years
					






					www.wokshop.com
				




Mine was bought at the outlets in Flemington, NJ.  Was living there at the time.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Yesterday I made another large batch of tortillas.  My nine year old is an awesome helper.  She fries each one for me so that I can roll out the next one.  I picked 90 shishito peppers off our plants and sliced and seeded them for the fajita filling.  Otherwise it was just some shaved steak and sliced onions, but it was yummy.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

My husband has been wanting Chicken Paprikas(h) recently, so he cooked up a pot tonight.  We didn’t have any egg noodles, so we made some in the afternoon.  Both made for a tasty supper.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I made some really decadent crackers today following this recipe:









						Homemade Spicy Cheese Crackers ⋆ The Gardening Foodie
					

Skip the store bought crackers and give my homemade spicy cheese crackers a try. Made with just 5 basic ingredients,it is easy to make and so delicious.




					thegardeningfoodie.com
				




I used part cheddar and part Pecorino Romano as well as a small amount of my homemade fish pepper powder (pretty hot stuff).  The crackers were really rich, perhaps too strong with the pecorino, but they were a hit with my kids.  I think I’ll try some variations in the future, perhaps one with soft goat cheese.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Looks good.  I keep saying I should make crackers.  Haven't yet.


----------



## clancey

They look really good but I would leave out the fish chili powder and substitute with something else more mild...I like your combination of cheeses..mmm good...clancey


----------



## EbS-P

Tofu, broccoli, green bean and edamame stir fry.  If you like stir fry and need to make a lot and don’t have a big burner you REALLY need one!


----------



## fbelec

that looks great. but don't know what edamame is


----------



## EbS-P

fbelec said:


> that looks great. but don't know what edamame is


Thanks.  During the summer it’s a once a week meal to cook outside. Green soybeans.  Often served in the shell as an appetizer at Japanese restaurants.  Kids love it.  Fun to pop out of the shell.  It’s almost like a vegetable. It’s green right?   I’ve been buying frozen shelled.  Even added to a meatloaf for something different as I didn’t have time to prep carrots.


----------



## thewoodlands

I haven't added anything but hope I do in the near future. After my operation in early March I let my weight jump to 234.4 (all my fault) in late August I started my weight loss and this morning I was 210.4.

Today is my last day on my weight loss adventure and tomorrow we'll have some scalloped potatoes for supper. I'm hoping that I can maintain my weight between 212 - 216.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

EbS-P said:


> Tofu, broccoli, green bean and edamame stir fry.  If you like stir fry and need to make a lot and don’t have a big burner you REALLY need one!
> 
> View attachment 284331



That looks really tasty.  What is that burner?


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Our summer is finally winding down here.  As a (perhaps) last hurrah with summer vegetables last night, I made a bhindi (okra) masala.  My husband had recently made a lovely batch of Greek yogurt, so I was able to make naan and a cucumber raita (the cucumbers were dehyrdrated, but I let them soak in the yogurt, and it worked acceptably).


----------



## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> That looks really tasty.  What is that burner?


I think this is where I got it it from. It’s a propane wok burner.   It’s like a 200k btu burner.  Needs a high pressure regulator.  I can brown 10# of burger and 2# of onion  in 10 minutes!  Looks like they don’t have my big daddy burner. Just the measly 160kBTU









						PowerFlamer Propane 160 - Long Lead Time - outdoorstirfry.com
					

PowerFlamer Propane 160 continuous power 0 to 160kBTU/Hr. Various leg, ignition and propane fuel source options are available.




					outdoorstirfry.com


----------



## clancey

I think I will be eating these "forever"--so many tomatoes I have:  Its fried tomatoes and apple sauce with cinnamon and linked sausage with bread a nice lunch to eat..clancey


----------



## fbelec

fried tomato's with apple sauce sound good


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan made a chocolate cream pie Saturday for my birthday, which is November 5.  Great recipe.  Picture at post #312 in here last November, too.  I make the pie dough for her.

She'll also make a yellow cake with chocolate frosting for my birhday this weekend.


----------



## clancey

I made up some black eye pea soup with green tomato's and I think I will be eating :"green tomato's" for the rest of my life...Tried to give away more to my neighbor but she says they have plenty..I froze some toooooo--had it with applesauce...lol sick of tomato;s but eating them "all" up..clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

Chip Scones yesterday.  Work butter into dry ingredients by hand.  Very easy.  Nan had one last night with clotted cream.  I may have them with jam.  Recipe from the King Arthur Flour web site.









						Chocolate Chip Scones
					

Tender scones made with dark chocolate chips.




					www.kingarthurbaking.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Pork fried rice Saturday night.  Will have it for a few nights.

*Pork Fried Rice*​Adapted from “Fried Rice,” _Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook_ by the Editors of Consumer Guide, 1980.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked, brown rice or. brown/wild rice blend
3 cups water, or rice cooking directions amount
4 eggs
cooking oil, peanut oil
1-plus pound pork, cut into bite-sized pieces
ginger root, minced
garlic, minced
pepper freshly ground
Carrots, diced
Peas, frozen, defrosted
green onions, sliced
soy sauce (reduced-sodium tamari)
Sesame oil
Chinese chili paste (spicy bean tea)

Directions

Heat oven to 325 ℉.  Rinse rice.  Bring water to boil.  Add rice; bring to boil.  Cover and place in oven.  Cook per package directions time, usually 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand covered 10 minutes.  Spread in 13- by 9-inch pan to dry.

While rice is in oven, cook eggs in one sheet in large skillet.  Cool on cutting board and cut into strips and pieces with a wavy pastry cutter or pizza wheel.

Add oil to hot wok.  Add garlic and ginger.  Stir fry a few seconds until fragrant.  Add and cook pork.  Add carrots, peas, scallion, and pepper. Stir fry a few minutes.  Season with soy sauce and sesame oil.

If having after cooking, add rice and egg to wok and heat throughout.  Or add to cooled rice and mix for later.  Top with additional sliced scallion.  Serve with soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste.


----------



## clancey

That.s sounds wonderful and I will leave out the chili peppers--too hot for me..lol although I love the taste...clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

Apricot cream cheese scones.  Very good recipe.  Used 2 c. King Arthur Flour (KAF) A/P flour, 1 1/4 c. KAF cake flour.  Brush the square with the wash and sprinkle with Swedish pearl sugar before cutting.  Much easier that way.









						Apricot Cream Cheese Scones
					

Tender, moist scones flecked with sweet apricot chunks.




					www.kingarthurbaking.com


----------



## PaulOinMA

Bok choy stir fry.  Add oil to hot skillet.  Add minced garlic and stir a few seconds.  Stir fry bok choy.  Place in bowl and add reduced-sodium tamari, a little sesame oil, and Chinese chili paste.  Yum!

Went to the Rutgers - UMass men's basketball game in Amherst on Saturday afternoon.  Had two hot dogs at the game.  Wanted something light for dinner.

Horrible game for RU fans.  My wife went there.  Double digit lead the whole game.  RU up by 15, 72 - 57 with under 8 1/2 minutes left in the game.  UMass switched to a zone, which completely befuddled RU.  UMass won on a buzzer-beater three-pointer.

Geo Baker, RU's point guard sat out with a hamstring.  Nobody else would try to drive the zone.  Game flow scoring in the following.









						Rutgers vs. UMass - Men's College Basketball Game Summary - November 27, 2021 | ESPN
					

Visit ESPN for the game summary of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. UMass Minutemen NCAAM basketball game on November 27, 2021




					www.espn.com
				




My wife tried to get comp tickets through Rutgers.  All 75 of the athletic department's tickets were given out.  Geo Baker is from NH.  Head coach is from CT.  Assistant head coach is from MA.

Lots of RU fans at the game.  Very few people at the game overall, being the Saturday after Thanksgiving.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Butternut squash and corn soup yesterday.  Very easy to make.  Play with squash, chicken stock, half-and-half, and creamed corn amounts to get what you like.  I use two butternut squash and cans creamed corn.  No -salt-added chicken stock.  Don't add the additional salt in the recipe as creamed corn contains salt.  I reserve the bacon and serve as a topping, rather than having it in the soup.  Top with sour cream, croutons, and bacon.  Will have for several nights.  Very good.  Yum!









						Corn and Squash Soup
					

This hearty soup pairs squash and cream-style corn for pleasant taste. My family says this is their favorite squash recipe, and friends also comment on its wonderful flavor. —Janice Zook, White River Junction, Vermont




					www.tasteofhome.com


----------



## clancey

Why that's different and I might try that--maybe it depends on my energy level...I bet it taste pretty good if you like corn...Anybody heard from DuaeGuttae lately and wondered what was cooked in her house over the holidays..clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

I had no idea current butternut squash ... more specifically Waltham Butternut ...  is a modern hybrid squash from a farmer right near here in Stow, MA in 1944.  My wife and I thought it was an old squash ... like Pilgrim old.  That explains why a friend visiting from Germany in 2014 commented that she never heard of butternut squash when she saw it on the menu.  She ordered it and liked it.









						Shop Winter Squash, Waltham Butternut and other Seeds at Harvesting History
					

WINTER SQUASH, Waltham Butternut – Cucurbito moschata FULL SUN Though the fruit looks like it should be an ancient squash, the butternuts are quite new – the first being introduced in 1944. Waltham Butternut, bred by Robert Young of the Waltham Agricultural Experiment Station was introduced in...




					harvesting-history.com
				












						The strange history of the butternut
					

The butternut has a most unlikely origin. It was bred by a Charles Leggett of Stow, Massachusetts, in the USA in the mid-1940s. He was not a plant breeder.




					www.farmersweekly.co.za


----------



## DuaeGuttae

clancey said:


> Why that's different and I might try that--maybe it depends on my energy level...I bet it taste pretty good if you like corn...Anybody heard from DuaeGuttae lately and wondered what was cooked in her house over the holidays..clancey



I’m okay here, Mrs. Clancey, but I did have a bad GI bug that took me out of commission  for about ten days earlier this month.  I’m past the infection but still feel like I have more strength to gain back. 

I cooked a very simple Thanksgiving meal: a turkey that I brined the previous day and roasted with a bread stuffing, gravy, cranberry orange relish, and green beans.  We had a pumpkin pie for dessert (though my pie pumpkin needed a bit of supplementing with sweet potatoes).  Normally I would have a couple more dishes (a pumpkin or butternut squash soup and mashed potatoes), but this was plenty and a lot less work.

We had a nice dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and asparagus tonight.


----------



## EbS-P

Wood stove baked potatoes.  These were big pots and took an hour. coals were hot when I put them on.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had a strong cold front blow in over the weekend, and it gave me a hankering for chili.  I didn’t manage to cook it until today (with sides of cornbread and kale greens) when it was warmer, but it was a great dinner.  I used the food processor with fresh garlic, fresh oregano, and a large, very hot pepper to make my chili seasoning.  It was a hit.




It will be even better for leftovers.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Been thinking about chili lately.  Used to be a New Years' Day tradition.  Will be sometime in January.


----------



## kennyp2339

Polish night here. Damp, rainy day here, this meal warms your soul
Ingredients - Polish kielbasa, 1 bag of fresh sauerkraut, head of cabbage, sweet onion, garlic, egg noodles, salt & pepper
Chop whole onion up (I use a large onion) in a frying pan with some olive oil start cooking the onion until it becomes translucent, add garlic and wait for it to scent.
Chop approx 2 1/2 cups of cabbage, add to frying pan
Add half a bag of sauerkraut (about 16oz if using the canned stuff)
Salt and pepper, cook in pan approx 20-25min on low heat, stir every 5, you want the cabbage to cook and become soft
Boil water for egg noodles, once the water boils add 2 cups of noodles
Add cut up kielbasa to frying pan, cook additional 10min while egg noodles are boiling  
After noodles are done in a large bowl empty frying pan, then empty drained noodles, I add about a tablespoon of butter, mix everything well and let it sit for 10 min (it will be piping hot)
Enjoy your meal, perfect for snowstorms and rain days


----------



## PaulOinMA

Haluski and kielbasa.   Yum!

I have a spaetzle, cheese, and kielbasa recipe I need to make this winter.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

@kennyp2339, that kielbasa dish looks really good.  We occasionally eat kielbasa and sauerkraut (yum!), but I can’t say that I’ve ever combined fresh cabbage and sauerkraut in the same dish.  I love both, but I’ve never thought of combining them.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Christmas dinner of ham, scalloped potatoes with chard, and cranberry relish with orange and ginger.  We had apple pie for desert, and I have to give my husband credit for doing quite a nice crust.  It was a big help to me.


----------



## EbS-P

Today we put back into use the family dough box.  My grandfather was born in 1909 and remembered bread being baked weekly, mixed and kneaded in the dough box.  Today we started with 15 pounds of flour and 19 cups of water and ended up with 30 pizza crusts.   8 were baked tonight the rest frozen.    And a good time was had by all.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Wow!  I love cooking in batches and having food already prepared in the freezer, but I can confidently say that I have never done a batch of dough that large.  It looks like it was great family time, too.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Bought ingredients for chili on New Year's Day, tomorrow.  My wife always made chili on January 1 when she was growing up.  I make a variation of Perry Como's Favorite Chili from the _International Chili Society Official Chili Cookbook._   The 1981 cookbook is from a library book sale.  It's readily available online.

ICS web site: https://www.chilicookoff.com/


----------



## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> Wow!  I love cooking in batches and having food already prepared in the freezer, but I can confidently say that I have never done a batch of dough that large.  It looks like it was great family time, too.


Cooked five pizzas for dinner last night.  Started the oven (only one oven and no wood stove at it was almost 80 out) at 5 and then prepped toppings.  Pre cooked the crusts  on hot pizza steel under the broiler. It was over by 6:30.   I can say big dough batches save so much time.  A batch this size will be a regular occurrence moving forward.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

EbS-P said:


> Cooked five pizzas for dinner last night.  Started the oven (only one oven and no wood stove at it was almost 80 out) at 5 and then prepped toppings.  Pre cooked the crusts  on hot pizza steel under the broiler. It was over by 6:30.   I can say big dough batches save so much time.  A batch this size will be a regular occurrence moving forward.


How big are those pizzas?

I’ve been making three recently, using the three stones I have available, so it’s an assortment of sizes.  I keep cooked pizza sauce in the freezer from when the garden was producing a lot this summer, but I make the dough in my breadmaker the day I’m baking.   Sometimes I prebake, sometimes not.  It depends on the toppings.  Do your pizzas get customized for individual eaters?  Mine tend to be all the same, though if I’m adding hot peppers, I do leave some without.

Yesterday we did hit 80 down here and did not use the oven as it was pretty warm in the house, especially as the day was sunny.  My husband and I were rearranging some furniture (and cleaning), and it was uncomfortably warm.  This morning we were down to 24 outside, so we lit a fire in the woodstove for the first time in a while and cooked bacon in the oven.

Last night’s New Year’s dinner was Whippoorwill cowpeas cooked with our leftover Christmas ham bone in the crock pot and okra patties fried in a large electric skillet.  Black-eyed peas are probably the most familiar type of cowpea.  Whippoorwills taste similar but are more reddish.  The okra patties used okra, tomato, onion and pepper with cornmeal and a little flour and baking powder.  It was my first time making them, and people liked them a lot.


----------



## EbS-P

I use pizza screens. The get cooked on the steel an upside down,  cast skillet and a cast griddle. 12” screens fit my wood stove and grill oven.  I have 14” and a 16” That I can just close the oven door on.  

If I want a mess I let them all add toppings of their choosing.  Last night I didn’t want a mess. 2 cheese, 1 sausage, one sausage with onion and ricotta, once veggie and one salami with veggies on one half.


----------



## thewoodlands

A 5.7 pound Prime Rib we had tonight.


----------



## PaulOinMA

New Year's Day chili in a 7-Quart Dutch oven.  Served with cornbread.  Topped mine with hot sauce, sour cream, diced onion, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese.  Froze leftovers in single-serving containers.  Yum!


----------



## DuaeGuttae

@PaulOinMA , that prime rib looks delicious!  Chili, too.

@EbS-P, you really got my attention with your mention of pizza screens.  I’ve heard mention of lots of paraphernalia: stones, steels, peels, perforated pans, and the like, but never screens.  I had to look that up, and now I’m really intrigued.  Do you still use a peel for transferring in and out of the oven?


----------



## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> @PaulOinMA , that prime rib looks delicious!  Chili, too.
> 
> @EbS-P, you really got my attention with your mention of pizza screens.  I’ve heard mention of lots of paraphernalia: stones, steels, peels, perforated pans, and the like, but never screens.  I had to look that up, and now I’m really intrigued.  Do you still use a peel for transferring in and out of the oven?


Nope.  Kids make theirs right in the screen and then they can sit as long as it takes to get to the oven and nothing sticks terribly.  No fuss no extra flour no pizza casualties.  I use them for fries  too on convection.  Dough doesn’t have to be perfect either. Even if it’s too wet or thin you don’t have to worry.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

EbS-P said:


> Nope.  Kids make theirs right in the screen and then they can sit as long as it takes to get to the oven and nothing sticks terribly.  No fuss no extra flour no pizza casualties.  I use them for fries  too on convection.  Dough doesn’t have to be perfect either. Even if it’s too wet or thin you don’t have to worry.



That sounds great!  Thanks.


----------



## PaulOinMA

I also posted similar to the following December 17, 2020. 

Snowy here in MA means one thing: plett.  Little Swedish crepe-like pancakes.  My wife loves them, so I'm on my own for food all day.  She'll have them for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, evening treat.  She will also have salad, yogurt, fruit, which is our daily lunch, though.

She has plett rolled up as finger food, usually with cinnamon-sugar.  With Chocolate dipping sauce spread on them as a mini-chocolate crepe treat.  Yum!


----------



## Dan Freeman

I have to stop coming into this thread. It always makes me hungry! 😊


----------



## thewoodlands

Sometime in December we ordered a red casserole dish (2.3 quarts) they sent yellow so when they ask how we liked the dish, we told them we received the wrong color, we sent them the picture and they said keep the dish and we'll send you the red dish at no charge, when the second dish came in it was yellow (picture 2674) we sent pictures of the two yellow dishes together along with some pictures of the shipping labels (they requested that) they said keep the second dish at no charge and we'll send the red dish, I didn't take a picture but we finally received the red dish we ordered.

The last four pictures are a gnocchi casserole I made in the yellow dish around Christmas time, the wife liked it so much that she wanted it again, in the red dish this time. Tomorrow I'll make the spaghetti sauce and either Sunday or Monday I'll make the gnocchi casserole .

We won't have any meatballs that I can put in so I'll brown some loose sausage and use that along with three different cheeses and the sauce.


----------



## fbelec

old italian here     i love gnocchi. that looks great. and yes dan freeman it always make me hungry too, but i'll keep looking


----------



## thewoodlands

fbelec said:


> old italian here     i love gnocchi. that looks great. and yes dan freeman it always make me hungry too, but i'll keep looking


After this we'll make an Italian Meatloaf that will end up in a spaghetti sauce with some cheese melted on top.

Last year at this time, I weighed 234.4, yesterday I weighed 206.4.  Staying away from bread was hard but dropping 28 pounds was worth it. I plan on maintaining the weight I'm at instead of packing it back on and then working my arse off trying to lose it again.


----------



## clancey

I did the same thing and stopped eating bread and I lost 8 pounds but I sure do miss it...lol clancey


----------



## thewoodlands

The spaghetti sauce is on the stove tonight and like my wife would say, is the most important thing done, yes the dishes are done.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

thewoodlands said:


> Sometime in December we ordered a red casserole dish (2.3 quarts) they sent yellow so when they ask how we liked the dish, we told them we received the wrong color, we sent them the picture and they said keep the dish and we'll send you the red dish at no charge, when the second dish came in it was yellow (picture 2674) we sent pictures of the two yellow dishes together along with some pictures of the shipping labels (they requested that) they said keep the second dish at no charge and we'll send the red dish, I didn't take a picture but we finally received the red dish we ordered.
> 
> The last four pictures are a gnocchi casserole I made in the yellow dish around Christmas time, the wife liked it so much that she wanted it again, in the red dish this time. Tomorrow I'll make the spaghetti sauce and either Sunday or Monday I'll make the gnocchi casserole .
> 
> We won't have any meatballs that I can put in so I'll brown some loose sausage and use that along with three different cheeses and the sauce.
> 
> View attachment 289335
> View attachment 289336
> View attachment 289337
> View attachment 289338
> View attachment 289339



We had something like that happen with a large chest of drawers we ordered.  The first one came quite damaged.  The company didn’t want it back.  The second came, even worse.  The third one came intact except for the backing was damaged.  The company refunded part of the purchase price, and we bought a replacement backing board with it.  My father-in-law repaired the other two dressers so that they function even though the wood is crushed in places.  We use them for storage.

The first time I ever had gnocchi was in Rome.  It was delicious.  It’s really hard to get that same experience here.


----------



## clancey

I love Italian food period...hungry now...clancey


----------



## fbelec

it's hard to get good italian food anywhere. well at least italian/american. i grew up with a mother that could cook anything and the family even said she was the best cook in the family. i lost 25 almost 28 pounds just by stopping sugar. it depends on the time when the doc takes blood i float between pre diabetic and full diabetic so had to cut the sugar out. but when it comes to good italian food then i eat. i grew up at the time when my family would play frank sinatra, dean martin and louis prima. and would eat on holidays. soup then the main course then the salad then fruit and nuts then the coffee and pastrys everything homemade.  i really miss those times when everybody was alive and cooking


----------



## enordy

fbelec said:


> it's hard to get good italian food anywhere. well at least italian/american. i grew up with a mother that could cook anything and the family even said she was the best cook in the family. i lost 25 almost 28 pounds just by stopping sugar. it depends on the time when the doc takes blood i float between pre diabetic and full diabetic so had to cut the sugar out. but when it comes to good italian food then i eat. i grew up at the time when my family would play frank sinatra, dean martin and louis prima. and would eat on holidays. soup then the main course then the salad then fruit and nuts then the coffee and pastrys everything homemade.  i really miss those times when everybody was alive and cooking


By the end of the huge meal, my grandmother (and then my mother) would invariably forget they had also made artichokes.  It seemed like everyone was so full that half of us took an artichoke home 😂


----------



## clancey

I had that food one time in my life and it was down south and I learned to slide my teeth on the leaves (I guess) of the plant and get the so called fat of it..(artichokes) and this to me was a very unique experience...lol  The cook made some kind of stuffing and it was delicious..I enjoyed that dinner but I am not a great cook to be able to duplicate it..I can make bread--oboy---oboy----in the breadmaker--lol  clancey


----------



## thewoodlands

The wife put this gnocchi dish together when I was making a fire, she did a few things different like pushing the ricotta cheese down in and more mozzarella on top, this was better than the first dish I made, more cheese.


----------



## thewoodlands

Before it went in the oven.


----------



## fbelec

enordy said:


> By the end of the huge meal, my grandmother (and then my mother) would invariably forget they had also made artichokes.  It seemed like everyone was so full that half of us took an artichoke home 😂


love stuffed artichokes


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I grew two different varieties of sweet potatoes this year, and I have a bunch in my pantry.  The problem is that my children definitely prefer the larger, moister variety over the smaller, drier one.  It’s mostly a texture thing, I gather.  I decided, therefore, not to make another batch of my usual sweet potato mash but rather to make chips.  I had planned to bake them, but once I finished slicing up twelve small sweet potatoes, I realized that baking would just take too long.  I therefore fried them in batches in a shallow layer of oil in my electric skillet, then seasoned them with a little salt and Cajun seasoning.  Almost the entire batch disappeared, and I think the only reason I had leftovers for the next day was because I insisted upon it.




@EbS-P , you inspired me with your mention of pizza screens.  I did some reading about them and found a multi-pack of 14” screens for a good price.  I’ve been wanting to have a way to make my own frozen pizzas, and this seemed like a way that I could accomplish it.  It worked.  I made four pizzas yesterday.  We ate two fresh, but I froze the remaining two (using the griddle to create an empty, flat shelf on top of my vegetables).  I used them for dinner tonight.  I’m very excited to have a good way to make homemade frozen pizza.  (And I really liked the crispy crust from cooking on the screen.). The picture is the pizzas after they came out of the freezer but before they went into the oven.  They are both topped with onions, mushrooms, and shishito peppers.  The red peppers on the second pizza are hot banana peppers.


----------



## clancey

Everything looks soooo good..clancey


----------



## Dan Freeman

When a winter storm is coming, I like to make a big pot of what I call Quick Chili. So, with a storm coming tonight, I made a fresh batch that we'll eat tomorrow, and freeze dry the rest for other days.

INGREDIENTS:
1lb Italian Sausage
2lbs Chop Meat
4 - 16oz jars of Black Bean Salsa
1 - 16oz jar of Chunky Garden Salsa
1 - 16oz can of tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Brown sausage and chop meat and drain
2. Add salsa and tomato sauce
3. Simmer until most of the water that rises (from the tomatoes in the salsa) steams off.

Easy and delicious!

-Eat however you like. We like to have it on tortilla bread with grated cheddar, diced tomatoes and lettuce all rolled up.
-Choose whatever "heat" sausage and salsas you like (mild, medium, or hot).


----------



## clancey

Gosh this thread could start a cooking magazine...That Quick Chili is a money saver too and so easy to make but I would have to have the mild salsa but the taste is the same...My new hobby now will be to make a scrap book with all these foods and I will give your handles credit too--lol The only question for me is how do you do artichokes--thinking steaming them but the stuffing  how would you make that so that it stays on those leaves?  Want this from word of mouth from your old family recipes...I am too lazy to look it up and want to keep all you people busy--lol--more productive that way....I worked in a restaurant one time and they had eggplant stuff with crab meat and some kind of red sauce on top of that with different cheeses on top as well as that egg Benedict sauce on top of the individual pieces that looked the shape of pancakes..Of course the restaurant had its very own seasoning and would not give out the recipe... lol Everybody wanted it and that's all in the way of cooking suggestions that I have for this day...clancey


----------



## thewoodlands

The wife made some meat loaves tonight, I made the spaghetti sauce the other day. We saw this on a cooking show on TV, it turned out real good.


----------



## enordy

thewoodlands said:


> The wife made some meat loaves tonight, I made the spaghetti sauce the other day. We saw this on a cooking show on TV, it turned out real good.
> 
> View attachment 290031
> View attachment 290032
> View attachment 290033


Looks amazing. I wouldn't be upset if you shared the recipe (or at least a hint lol) for those!  I have a good one, but I usually just make it in my Pyrex.  I have my grandmother's cast iron from the early 40's (use it at least 2x per week), but never made a meatloaf in it -


----------



## thewoodlands

enordy said:


> Looks amazing. I wouldn't be upset if you shared the recipe (or at least a hint lol) for those!  I have a good one, but I usually just make it in my Pyrex.  I have my grandmother's cast iron from the early 40's (use it at least 2x per week), but never made a meatloaf in it -


Here it is.

Ingredients

1/2 CUP BREAD CRUMBS

1/3 CUP MILK

1 1/2 POUNDS MEATLOAF MIX (BEEF/PORK/VEAL)

1 LARGE EGG, BEATEN

1/2 CUP FINELY CHOPPED RED BELL PEPPER

1/2 CUP GRATED ZUCCHINI

3/4 CUP GRATED GRANA PADANO, PLUS MORE FOR SERVING

3 SCALLIONS, FINELY CHOPPED

6 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH ITALIAN PARSLEY

2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED

KOSHER SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

2 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

3 CUPS PREPARED MARINARA SAUCE

1 CUP GRATED PROVOLONE



Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the bread crumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl and let sit 5 minutes to rehydrate. Add the meatloaf mix, egg, bell pepper, zucchini, 1/2 cup Grana Padano, the scallions, 1/4 cup parsley, and the garlic. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a generous grinding of black pepper. Form into 4 (4-inch long) oval meatloaves.

Heat a large cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the meatloaves and brown all over, about 3 minutes per side. Pour in the marinara. Cover and bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the provolone and the remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese, and bake until the meatloaves are crusty and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and a dusting of grated cheese and serve.


----------



## thewoodlands

enordy said:


> Looks amazing. I wouldn't be upset if you shared the recipe (or at least a hint lol) for those!  I have a good one, but I usually just make it in my Pyrex.  I have my grandmother's cast iron from the early 40's (use it at least 2x per week), but never made a meatloaf in it -


I make a big thing of sauce a day or so ahead of when we'll need it,  saves on making it that same day and it always taste better after a day or two.


----------



## enordy

thewoodlands said:


> Here it is.
> 
> Ingredients
> 
> 1/2 CUP BREAD CRUMBS
> 
> 1/3 CUP MILK
> 
> 1 1/2 POUNDS MEATLOAF MIX (BEEF/PORK/VEAL)
> 
> 1 LARGE EGG, BEATEN
> 
> 1/2 CUP FINELY CHOPPED RED BELL PEPPER
> 
> 1/2 CUP GRATED ZUCCHINI
> 
> 3/4 CUP GRATED GRANA PADANO, PLUS MORE FOR SERVING
> 
> 3 SCALLIONS, FINELY CHOPPED
> 
> 6 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH ITALIAN PARSLEY
> 
> 2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
> 
> KOSHER SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
> 
> 2 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
> 
> 3 CUPS PREPARED MARINARA SAUCE
> 
> 1 CUP GRATED PROVOLONE
> 
> 
> 
> Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the bread crumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl and let sit 5 minutes to rehydrate. Add the meatloaf mix, egg, bell pepper, zucchini, 1/2 cup Grana Padano, the scallions, 1/4 cup parsley, and the garlic. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a generous grinding of black pepper. Form into 4 (4-inch long) oval meatloaves.
> 
> Heat a large cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the meatloaves and brown all over, about 3 minutes per side. Pour in the marinara. Cover and bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the provolone and the remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese, and bake until the meatloaves are crusty and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and a dusting of grated cheese and serve.


Thanks! Copied and pasted.

 Gonna make it this week.  Interesting about the provolone.  I'll betcha it's nice and moist between the peppers, zucchini and milk.

Since tomorrow is a holiday and its going to be foul weather, its the perfect time to make a pot of sauce. Agree 100% its better after a day or 2 in the icebox.


----------



## thewoodlands

enordy said:


> Thanks! Copied and pasted.
> 
> Gonna make it this week.  Interesting about the provolone.  I'll betcha it's nice and moist between the peppers, zucchini and milk.
> 
> Since tomorrow is a holiday and its going to be foul weather, its the perfect time to make a pot of sauce. Agree 100% its better after a day or 2 in the icebox.


The wife is on a cooking spree, she's making beef stew tomorrow.

It was very moist, the wife used one pound of ground beef and the same amount of pork, no ground veal. We'll probably try one pound of pork and veal next time, no ground beef.


----------



## thewoodlands

enordy said:


> Looks amazing. I wouldn't be upset if you shared the recipe (or at least a hint lol) for those!  I have a good one, but I usually just make it in my Pyrex.  I have my grandmother's cast iron from the early 40's (use it at least 2x per week), but never made a meatloaf in it -


We haven't made Braciole in about three months so we'll be making that recipe before the end of February.


----------



## enordy

thewoodlands said:


> The wife is on a cooking spree, she's making beef stew tomorrow.
> 
> It was very moist, the wife used one pound of ground beef and the same amount of pork, no ground veal. We'll probably try one pound of pork and veal next time, no ground beef.


It's all in the mix -I feel that the mix sometimes changes the game, not always for the better. Especially with meatballs.


----------



## clancey

All you people are eating fools and what else is there to do but relax on a Sunday and eat and eat and eat then cook and cook and cook...Everything looks wonderful...and some of you are having some really cold temperatures too and cold temperature always make me hungry and eager to cook something like a good beef stew or even red beans and rice although my cooking has a lot to be desired and I do not season as well as your people--terrific recipes--thanks..clancey.


----------



## fbelec

thewoodlands said:


> We haven't made Braciole in about three months so we'll be making that recipe before the end of February.


boy would i get even fatter than i am if i were to eat at your house. good stuff haven't had a good braciole in 50 years


----------



## thewoodlands

fbelec said:


> boy would i get even fatter than i am if i were to eat at your house. good stuff haven't had a good braciole in 50 years


When I came in from plowing later this afternoon, the wife had made a beef stew with homemade dumplings, after I read your post about gaining weight, I jumped on the scale, after all the eating we've been doing I weighed in at 203.

When I had a doctors appointment in early January, I weighed 206.4 on the same scales. I guess you can eat and lose weight.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I cooked up some homegrown Seminole Pumpkins (same species as butternut squash) this weekend and made pumpkin puree.  I froze it in little molds that hold about 1/3 cup each.  I popped them out of the molds and into a freezer bag for storage and ease of measuring.







Today I defrosted three of the pumpkin hearts in order to make this recipe with a few minor modifications based on our pantry:









						Bourbon Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake with Goat Cheese Frosting -
					

Warm and gingery this gingerbread cake screams fall with pumpkin, bourbon, and a tangy goat cheese frosting making the perfect fall dessert.




					simplysophisticatedcooking.com
				




It’s in the oven baking now.  The frosting is in the refrigerator waiting for morning.  I think we’ll be having some cake for breakfast in our house tomorrow.


----------



## clancey

How wonderful--I could go for that bourbon cake--like the print read--sophisicated...lol..thanks clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

The cake was definitely a hit.  Whenever I try a new recipe, I try to follow it fairly closely, but I do improvise based on the ingredients on hand.

The major changes I made to this were that I cut the sugar and molasses in the cake itself just because we prefer recipes less sweet than others seem to.  I didn’t have pastry flour so substituted regular whole wheat.  I also didn’t use bourbon but used homemade vanilla extract instead.  My strangest change, probably, was that I didn’t use the three individual spices of allspice, cloves, and cardamom, but replaced those three spices with a teaspoon of garam masala spice blend.  It seems unusual, but it worked really well.  I usually add some sort of pepper to carrot and spice cakes, so I figured this wouldn’t be too different.

For the frosting I used a combination of goat cheese and yogurt because we don’t buy cream cheese (it usually has some additives that we avoid).  We also really reduced the sugar because we like the tang to remain.  It was a good combination.





Tomorrow we’re going to have a cold and possible icy day down here in Texas.  I’m cooking a big crock pot of chili right now.  Some leftovers will be great tomorrow.  It will be a good day for using the oven, so I’ll have to figure out what I want to roast or bake.


----------



## clancey

My goodness what a life we have----goat cheese is better for you and easier on your digestive tract "I heard"  and I like the taste of it . Does anybody ever eat lox and bagels with cheese and tomato and lettuce and onion...toasted...I love that...clancey


----------



## NickW

Haven't been doing as much cooking because of our build, but was home for a week last week and did a bunch. Sunday was an all day cook-a-thon. Homemade donuts for breakfast, breakfast crunch wraps for lunch, zucchini bread in the afternoon and stuffed zucchini for dinner.


----------



## clancey

Today I made beef stew...beef meat in a crock pot with potato's and carrots and celery and onion with a taste of garlic and green peppers with about 10 pieces of red pepper--lol--plus I threw in some dried up raisins a whole box of them and believe it or not this was good...I am not a cook just make up things as I get hungry...clancey


----------



## fbelec

so mrs. clancey the raisin's were a good add in ? what did it make it taste like????


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I’ve had several stews with raisins before, and they have been quite good even though in general raisins are not a preferred food of mine.  I do, however, love “Craisins” or the sweetened dried cranberries.  Even with added sugar, they are less sweet than raisins, and I use them in just about any recipe that calls for raisins.  I’ve even introduced my five year old recently to “ants on a log” (celery with peanut butter and craisins).  I ate it with raisins growing up, so we call ours “red ants on a log” when we have it with Craisins.


----------



## clancey

That's crazy--ants on a log--I love it...especially for kids who are finicky eaters...ibelec--it tasted "sweet" but not "sweet" at the same time--lol  ..It was really good--next time you have beef stew just put a few in there but make sure they are real soft same texture as the beef stew,,,also try this next time you have bean soup--put some horseradish in it--just a little for flavoring not for hotness.. This will wake you up...lol  clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

Snow this weekend.  Making two savory aebleskiver Saturday.  Danish pancake balls.  Will be dinner Saturday and Sunday.

Done a year ago also.  Page 15 here.  Scroll down to February 4, 2021 for pictures.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> Snow this weekend.  Making two savory aebleskiver Saturday.  Danish pancake balls.  Will be dinner Saturday and Sunday.
> 
> Done a year ago also.  Page 15 here.  Scroll down to February 4, 2021 for pictures.



I’m kind of envious of the snow.  I miss it.

We’ve been eating burritos this week.  My nine-year-old daughter helped me make a triple batch of flour tortillas this weekend, and that gave us enough for two family meals of burritos as well as enough for some people to have breakfast burritos (scrambled egg inside) or quesadillas.

My oldest child is quite artistic, and I though it showed even in her arrangement of her dinner.  In order from right to left, spiced meat, refried beans, shredded cheddar cheese, homemade salsa ranchera canned this summer, and avocado slices sprinkled with lime juice.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Aebleskiver Saturday. Two types: chicken bites and spicy corn. Nan already took some.


----------



## ispinwool

thewoodlands said:


> After this we'll make an Italian Meatloaf that will end up in a spaghetti sauce with some cheese melted on top.
> 
> Last year at this time, I weighed 234.4, yesterday I weighed 206.4.  Staying away from bread was hard but dropping 28 pounds was worth it. I plan on maintaining the weight I'm at instead of packing it back on and then working my arse off trying to lose it again.


Congrats!  Good job!  
I have a quote in my kitchen: "I can either take control of my wellness or I'll be forced to deal with my illness."

Hubby and I are watching our carb intake too...he's down 55# and I'm down 60#.  Unfortunately, it's required reducing almost ALL carbs: pasta, bread, potatoes, sugar...general intake is less than 30 grams/day...totally stinks but we honestly feel sooooo much better.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I thought I had posted this yesterday, but it appears that I didn’t.  Now I’m not sure that I should with the discussion of cutting out carbs, but here goes.

I used a new recipe for hamburger buns today.









						No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns
					

There's no kneading necessary for these big, soft, cheese-scented buns, perfect for hamburgers.




					www.kingarthurbaking.com
				




It says it makes six big buns, and they were really big.  They tasted so good that I’ll make the recipe again, but I think I’ll double it and make eighteen instead of twelve.  We used Pecorino Romano in the dough because we had already put a bunch of shredded cheese in the freezer, and it made it quick and easy.  I’ll plan to try white cheddar next time.


----------



## ispinwool

DuaeGuttae said:


> I thought I had posted this yesterday, but it appears that I didn’t.  Now I’m not sure that I should with the discussion of cutting out carbs, but here goes.
> 
> I used a new recipe for hamburger buns today.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No-Knead Cheese Burger Buns
> 
> 
> There's no kneading necessary for these big, soft, cheese-scented buns, perfect for hamburgers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.kingarthurbaking.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It says it makes six big buns, and they were really big.  They tasted so good that I’ll make the recipe again, but I think I’ll double it and make eighteen instead of twelve.  We used Pecorino Romano in the dough because we had already put a bunch of shredded cheese in the freezer, and it made it quick and easy.  I’ll plan to try white cheddar next time.
> 
> View attachment 291164


I have had great luck with King Arthur recipes! ...my K. A. sourdough starter is resting in my fridge--I've heard that sourdough has less effect on blood sugar levels than regular yeast breads so I've been using sourdough as much as possible....well....when I make bread...which isn't often because it's still carby.  (but oooooh soooo yummy!!) LOL


----------



## clancey

is that's what you call it "carby"--good name--lol   Everything sure looks good and wrote the KA recipe down and will use my bread machine in time--looks wonderful...clancey


----------



## thewoodlands

ispinwool said:


> Congrats!  Good job!
> I have a quote in my kitchen: "I can either take control of my wellness or I'll be forced to deal with my illness."
> 
> Hubby and I are watching our carb intake too...he's down 55# and I'm down 60#.  Unfortunately, it's required reducing almost ALL carbs: pasta, bread, potatoes, sugar...general intake is less than 30 grams/day...totally stinks but we honestly feel sooooo much better.


The past three winters my weight usually gets up to 234 plus but after giving up bread and a few other things, I'm still at 206 this morning.

Congrats on the weight loss and yes, it does feel great.


----------



## fbelec

ispinwool said:


> I have had great luck with King Arthur recipes! ...my K. A. sourdough starter is resting in my fridge--I've heard that sourdough has less effect on blood sugar levels than regular yeast breads so I've been using sourdough as much as possible....well....when I make bread...which isn't often because it's still carby.  (but oooooh soooo yummy!!) LOL


i'll have to look into that sour dough and blood sugar. i'am diabetic but have found a couple of things that drop the blood sugar for first thing in the morning. hard boiled egg and peanut butter. thank you for the tip.


----------



## PaulOinMA

I'm also a fan of King Arthur recipes.

Yeast set is worth buying, if you bake.  I also buy yeast in the 1-lb. brick.  Sometimes two at a time.  Freezes great.









						Complete Yeast Set
					

America's favorite baking supply company. Top-quality all-purpose and specialty flours, specialty baking ingredients, baking sheets & pans, baking tools & supplies




					shop.kingarthurbaking.com


----------



## Dan Freeman

PaulOinMA said:


> I'm also a fan of King Arthur recipes.
> 
> Yeast set is worth buying, if you bake.  I also buy yeast in the 1-lb. brick.  Sometimes two at a time.  Freezes great.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Complete Yeast Set
> 
> 
> America's favorite baking supply company. Top-quality all-purpose and specialty flours, specialty baking ingredients, baking sheets & pans, baking tools & supplies
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shop.kingarthurbaking.com


How long can you freeze it?


----------



## PaulOinMA

I've used yeast that was in the freezer years past the date on the package, and it's been fine.  That'll happen if I buy 2-lb.  Even with baking a fair bit, does take me a while to go through 2 pounds of yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons at a time.  😀


----------



## DuaeGuttae

ispinwool said:


> I have had great luck with King Arthur recipes! ...my K. A. sourdough starter is resting in my fridge--I've heard that sourdough has less effect on blood sugar levels than regular yeast breads so I've been using sourdough as much as possible....well....when I make bread...which isn't often because it's still carby.  (but oooooh soooo yummy!!) LOL


I’ll need to look into their sourdough.  I’ve just recently started using more traditional wheat flour as opposed to einkorn which I’ve used for years, but I do love a good sourdough.  I find it’s easier to digest, and to me it just tastes so good.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

PaulOinMA said:


> I've used yeast that was in the freezer years past the date on the package, and it's been fine.  That'll happen if I buy 2-lb.  Even with baking a fair bit, does take me a while to go through 2 pounds of yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons at a time.  😀


I haven’t bought yeast from King Arthur, but I do also buy it in large quantities and freeze it.  It works well.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Nan headed to her mom's in NJ last night.  Has to go to her brother's in NC.  Easy dinner.  There was no marinara sauce in the freezer, so I made a batch.  Leone's Marinara Sauce from _Leone's Italian Cookbook_, 1967.

Casserole elbows with marinara sauce, meatballs, and mozzarella topped with grated Romano in a heated cast iron skillet.  Place under broiler in toaster oven to melt cheese on top.  Yum!


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We’ve had crazy roller coaster weather this winter here in Texas.  Yesterday was a misty 59 degrees (after 70 and sunny the day before), but today we spent most of the day around 24 degrees.  (It briefly went as high as 27 when the sun popped out briefly.)  Because I had to be outside yesterday afternoon putting frost cloth on citrus trees and onion transplants and had to pick up some groceries in the evening, I needed an easy meal.   I also wanted to make sure that I had some good food prepared just in case we lost power with the predicted ice today.   I used my two crock pots and cooked a ham in the large one and mashed potatoes in the small one.  We ate them with broccoli.

We did not lose power today thankfully, and so we had the ham and potatoes (this time mixed with sautéed onions and a tiny cabbage that I rescued from the garden) for lunch, and I carried on with my plan of roasting a small turkey for dinner.  I figured that a day in the 20’s in south central Texas is a good time to use the oven for a few hours.  (Our local grocery had ten pound organic turkeys on clearance after Thanksgiving, and so we bought two or three.). It had been defrosting this week in our spare refrigerator, and I think I would have boiled it if we had lost power (gas stove).  I’m glad that it didn’t come to that, and we had a nice roast turkey; dressing made from wheat bread, onions, mushrooms, spinach and cranberries; and green beans on the side.

Leftovers tomorrow.


----------



## clancey

How nice looks just like Thanksgiving---I bet it tasted good too--made me hungry...clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Yesterday was supposed to be pizza day at our house, but the store did not have the pepperoni I had hoped to use, so I changed plans.  (We don’t usually have pepperoni at all, but I had said that we would have it as a treat on the next pizza day, hence the change.) My oldest had asked recently for me to make more Indian food, so I decided on samosas with a spiced ground beef with potato and onion filling.  I’m no expert on folding these, but I ended up pleased with how they turned out.  We had enough for two meals, but I ended up with extra filling, so that’s in the freezer waiting for another day when I’m feeling ambitious.  It did take a while to roll and fold thirty-six of those little guys.




We had simple cauliflower on the side.


----------



## clancey

They sure look nice and I love Indian food..clancey


----------



## EbS-P

Stir fry tonight. Pork and broccoli.


----------



## clancey

lol---too much green for me...but I know its good...clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

My wife wants filled focaccia for Super Bowl Sunday.  Great choice.  Haven't done it in a while.

An old thread (2009!) on a car web site that got us making focaccia: https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/home-made-focaccia-fah-katz.4351797/#post-57020576

Recipe to play with for filled focaccia when we first made them:  https://www.food.com/recipe/bread-machine-stuffed-rosemary-focaccia-322511

King Arthur has similar: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cheese-and-herb-stuffed-focaccia-recipe

Doing the second rise in two no. 12 cast iron skillets.  Pictures from December 2015.  Been a while!

Also baked picture.  And cooling.  Yum!

Mine will be Italian sausage, mushroom, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella, and garlic.

My wife will make ham, sun-dried tomato, goat cheese, green pepper, and onion.


----------



## clancey

nice recipe and a wonderful cook..enjoy...My late husband was a wonderful cook too and I enjoyed so so many  wonderful meals and in those days I I could eat...thanks for sharing. I love my old black pots for they hold the heat so well...clancey


----------



## PaulOinMA

Focaccia turned out great.  Made two in no. 12 skillets.  Mine was sausage, mushroom, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella, provolone, and garlic.  Nan's was ham, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomato.  Served with homemade marinara.

Recipe is Cheese and Herb Stuffed Focaccia from the King Arthur Flour web site.  Used Italian seasoning.  Easy to make two large focaccia.  Dinner for several nights.


----------



## clancey

Sure does look good..mmm    clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

@PaulOinMA , that stuffed focaccia looked so good I decided to give a try to stuffed pizza.  I’ve never done it before, and I put all the fillings in the middle instead of having sauce and cheese on top as most recipes seem to indicate.  It was a hit with most of the family.  The five year old still hasn’t really developed a taste for spinach, so he wasn’t as thrilled, but a ate a good portion of his piece.  

I used this recipe for guidance, though I didn’t use sausage.  I used uncured pepperoni, onions, peppers, and spinach all cooked with some sauce I had made in the summer and frozen.  I cooked it down a good bit to get rid of excess moisture, and it worked inside the crust.  I made one large pizza in a 10 x 15 pan and cut it into twelve pieces.  One piece was enough for each of us except my teenager.









						Stuffed Pizza
					

A thick (2 1/2") double-crust pizza stuffed with sausage, mozzarella, and your choice of veggies; then topped with marinara and your favorite hard grating cheese.




					www.kingarthurbaking.com
				







I’m not always up for cooking such dishes, and I thought I’d share a couple photos of “snack lunches” that we occasionally eat at our house.  There’s still work involves with these, but it’s work that‘s done in advance for the most part and can then be called up for a quicker meal.

The first photo shows pickles we made in the summer, oatmeal bars, craisins, white cheddar cheese, and some teriyaki meat sticks we made from ground beef and spices the other week.  This was a meal for three.

The second features some guacamole I made recently because avocados were on sale at the local grocery.  We used it to dip corn chips (not homemade) and dehydrated cucumbers and tomatoes from the summer produce.  I still have some hot peppers on my counter from our last harvest, but I’m slowly using them up.  I think I used four in this large batch of guacamole.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Looks good.  We also haven't made calzones in a long time.


----------



## clancey

For me uncured pepperoni sounds better for a pizza then sausage anyway and the taste would give it a "zip" so to speak--lol...Gosh I am hungry...Thanks for sharing and my late husband always mentioned a stock pot and do you people have a stock pot and how does that work?  clancey


----------



## thewoodlands

The wife had made these for me before so yesterday under her watchful eye, I made a batch, dang they're good. We don't use the topping in the recipe, we use brown sugar with cinnamon sprinkled on the top.

The recipe is from a cooking show that's on our local TV station out of Watertown NY.
What You'll Need​
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*Streusel Topping*
 
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
What to Do​
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, milk, syrup, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cup liners.
In a small bowl, combine Streusel Topping ingredients; mix until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly, remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

A couple of weeks ago the local grocery store had an excellent sale on organic strawberries.  We got five pints for fresh use and freezing.  My oldest daughter wanted to make strawberry shortcake.  I helped, but she did a good portion of the work, including the decorating.





I also discovered the pureeing strawberries with yogurt in the blender makes an excellent liquid sweetener/flavoring for homemade granola (a mixture of oats, corn flour, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds for this particular batch).


----------



## fbelec

your oldest daughter is talented. that cake looks like a pro made it. and looks delish


----------



## ispinwool

@DuaeGuttae ...that cake is a thing of BEAUTY!


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I’ll pass along the kind compliments to her.  Thank you both.  I was very impressed myself.  She is quite an artist and wanted to practice cutting strawberry roses.  What was really nice was that she also spent time teaching her younger sister (also an artist) how to do it.


----------



## clancey

She takes after her mom...clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Thankfully she did not inherit my lack of artistic ability.  I tried to draw a frog the other day for my kindergartener.  It was pretty awful.  My grandmother was an artist as was my husband’s grandfather, so the genes are there.  They just didn’t manifest in me.  My kids all seem to have a good ability to draw and paint and the like.  I stick to photography.


----------



## clancey

You  were at that age wanted something different and you just plain liked plants and pictures.,
 and you are good at these things too...When I get my tomato plant I"ll take a picture of it for you..clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I have some sick kiddos at home now, so I’ve been making broth and soup this week.  Tomato soup is popular, and I made a good-tasting one on Sunday night that I repeated today.  I’m going to type out my recipe here because I want to remember it myself, and I thought others might enjoy it, too.

4 tbsp butter
1 cup mirepoix (1/4 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced carrot, 1/2 cup diced onion)
3 tablespoons flour (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed in a little water)
4 teaspoons salt (my broth and tomatoes are both unsalted) 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
dash fish pepper powder (or cayenne)
1 quart broth (I used chicken and turkey)
6 cups tomato sauce/puree/diced tomatoes

I sautée the mirepoix in the butter till it softens well.  I then mix in the spices and flour and cook another minute or so.  I add the broth and tomatoes and puree it all with an immersion blender right in the pot.  I like to let it come to a boil and then turn down the heat so that it can simmer gently for at least 10 minutes.  We eat our tomato soup sometimes with grilled cheese sandwiches, sometimes with popcorn.


----------



## clancey

What a wonderful recipe but my cooking is more down to basic's like tomato's and water and seasoning but your's is just wonderful...clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

It has been too warm here recently for the woodstove, but the house sometimes feels chilly in the mornings, so it’s been a great time to do lots of dehydrating.  We got some good apples on sale as well as finding more organic strawberries for an excellent price.  (We try to stock up when seasonal foods are readily available and do a little preserving if we can.) I’ve been making my kids some fun snacks: dried apple rings and strawberry fruit leather.






My younger daughter cut up that one sheet of fruit leather into twelve rolls, pictured here on top of the remainder of the apple rings.  I had some bananas that were getting overripe, so my next batch of fruit leather is a combination of banana, rhubarb, yogurt, and orange.  It’s dehydrating now.


----------



## clancey

You take after your mom one with a lot of energy--good for you and God bless...Never ever knew about any of these fruit leathers but they do sound interesting especially for the younger ones..I think I like just "whole fruit" where I can see all the pieces--lol..thanks for sharing..clancey


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I made a yummy and relatively easy Chicken Biryani recipe last night.









						Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani
					

Once you make Instant Pot Chicken Biryani, you will never make it any other way! This is by far the easiest way to make a chicken biryani recipe.




					twosleevers.com
				




I doubled the recipe because I don’t own an Instant Pot and my stovetop pressure cooker is large.  I need to make sure it has enough food in it to hold pressure, and I even then I did have to turn the heat back on because it lost pressure before ten minutes of natural release.  I used store-bought garam masala for convenience and substituted green onions and wood sorrel for the cilantro because I don’t have cilantro in my garden right now.  Other than that I followed the recipe and instructions.  It was really good and not too laborious.

I sautéed cauliflower on the stove top and mixed that in at serving.

She has a lamb biryani recipe I’ll be looking at making some time.


----------



## kennyp2339

Quick gourmet grilled burgers (perfect lunch) 
(2) burgers - 1/2lb ground beef, I prefer 90 / 10 mix
1/2 onion - chopped length wise - thin
onion powder, worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper, muenster cheese
In a frying pan - 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, keep pan on low heat - cook and caramelize onion, towards end of cooking if onion is going to fast dump a little water to slow things down in the pan
In a bowl, mix 1/2 pound ground beef, tsp onion powder, salt and pepper, add 1/2 tbl spoon of worcestertshire sauce, mix with hands 
Make to patty's - I prefer thinner and larger cause they shrink a bit on the grill, cook burgers 3 or 4 min on medium, flip, take onions and spread on top, cover w/ cheese, cook another 3 min
Simple and very tasty, the caramelized onions that are under the cheese really compliment the ground beef, its a quick in a pinch lunch / dinner, best with fresh garden red lettuce and tomatoes, I also use regular ketchup w/ deijon mustard


----------



## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> I have some sick kiddos at home now, so I’ve been making broth and soup this week.  Tomato soup is popular, and I made a good-tasting one on Sunday night that I repeated today.  I’m going to type out my recipe here because I want to remember it myself, and I thought others might enjoy it, too.
> 
> 4 tbsp butter
> 1 cup mirepoix (1/4 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced carrot, 1/2 cup diced onion)
> 3 tablespoons flour (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed in a little water)
> 4 teaspoons salt (my broth and tomatoes are both unsalted)
> 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
> dash fish pepper powder (or cayenne)
> 1 quart broth (I used chicken and turkey)
> 6 cups tomato sauce/puree/diced tomatoes
> 
> I sautée the mirepoix in the butter till it softens well.  I then mix in the spices and flour and cook another minute or so.  I add the broth and tomatoes and puree it all with an immersion blender right in the pot.  I like to let it come to a boil and then turn down the heat so that it can simmer gently for at least 10 minutes.  We eat our tomato soup sometimes with grilled cheese sandwiches, sometimes with popcorn.


Thanks for posting the recipe. That used to be my go-to comfort food. Oddly my wife does not like tomato soup due to old childhood memories so the only time I have it is from the stuff in aseptic packaging. Fortunately, it's good quality so I still get it occasionally.


----------



## begreen

DuaeGuttae said:


> I made a yummy and relatively easy Chicken Biryani recipe last night.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani
> 
> 
> Once you make Instant Pot Chicken Biryani, you will never make it any other way! This is by far the easiest way to make a chicken biryani recipe.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> twosleevers.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I doubled the recipe because I don’t own an Instant Pot and my stovetop pressure cooker is large.  I need to make sure it has enough food in it to hold pressure, and I even then I did have to turn the heat back on because it lost pressure before ten minutes of natural release.  I used store-bought garam masala for convenience and substituted green onions and wood sorrel for the cilantro because I don’t have cilantro in my garden right now.  Other than that I followed the recipe and instructions.  It was really good and not too laborious.
> 
> I sautéed cauliflower on the stove top and mixed that in at serving.
> 
> She has a lamb biryani recipe I’ll be looking at making some time.


Don't worry about substituting. This dish varies a lot in India depending on what part of the country it is served (and who is making it). As one gets over to the west toward Gujarat they added dried fruit and sliced almonds for a sweeter taste that my kids loved.


----------



## PaulOinMA

French bread yesterday.





__





						Country French Bread
					






					www.fleischmannsyeast.com
				




French onion soup today. Bought Comte on Friday for my wife's soup.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> Don't worry about substituting. This dish varies a lot in India depending on what part of the country it is served (and who is making it). As one gets over to the west toward Gujarat they added dried fruit and sliced almonds for a sweeter taste that my kids loved.



I have a Chicken Biryani recipe in a Julie Sahni cookbook that calls for making a mango chutney first and using that in the Biryani.  I love the mango chutney itself.  I’ve made it for Christmas gifts for folks in the past, it’s so good.

I made the Lamb Biryani recipe on the twosleevers.com site last night.  I again substituted what herbs I have growing for the cilantro and cut down a bit on the spice.  It was good, but I think I cut down a bit too much this time. I do like having some good pressure cooker meals, though. 




Tonight we had Chinese Orange Chicken that I’ve posted here before.   That’s a favorite with my kids.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had a yummy creamy lemon chicken for dinner tonight.  I wanted a crock pot dinner for today (I try to shift away from the oven in the warmer months here), but I wanted something different from my standards.  I decided to give a new recipe a try, and it turned out well.  I used chicken tenders rather than whole breasts, so I reduced the cooking time, but other than that I tried to stick pretty closely to the recipe.  (I also didn’t use the optional broth base).  I served it with sautéed cauliflower and sweet potatoes that were cooked in my other crock pot.  The lemon sauce went very well with both of those.






			https://dinnerthendessert.com/slow-cooker-creamy-lemon-chicken/


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I got a new cookbook this week.  There’s a little used bookstore beside a library not too far from here, and I occasionally pop by if I’m in the area when they’re open.  I check their children’s books, of course, but I also make a habit of visiting the cooking and gardening sections.  Usually there isn’t anything there that suits my fancy, but this week there was a cookbook that appealed to me.  I’ve checked a different Cooks Illustrated cookbook out of the library and have been on the lookout for it.  This one is in the same vein, and I can use good recipes that are reasonably quick.  (I’m a slow cook, even with “quick” recipes.)



			https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/Quick-Recipe-9780936184661
		


They have a recipe for Pan-Seared Salmon with Lentils and Swiss Chard that I used tonight.  I had trout in the freezer as well as some Swiss Chard from our last summer’s garden and a bag of lentils in the pantry.  I increased the recipe for our family, and it turned out very well.   

The America’s Test Kitchen website requires a membership, which I don’t have, but I’ll link here a recipe that’s not the one I made but is very similar.









						Pan-Seared Salmon with Lentils and Swiss Chard — InsideOut Yoga
					

A classic French dish adapted from  Cook’s Illustrated . I like to serve everything over white or brown rice. So good!    INGREDIENTS      3 Tablespoons butter, divided    12 oz Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated, stems chopped and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces (To make it easier, subs




					www.insideoutyoga.org


----------



## begreen

That sounds delicious.


----------



## EbS-P

Never under estimate the joy of using a really sharp knife!  

I have the usual assortment of handheld knife sharpeners in my drawer.  None are great. And after using them to my edges get thin and in pretty bad shape.  Every once in a while I will get out my sharpening stones and attempt to fix a couple.  

I’m a novice sharpener. I get the basics of sharpening by hand.  I don’t have any nice knives (they all go in the dishwasher). But after 10 minutes of work they are back into good shape and sharp enough to make using them much more enjoyable.  

A nice sharp knife brings a smile to me face!  Cook on!  

Evan


----------



## EbS-P

It’s birthday season.  I do most of the sculpting and my wove does the decorating.  The poundage of butter and sugar is obscene  Narwhal with vegan soy free cupcakes. And a character from a favorite AppStore game. 

Evan


----------



## EbS-P

First time smoking ribs….  They were great!


----------



## fbelec

curious, what did you do with the elbows? the ribs look great. now i want to do some!


----------



## EbS-P

fbelec said:


> curious, what did you do with the elbows? the ribs look great. now i want to do some!


Mac and cheese warmed up on the grill for 10-15 min.  I think some smoked Mac and cheese would be really good I’m thinking a crock pot recipe????  But something that can warm up while the meat rests is good too.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

In the summer I try to shift away from using the oven, but I had planned to make some loaded mashed potatoes for tonight’s dinner, which would have involved using the grill  instead of the oven to cook bacon and to melt cheese on top of potatoes.  It was 98 degrees when I needed to start, and I decided that was too hot to think about grilling, and who wants to eat warm food in those temperatures?

After a quick assessment of the tomatoes on my counter, I decided to make up a southwestern salad.  I pressured cooked some small red beans, then mixed them with frozen corn to thaw the corn and cool the beans.  I put that on lettuce and topped it with sliced tomato and onions.  There was shredded cheddar on the side and some cold chicken for those that wanted it.

The dressing I made using  this recipe as a guide.  

https://www.jaroflemons.com/southwest-salad-dressing/

I didn’t have the ancho chili powder that she specified, so I used a New Mexico style chile powder.  The smoked paprika was definitely a good addition.




It ended up being a hit with the kids and a nice dinner for a hot day.


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## begreen

That's quick thinking, looks delicious. It sounds like you could use a solar oven.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> That's quick thinking, looks delicious. It sounds like you could use a solar oven.



I looked into solar ovens during our first or second summer here, I think, and decided against one.  I’m sure I could learn to use one, but instead we’ve opted to try to cook using minimum energy indoors (bread maker, electric skillet, pressure cooker, crock pot).  When something really needs oven-type heat, we have a gas grill outside that we can use.  When it’s super-hot outside, though, I like to minimize how many times we open the doors during the late afternoon when the heat is most intense.  Last I checked it was 102 outside.  Ugh.


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## fbelec

102 yikes and it's only june


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## EbS-P

Did salmon on the grill. Half smoked,  half indirect grilled.  
Grill Temp was about 300 degrees. Cooked to 145 internal.  

Dry brined. 2:1 brown sugar to salt for 2 hours.   

Was not a great piece of fish but came out amazing.  Added a Chile rub as it was going on tacos.  Yes salmon tacos.  Really quite good.   More fishy than a traditional fish taco but it held up better to hot sauce smoke, Chiles and sweet coleslaw.  

No pics sorry.


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## begreen

fbelec said:


> 102 yikes and it's only june


Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas, are all setting records this weekend.


----------



## fbelec

nice here thank god. mid to upper 70's. it's nice we can keep the windows open both i and the wife are dealing with covid for the first time


----------



## DuaeGuttae

fbelec said:


> nice here thank god. mid to upper 70's. it's nice we can keep the windows open both i and the wife are dealing with covid for the first time



I’m sorry to hear about the COVID, fbelec.  I wish you and your wife both speedy recoveries with no lingering symptoms.  I’m glad your weather is nice.  We’ve broken all sorts of records down here near San Antonio this May and June.  I’m really rooting for record rain and cool, but that doesn’t seem to be in the forecast.

We’ve been having light, fairly cool meals like peach lassi (a yogurt drink) and popcorn or salad and popcorn because it’s been so hot.  I‘m defrosting some trout this afternoon, and we’ll pan cook that up tonight to eat with some leftover okra masala and rice.


----------



## fbelec

thank you. todays weather is really nice, low eighties and drying out. i don't wish the heat on anyone. if it's cool you put on a layer. if it's hot there is nothing to do but sweat. 

you will be eating good in my book i love trout.


----------



## EbS-P

Cherry grilled/smoked fish trio and shrimp.   Still cooking I will let you know how it turns out.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

EbS-P said:


> Cherry grilled/smoked fish trio and shrimp.   Still cooking I will let you know how it turns out.
> 
> View attachment 296385


How did it turn out?


----------



## DuaeGuttae

My husband and I did a lot of outside work yesterday in the heat, and we had plans for a pretty simple dinner.   My oldest wanted something fancier than grilled chicken thighs, and I told her to find me some recipes or come up with ideas.  She suggested a butter chicken sauce, and I actually had some leftover in the freezer from some previous cooking.  She also wanted grilled vegetables, but I didn’t have anything on hand that would suit.  My next door neighbor, however, grows lots of peppers each summer and has a freezer full that she was recently offering me.  Most are pretty hot, but she did have some poblanos, which still have heat, but less than the habaneros, serranos, and jalapeños which she also has in abundance.  She let my daughter take home a whole bag of peppers, which my two daughters worked together to seed and stuff with a mixture of chicken and rice mixed with my butter chicken sauce.  She then had my husband grill them a bit with some onions.  They turned out really well, though some were pretty hot.  We had to do some trading at the table to accommodate palates and bring out the milk in addition to the iced hibiscus tea.


----------



## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> How did it turn out?


I dry brined snapper cod and tilapia.  All about. 4-5 hours. 2:1 brown sugar to kosher salt.  Tilapia was almost inedible as it was way to salty. Cod was salty.  And the snapper was really quite good maybe a tad to salty.  Shrimp got a lemon garlic olive oil marinades.  

Lesson learned- short,1 hour max, dry brine time for thin fish fillets.  

Shrimp were really quite good.   Ribs were better.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Yum.  I love shrimp but don’t get to eat it much since two of my kids have a shellfish allergy.  

I had to be out of the house today for several hours this morning—watering the garden during drought, helping the neighbors with something, running an older child to the library, picking up milk.  When I came home my nine year old had finished making cookie dough.  My husband had advised her to replace “shortening” in the recipe with butter since she had no idea what “shortening” was.  Other than that she did it on her own.




After the dough had chilled, she rolled all the balls.  I helped her a little with placement on two stoneware pans, and I took those in and out of the oven for her since her arms are a bit short for that yet.  She then rolled the cookies in powdered sugar.

She was very proud of herself, and I was very proud of her.

We have plans to have a taco party tomorrow, having our two music lesson instructors over for dinner.  My music students helped me make tortillas today.  The nine year old made the corn tortillas (with a bit of help).  The twelve year old made the flour dough, but I rolled the tortillas for him.  The nine year old also cooked just about all of the tortillas for me.  Tortillas are a lot of work, but teamwork helps.


----------



## begreen

Getting kids involved early in cooking is a great life skill for them. Bonding over baking is a wonderful way to do this.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

begreen said:


> Getting kids involved early in cooking is a great life skill for them. Bonding over baking is a wonderful way to do this.



I like getting them to help with cooking.  I’m less of a baker than I am a cook, and we try to avoid using the oven much during the high heat, but I figure it’s good for kids to learn their way around the kitchen at a pretty early age.

The nine year old was grumpy Friday afternoon, so I got her engaged in helping me make guacamole.  She peeled the onions and the garlic for the food processor and pitted and scooped the flesh out of the avocados.  We used the recipe from her cookbook.  The recipes in it are good food with mostly real ingredients (not lots of processed shortcuts).  I recommend it (and the sequel) for little cooks.  (We originally found the second at the local library but liked it so well that we put both books on her Christmas list.)

Amazon product


----------



## DuaeGuttae

We had a yummy dinner of marinated grilled chicken tenders for dinner tonight along with grilled eggplant and zucchini and steamed rice.  I used this recipe for inspiration for the marinade, but I doubled it in order to have enough for the vegetables as well.  I replaced the Italian seasoning with fresh basil and oregano an added some extra garlic.  I was very pleased when my teenager asked what we had done to the chicken because we had taken it to the “next level.”  









						Grilled Chicken Tenders
					

These grilled chicken tenders are marinated in lemon, garlic, herbs and olive oil, then grilled to golden brown perfection. The ultimate easy main course for summer time! Chicken tenders are inexpensive, quick cooking and are perfect to toss on the grill.




					www.dinneratthezoo.com


----------



## Poindexter

@EbS-P in particular and everyone in general, what I have found brining salmon is salt penetrates faster and further then sugar.

If you have a brine, regardless of proportion and time, that works for the people you feed regularly, stick with it.  

Depends on your schedule too.  I often brine salmon (overnight) in 4 parts sugar to one part salt, rinse in the morning and lay out on drying racks while I am at the office, and then smoke them when I get home.

With four kids and the wife home I came up with a sugar/salt balance and time that worked for everyone I was cooking for back in the day.  There are probably as many brine recipes as there are Alaskans to write them.  I have tried many.  My conclusion is, if the underlying sugar/salt balance is good, you don't need juniper berries or eye of newt or any of the rest of it, but if the sugar/ salt balance is wrong, no amount of nutmeg or lemon or dill weed is going to save it.

I have no experience brining other fin fish, that is expert level kitchen magic right there.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

My nine year old was again inspired by her cookbook, and today she wanted to make polenta.  The recipe called for instant polenta, however, and we weren’t even sure what that was.  She pulled out the adult cookbook, therefore, and found a recipe that used simple cornmeal and cooked that.  I made a meat sauce with veggies and herbs from the garden, and it made for quite a hearty lunch.


----------



## Poindexter

@DuaeGuttae , you might take a look at this one next time you are in a big book store like a B-N or a Borders.  My mom gave me a copy, I have given copies to both my nieces and three of my cousins.  Between the (counts on fingers) seven of us, we have never made a recipe from here that was bad.  We do often tweak the herbs a little bit the second time through, but that is artistic license.

I cannot know the reading level of your children.  When they are ready for this one, let them have free reign.  When they have worked their way through this with all the why, why, why to go with the few recipes in it they will be ready for Julia Child and Thomas Keller.  Be advised, similar to Joy of Cooking, there is a first (butter) edition and a later (hydrogenated soy margarine) version.  The butter version is readily available on Amazon.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

Poindexter said:


> @DuaeGuttae , you might take a look at this one next time you are in a big book store like a B-N or a Borders.  My mom gave me a copy, I have given copies to both my nieces and three of my cousins.  Between the (counts on fingers) seven of us, we have never made a recipe from here that was bad.  We do often tweak the herbs a little bit the second time through, but that is artistic license.
> 
> I cannot know the reading level of your children.  When they are ready for this one, let them have free reign.  When they have worked their way through this with all the why, why, why to go with the few recipes in it they will be ready for Julia Child and Thomas Keller.  Be advised, similar to Joy of Cooking, there is a first (butter) edition and a later (hydrogenated soy margarine) version.  The butter version is readily available on Amazon.
> 
> View attachment 296822



Thanks, Poindexter.  We check that cookbook out of the local library periodically, though I’ve been the one to use it rather than my children for the most part.  I also check our local used book store for it from time to time.  (We don’t really visit new bookstores.)  I haven’t found it yet but did get a copy of _The Quick Recipe_ cookbook that’s in the same vein.  I hadn’t realized that there were two different versions with butter vs. hydrogenated oils, so I’m really glad that you pointed that out to me.  I think our library must have the butter edition, so it never occurred to me that there would be a different one.

I know that some people don’t appreciate the “why, why, why” as you put it, but that’s precisely what I love about the cookbook.  I think I’ll try to make a point to get it at the library again when I next make a trip.  My nine year old can certainly handle the reading, and she’s the one looking through cookbooks these days.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

When I went to town last week to pick up our milk at the farm co-op, I went by the library and got out two books from the cooking section, _The New Best Recipe_ cookbook that @Poindexter suggested earlier, and _Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat_ by Samin Nosrat.  I haven’t looked at it too closely, but my daughter has been reading it a lot.  She’s sitting on the couch right now reading about (the author’s not so) “scientific terms for browning stages of sugar.”  She’s really enjoying it.  I might have to see if I can do some reading in it, too.

It’s 10:30 in the morning and already up to 98 degrees. My daughter wanted to bake cookies today, but I’ve said that we should really avoid the oven.  We did put a loaf of bread in the breadmaker, and we’ll have sandwiches for lunch.  We’re thinking of making ice cream or popsicles instead of cookies.


----------



## Poindexter

A cousin of mine really likes salt, fat, acid heat.  He is a much better cook that I.  Have fun.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

This week has been pizza week at our house.   I made six crusts on Wednesday.  We had two for dinner that night, three for dinner last night when we had a guest, and one for lunch today.  The only photo I got was before they went in the oven last night.

These all had tomato/eggplant sauce, bacon, mozzarella, mushrooms, and onions.  The only difference was the peppers.  The top had a ripe jalapeño, the bottom left shishitos, and the bottom right a sweet banana pepper.



Today’s lunch pie had some leftover pesto for the sauce instead of tomatoes.  It was a big hit, too, though I didn’t taste it myself.


----------



## Poindexter

EatenByLimestone said:


> Why are you canning potatoes?



This question was asked in the garden thread, but the answer is actually a recipe.  Imagine you got a heat wave coming, so you move some of your canned stuff from the cellar to the fridge.

After a long hot day you are very hungry, you don't want garbage food and you don't want to cook anything to heat up the kitchen either.  Remove from the fridge a half pint jar of canned fish, sockeye salmon in these pictures, and a pint of hot packed white potato in half inch dice.

Pour all the fish into a mixing bowl, break it up with a fork into pieces about the size of canned tuna.  Or whatever size.  Drain the liquid off the potato, add the potato cubes to the mixing bowl.  

Tonight I diced up about a golf ball sized piece of dill pickle, seven green olives, about two tablespoons of caper and about a tablespoon of pickled jalapeno,  all from open jars in the fridge.  About a third cup of mayo, also from the fridge, a little black pepper, maybe a pinch or two of dill.  I do go back and spatula out all the goodness from the wall of the fish jar once I have the mayo into the mixing bowl.

I threw in a handful of shelled pistachio not long ago, I liked it.  Hardboiled eggs can be refrigerated.  Sky is the limit, pine nuts, green onion, whatever you like.  I just want it cold and nutritious.

Mix it up.  Eat.


----------



## EatenByLimestone

Ok, so it’s precooking.    I had never heard of somebody canning potatoes before.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

EatenByLimestone said:


> Ok, so it’s precooking.    I had never heard of somebody canning potatoes before.



My mother always grew lots of potatoes.  She had a whole section of the basement devoted to Irish potatoes and another one for sweet potatoes.  We ate them all fall, winter, and spring, and she used them as seed potatoes for the next year.

She did, however, always can some of the potatoes.  She didn’t dice large potatoes.  Those she kept on the basement shelves in the dark.  The smaller potatoes that hadn’t matured by the time she harvested, though, she canned whole in jars.  She would then add them to peas or beans or stew or sometimes fry them up whole in a cast iron skillet with her homemade butter.  I don’t know why, but I remember calling those “starchy potatoes” and I just loved them.  I think part of my motivation for learning to pressure can was just to be able to can those smaller potatoes as she did.

I’ll have to check with her about it, but I think the little potatoes don’t keep as well in root cellar conditions.  Perhaps it’s the surface area to volume ratio, but I think they dry out faster than the large ones.  Because she grew such large crops of potatoes, she did have a bunch of small ones in her harvest.  This was a good way to preserve them for longer.


----------



## Poindexter

EatenByLimestone said:


> Ok, so it’s precooking.    I had never heard of somebody canning potatoes before.


It is a caution for sure.  The way prices are going the grocery bill has come to my attention.   One food we (just the wife and I at home) consistently end up throwing away is the last few potatoes in a 5# bag.  When we had 3-4 kids home I was serving 10# of whole potato weekly and could hardly keep tater tots in the freezers.

Once I had some potato canned - eureka!- one more thing to put in the fridge for cold nutritious meals.


----------



## EatenByLimestone

That makes sense.   Is it cold canning or are you pressure canning like DG?


----------



## DuaeGuttae

@Poindexter, we spend all summer (and lots of spring and fall) in the heat down here, and I completely understand the desire for cold meals.

We had Caesar salad for lunch today with homemade gluten-free crackers instead of croutons and homemade dressing.

Tonight’s dinner was sushi rolls.  The kids had been asking for us to make sushi again, and I thought that was a reasonable request.  Aside from the nori and the seasoned rice, the filling options were smoked salmon or sardines (my kids love sardines), avocado, cucumber, asparagus, and amaranth leaves. We had a little wasabi as well.

Each person got to assemble and roll his or her own, though I helped the six year old.  I took a photo of mine partway through the meal.


----------



## Poindexter

EatenByLimestone said:


> That makes sense.   Is it cold canning or are you pressure canning like DG?


I don't know who DG is in this context.  I am hot packing my jars and pressure canning potato as a low acid food.  

I have seen some on youtube who are cold packing potato chunks and then pressure canning.  I am not a food scientist, but I know a little bit more about genus Clostridium than I really want to.  I have no plans to start cold packing low acid foods for the pressure canner.


----------



## Poindexter

@EatenByLimestone , I will hazard a guess you mean user DuaeGuttae by DG?  That makes sense.  If DG posted on  canning potato I missed it.


----------



## EatenByLimestone

Yes, sorry.  She mentioned her mother pressure canned potato.  

I've only canned with the boil.bath using acid, salt  and sugar.


----------



## EbS-P

Dinner Tonight…
Pork loin with a southwest rub,  baked beans, green beans, cauliflower, and jalapeños for adding a kick to any of the above.  

Leftover Pork we used in tomorrow’s burritos/tacos.  

Related  note. Anyone thinking about a grill, bigger is better IMO.


----------



## begreen

Has anyone roasted onions on the upper shelf of a gas grill? We have a lot, so I thought I'd give it a try today.


----------



## EbS-P

begreen said:


> Has anyone roasted onions on the upper shelf of a gas grill? We have a lot, so I thought I'd give it a try today.


We’ve done them wrapped in tinfoil.  Garlic whole bulbs are good too that way.  Just squeeze roasted garlic goodness out onto your food of choice.


----------



## begreen

I took one of our big 22 oz ringmaster onions and divided it into 16ths with the root end left on so that the slices stay intact. Right now they are marinating in some good balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper with a small pat of butter on several of them. We'll see how they roast up. The garlic is a good idea. We have lots.  I'm waiting for it to cool down a bit before firing up the grill.


----------



## EbS-P

Quick grilled chicken for sandwiches or salads. 

This has become a pretty common meal.   I buy the big value pack of boneless chicken breasts.  And the cheapest bottle of Italian dressing.   Here come the part that makes it quick.  

Cut the breast into thirds.  
First cut the little end off almost in the middle.  Then slice the remaining large end in two flat ways making two thinner pieces.  All three pieces are now about the same size and thickness.  They fit well on smaller hamburger buns.  

Add dressing and grill on high for 3-4 minutes a side or until done.  It makes little doffer how long it marinates.  It makes great leftovers add to a salad, make chicken salad or add to a burrito or taco.  It’s always much more tender than when I grill a while breast.  

Sorry no pics it’s that fast!


----------



## begreen

Will try that. 4 minutes per side is fast, but boneless normally cooks faster. Is this on a gas or charcoal grill? Direct or indirect heat?

Some chicken breasts are huge these days. More like a small turkey, so slicing them makes sense. We make our own marinade, which takes just a minute or two and is less expensive than store-bought, but of higher quality. Another quick cook chicken or other meat trick is kabobs. We skewer veggies and marinated chicken cubes on the grill for a quick meal. They are done in about 10 minutes.


----------



## EbS-P

Gas usually.  Direct heat.  My rescued from the curb gas grill, with cheapest replacement burner is not the hottest and I don’t wait for it to heat all the way up.  Quickest way to get it to the table for this one.  

 I tried real wood indirect last night on my kamado for the first time,  still trying figure that out.  Better flavor took much longer.  Haven’t timed it but 3 minutes seemed about right.  Gave me enough time to go inside slice tomatoes and grab condiments. Go out flip.  

Want a more ethnic flavor. Swap out the dressing for plain yogurt with your favorite curry power.   Buns for peta wraps. 




begreen said:


> Will try that. 4 minutes per side is fast, but boneless normally cooks faster. Is this on a gas or charcoal grill? Direct or indirect heat?
> 
> Some chicken breasts are huge these days. More like a small turkey, so slicing them makes sense. We make our own marinade, which takes just a minute or two and is less expensive than store-bought, but of higher quality. Another quick cook chicken or other meat trick is kabobs. We skewer veggies and marinated chicken cubes on the grill for a quick meal. They are done in about 10 minutes.


----------



## EbS-P

Pulled pork with smoked mango BBQ sauce for tomorrows party.


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## fbelec

mail must be screwed up i didn't get my invite😁

looks great


----------



## Poindexter

EbS-P said:


> Anyone thinking about a grill, bigger is better IMO.
> 
> View attachment 297365


I will put in a plug for two regular sized grills.  Not that E is wrong, just there is more than one way to skin the cat.

I run the midsized Weber's, nominal 22 inch diameter.  They often show up on CL in reasonably good shape for under retail.  Since I have two of them, I can set the fire in one for meat, fire the second for vegetables and not heat up the house/kitchen doing it.

@EbS-P is not wrong.  Bigger is better if you can't have two.  But since I have two I don't need bigger.  As the appalling heat of summer 2022 recedes, grilling season looms and I will try for some pictures in the next six weeks or so.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

My fourteen year old cooked dinner tonight.

Apparently she had watched a video a while back about a spicy fish soup (inspired by some video game that includes food in it), and she’s been wanting to have it.  We needed to get some ingredients like bean sprouts (a particular favorite of hers apparently) and some spices.  We didn’t make it exactly as specified; we made some substitutions like frozen tilapia filets and chicken/turkey  broth.  I was pretty skeptical that it would even be edible.  It turns out that the whole family enjoyed it, including my younger children.  We served it over rice.





I’m sorry that I don’t have a recipe to include, but the information is in the video.


----------



## Poindexter

I did a fusion thing, maybe, kinda.  Hatch chiles are in at my local Kroger, I only see them for two or three days this time of year.  I canned a bunch on Thursday, figured the word was out around town and backed my truck up to Kroiger's door this morning.  Besides filling the canner, I had enough left to make rellenos, but I don't like rellenos.  I do like jalapeno poppers.

So I cut my extra Hatches into quarters, making the biggest flat pieces possible.

For filling I browned a pound of decent hamburger with some salt, cumin a little chile powder, and then mixed that into 4 ounces of soft cream cheese and 4 ounces of drained crushed pineapple.  Slide some filling onto each pepper sheet, fold up like a taco, wrap with bacon, bake at 350 until the bacon is done enough to suit you, likely 15-30 minutes for most folks.

I made a bunch of them, enough for breakfast and lunch tomorrow after dinner tonight, and there were no survivors after dinner.  I am calling them relle-poppers but I sure someone else must have thought of this before.


----------



## begreen

With the bacon wrap, maybe barellie poppers?


----------



## begreen

Tomato season has arrived. Tomato Quiche for dinner made with garden tomatoes and local eggs. Yum.


----------



## bigealta

Finally figured out how to pan fry in the summer. No heat and grease all over kitchen, and the end to Grill flare ups burning the chicken. It only took about 30 years.


----------



## EbS-P

Last grilling/smoking was sirloin top cap.  Smoked whole.  250-300.  Growing up on a beef farm I’ve had lots of different cuts. I ordered ribs at a restaurant once and was utter disappointed with the little fatty (pork) things that showed up on my plate.  

 This was the first time I ever had a sirloin top cap.  6$ a pound at Costco.  Wet aged almost two weeks in the vacuum bag that I brought it home in.  

Wow!   Every bit as good as prime rib.  Better than filet because of the fat cap.  

Cooked to 125 and let rest.  My mom thinks they are inventing new cuts of meat but I’m ok with that if they are all this good!


----------



## bigealta

EbS-P said:


> Last grilling/smoking was sirloin top cap.  Smoked whole.  250-300.  Growing up on a beef farm I’ve had lots of different cuts. I ordered ribs at a restaurant once and was utter disappointed with the little fatty (pork) things that showed up on my plate.
> 
> This was the first time I ever had a sirloin top cap.  6$ a pound at Costco.  Wet aged almost two weeks in the vacuum bag that I brought it home in.
> 
> Wow!   Every bit as good as prime rib.  Better than filet because of the fat cap.
> 
> Cooked to 125 and let rest.  My mom thinks they are inventing new cuts of meat but I’m ok with that if they are all this good!
> 
> View attachment 298515
> View attachment 298516


That looks super tasty!


----------



## bigealta

I don't think i've even seen a sirloin top cap in any of my grocery stores. Does it go by any other names?


----------



## EbS-P

bigealta said:


> I don't think i've even seen a sirloin top cap in any of my grocery stores. Does it go by any other names?


Picanha (pronounced pi-can-ya) is a cut of beef also known as coulotte steak, top sirloin cap steak, rib cap, rump cover, rump cap, and culotte steak.

I don’t see the point of cutting into steaks but one could.


----------



## bigealta

EbS-P said:


> Picanha (pronounced pi-can-ya) is a cut of beef also known as coulotte steak, top sirloin cap steak, rib cap, rump cover, rump cap, and culotte steak.
> 
> I don’t see the point of cutting into steaks but one could.


Just watch a youtube on it. Thanks Will keep an eye out. I mostly get London Broil oyster cuts. (Top round cuts) but they never have that fat cap.


----------



## bigealta

Hmm just got this “London Broil” top round with a big chuck of fat. Have it soaking in soy, tamari , hoisin, garlic, soya. Will grill later tonight.


----------



## EbS-P

bigealta said:


> Hmm just got this “London Broil” top round with a big chuck of fat. Have it soaking in soy, tamari , hoisin, garlic, soya. Will grill later tonight.
> 
> View attachment 298518


I’m going to start another thread on buy and aging meat.


----------



## fbelec

i need to do some smoking this coming weekend


----------



## fbelec

begreen said:


> Tomato season has arrived. Tomato Quiche for dinner made with garden tomatoes and local eggs. Yum.
> 
> View attachment 298510


i love quiche with a good cup of coffee


----------



## Poindexter

I have been trying a new to me potato variety, and it is going into the line up with the first five pound bag running empty.

Bintje.  They are a hybrid variety developed in the Netherlands. Not quite as starchy as  a yellow/ Yukon Gold, but almost.  Noticeably more starch then the red skinned white potato.  Very thin skin.

I have baked and fried and boiled and roasted at this point.  I haven't tried mashing them.  I like Russets for mashed potato, with loads of cream and butter and that is just the way it is. 

My local grower is a pretty fair hand at all his root vegetables.  I am through a 5# bag of Bintje without a single bad spot found.  I will still 'need' russets for my holiday mashed potato, but Bintje is going into my regular lineup.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

My ten year old cooked a good portion of our dinner tonight.  She took breakfast sausage and rolled it into links.  I cooked that for her while she made biscuit dough.  She rolled it out and added grated cheese to each circle she cut, then wrapped it around the sausage.  She sealed the edges with an egg wash and brushed extra on top and baked them.  Everybody enjoyed them.   I made a vegetable sautee with a hodgepodge of vegetables from the garden: green pumpkin, Shishito peppers, okra, onion, and cherry tomatoes.


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## fbelec

that looks great. i could eat that whole thing


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## ispinwool

@DuaeGuttae ...a round of applause to your daughter!!  Well done, youngin'!
The entire meal looks yummy


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## EbS-P

My first smoked turkey!   275 ish for 3 hours.  Used maple for smoke wood.  (It was just a limb I had in the firewood stack).   Very very good.  

Dry brined for 24 hours then just black pepper, garlic onion powder celery seed and paprika run before the grill.  Definitely in the top 3 holiday birds I’ve ever eaten.


----------



## KBCraig

We have a non-traditional meal. Two of our grown kids and their spouses were here, so we fed 7. 

Instead of slaving over a bird and all the sides, we did a Frogmore Stew (shrimp boil). We picked out all the leftover goodies, then wadded the whole mess up and stuffed it in a trash bag. Zero dishes to wash except for the 80 quart boiler.


----------



## fbelec

that looks good anytime of the year. mostly summer


----------



## KBCraig

fbelec said:


> that looks good anytime of the year. mostly summer


I paid a stupid price for Gulf shrimp, but it was worth it. 

We have enough refugees in my part of northern NH to all chip in for a crawfish boil, and we'll probably do that in the coming season (February-June).


----------



## ispinwool

My mother in love enjoys BIG family meals... yesterday we served 47 people! LoL! (we were in the church hall).  Tons of food...(and a gratuitous pic of my crew).


----------



## begreen

We're still processing tomatoes so I made a batch of cream of tomato soup for the first time. It came out great, much better than store-bought. However, I did err slightly. I put in one jalapeno for a large pot of soup. Our jalapenos this year have been on the mild side so I put the whole one in. Should have tasted it first. It was the one out of 5 that was spicy hot. That gave the soup a kick, but not enough to ruin it, fortunately. We made some cheese croutons to soften the heat a bit. I will make this one again, but with more caution on the pepper.


----------



## 1kzwoman

Sourdough bagels! Yum!    Have you tried sourdough dough noodles? Also yum!


----------



## fbelec

i never made anything sourdough but the wife and i love it. i'm in the mood to made bread.


----------



## ispinwool

1kzwoman said:


> Sourdough bagels! Yum!    Have you tried sourdough dough noodles? Also yum!


I have very little luck with sourdough...but I keep trying because of the health benefits (and because
it's wonderful slathered in butter! LOL)


----------



## 1kzwoman

Treat your sourdough like a new baby if you’re having problems.  Keep it warm,  clean, well fed, .


----------



## ispinwool

1kzwoman said:


> Treat your sourdough like a new baby if you’re having problems.  Keep it warm,  clean, well fed, .


LOL! Wonderful!
 I've never heard it put quite like that  
I can keep it alive but it's just not all that enthusiastic about its job.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

I did something entirely new to me this week.  I brined a piece of brisket for making my own corned beef.  I put it in the brine on Tuesday and cooked it up in the pressure cooker this afternoon.  It turned out great.

The piece of brisket I had was actually probably over four years old from the last time that we bought a grass fed steer.  It was so large that it was rather too much for me to figure out how to deal with, and I don’t own a smoker and don’t aspire to, so it has been sitting in our freezer while all the other meat got eaten first  for the most part.  Having recently brined a turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner, I realized that I could indeed manage to brine the brisket as long as I could get my husband to cut it in half for me.

I used this basic recipe for the brine with just a couple minor substitutions (like using ground mustard instead of seeds because I didn’t have whole seeds on hand). 









						Corned Beef Brisket from Scratch | Nitrate Free
					

Corned beef brisket made without nitrates is a meal your family will come to love! This recipe consists of a handful of herbs, spices, Kosher salt and a natural sweetener. Taking only 7 to 10




					afarmgirlinthemaking.com
				




I did use fresh juniper berries with some trepidation.  I’ve eaten one plain before just to experience it, and I consider it horrible.  I’m also very allergic to cedar pollen which is just starting to ramp up for its annual “cedar fever” season in our area.  Nevertheless I approached a female juniper tree (the pollen-free sex) and took some berries and added them to the brine.  (Juniper berries had also been recommended in the recipe that I used for turkey brine, but I wasn’t brave enough to use them last month.)  Now I might just have to harvest a whole bunch and dry them out for use when it isn’t berry season, though I’m not sure how much brining I’d be doing then either.

I cooked the brisket for 60 minutes in the pressure cooker but let it set under pressure for another 30 to 40 minutes before I released the valve.  Then I let it rest while I cooked the cabbage and potatoes in the broth left in the pot.  The kids were so eager to eat the meat that they came to the table to eat before I had even finished cooking the vegetables.  (They may also have been eager for the lemon poppyseed pound cake that the ten year old and I baked while the meat was cooking.)


----------



## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> I did something entirely new to me this week.  I brined a piece of brisket for making my own corned beef.  I put it in the brine on Tuesday and cooked it up in the pressure cooker this afternoon.  It turned out great.
> 
> The piece of brisket I had was actually probably over four years old from the last time that we bought a grass fed steer.  It was so large that it was rather too much for me to figure out how to deal with, and I don’t own a smoker and don’t aspire to, so it has been sitting in our freezer while all the other meat got eaten first  for the most part.  Having recently brined a turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner, I realized that I could indeed manage to brine the brisket as long as I could get my husband to cut it in half for me.
> 
> I used this basic recipe for the brine with just a couple minor substitutions (like using ground mustard instead of seeds because I didn’t have whole seeds on hand).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Corned Beef Brisket from Scratch | Nitrate Free
> 
> 
> Corned beef brisket made without nitrates is a meal your family will come to love! This recipe consists of a handful of herbs, spices, Kosher salt and a natural sweetener. Taking only 7 to 10
> 
> 
> 
> 
> afarmgirlinthemaking.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I did use fresh juniper berries with some trepidation.  I’ve eaten one plain before just to experience it, and I consider it horrible.  I’m also very allergic to cedar pollen which is just starting to ramp up for its annual “cedar fever” season in our area.  Nevertheless I approached a female juniper tree (the pollen-free sex) and took some berries and added them to the brine.  (Juniper berries had also been recommended in the recipe that I used for turkey brine, but I wasn’t brave enough to use them last month.)  Now I might just have to harvest a whole bunch and dry them out for use when it isn’t berry season, though I’m not sure how much brining I’d be doing then either.
> 
> I cooked the brisket for 60 minutes in the pressure cooker but let it set under pressure for another 30 to 40 minutes before I released the valve.  Then I let it rest while I cooked the cabbage and potatoes in the broth left in the pot.  The kids were so eager to eat the meat that they came to the table to eat before I had even finished cooking the vegetables.  (They may also have been eager for the lemon poppyseed pound cake that the ten year old and I baked while the meat was cooking.)
> 
> View attachment 304914


I want to make my own pastrami using a brisket.  You might want to reconsider the smoker.  I have found my kamado grill responsible the best improvement in our family’s cuisine in a long time.  Sure it does the ribs and brisket yeah yeah yeah we know.  It’s the other things like salmon and turkey and paella and finally finding a way I like eye round. Smoked to a rare/medium rare chilled and sliced thin for my version of a smoked Philly cheesesteak.  

Anyway.  I got a whole brisket in the fridge wet aging. You’ve inspired me to brine it.


----------



## fbelec

that's it i'm hungry

i haven't had a boiled dinner in 7 years. out of the 4 counting me i am the only one that will eat it. 
a friend i see just about every weekend since high school his mother would make it. all tho i never had it from her i would have liked to try it. she used to take the brisket and put it in a bag with kosher salt and put it up on top of the fridge for a week. of course it was black. but was suppose to be out of this world


----------



## PaulOinMA

Making lots of batches of brownies lately.  Will make them at least seven times in a month.  Using a lot of eggs.  Four each time.

Wednesday: Advent soup super at my wife's church.  Thursday: for my wife to take on OBX vacation with her mom.  This morning: I'll go to Turkey holiday dinner at my wife's previous church without her.  Next Wednesday: probably go to the Advent soup supper at my wife's church without her.

Also made them on November 30th for the first soup supper.  Will make on the 21st for the last Advent soup supper and the 31st for the monthly Friendship Supper at her previous church.


----------



## DuaeGuttae

EbS-P said:


> I want to make my own pastrami using a brisket.  You might want to reconsider the smoker.  I have found my kamado grill responsible the best improvement in our family’s cuisine in a long time.  Sure it does the ribs and brisket yeah yeah yeah we know.  It’s the other things like salmon and turkey and paella and finally finding a way I like eye round. Smoked to a rare/medium rare chilled and sliced thin for my version of a smoked Philly cheesesteak.
> 
> Anyway.  I got a whole brisket in the fridge wet aging. You’ve inspired me to brine it.
> 
> View attachment 304915
> View attachment 304916


If you keep showing pictures like that, you just might make me reconsider (but not really seriously, I don’t think).    Those look delicious.  My twelve-year-old son is lobbying for me to use a smoker box on our gas grill but even that is not really on my radar screen.


----------



## EbS-P

DuaeGuttae said:


> If you keep showing pictures like that, you just might make me reconsider (but not really seriously, I don’t think).    Those look delicious.  My twelve-year-old son is lobbying for me to use a smoker box on our gas grill but even that is not really on my radar screen.


Smoke isn’t everyone’s favorite flavor.  But when you cook it you get to choose how smoky, for just the charcoal grill flavor to heaven mesquite.   After getting the grill we quit buying ground beef.  And if my beef farming grandfather found out we only have beef once a month he’d probably give me a really long quiet stare.  Quality over quantity.  At the end of the day I think it’s revealed we all like low and slow tone medium rare  unless it’s ribs.


----------



## PaulOinMA

I have a horizontal offset smoker and don't like overly smokey food.

I like real smoked food.  Don't like the heavy smokey prepared things like some prepared BBQ sauces.  Prefer to make my own, though some brands I like.


----------



## fbelec

paul what are those brands you like. been trying a bunch of different one's lately looking for the best one in my taste. i need to eat no sugar foods but not a fan of them


----------



## PaulOinMA

I chanced on Sticky Fingers on sale at Market 32 (Price Chopper) and was very pleased.  Have tried two of them.  Liked both.






						Sticky Fingers
					






					www.stickyfingerssauce.com
				




IM me an e-mail address, and I'll e-mail sauce recipes I've typed up from old cookbooks to play with to get just how you like.  Fun playing with sauce recipes.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Just made a batch of English toffee. Very easy. Haven't done it in a long time. May make Swedish toffee next week.


----------



## EbS-P

Dry brined nitrate free pastrami!  A little concerned I over salted it.  We will find out in a few days.  Will dry brine for 3. Smoke for maybe 6 hours to about 180F and then cut into potions to freeze.  Will steam to 200F and serve.


----------



## PaulOinMA

Bacon, egg, and cheese on a toasted croissant for New Year's Day breakfast before church.  Griswold square egg skillet.


----------



## PaulOinMA

New Year's Day chili.  My wife always made chili on NYD growing up.  I made it on Sunday.  Recipe is a variation on Perry Como's Favorite Chili from: Neely, Martina and William. _The International Chili Society Official Chili Cookbook_. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1981.  Excellent cookbook.

The ICS web site: https://chilicookoff.com/


----------



## PaulOinMA

A second batch of English toffee for the open house at my wife's church parsonage a few weeks ago.  My wife was on vacation with her mom, so I went myself.  Again, very easy to make.  You just stand there and watch it.


----------



## clancey

Sure does look good...clancey


----------



## ispinwool

I found a couple of folks on another social site that are challenging themselves to make their own  bread from scratch for at least a year.  I think it's a delightful challenge! I was up early today and made 3 loaves.


----------



## fbelec

love homemade bread just can't seem to get a handle on the dough. pizza making is awful. bread i've done following recipes. i try not to knead by hand because of gout in the hands. maybe that's it.


----------



## fbelec

and paul you hit a weak spot. i love breakfast sandwiches the only thing i do different is use a bagel


----------



## ispinwool

fbelec said:


> love homemade bread just can't seem to get a handle on the dough. pizza making is awful. bread i've done following recipes. i try not to knead by hand because of gout in the hands. maybe that's it.


ouch! that would be painful....maybe use a no-knead recipe? 
If you're curious, check out www.thefreshloaf.com and look around for 'no-knead'.  Those folks take
bread seriously!    (you do have to sign up on the site to ask questions but not to peruse the site
for ideas/recipes). 
p.s.--my son-in-law has gout flare-ups too...he has removed as much sugar from his diet as he
can find and has had good results...maybe give that a shot and see if it helps you?


----------



## PaulOinMA

I need to get back to more bread baking.  Do lots of other baking.  Cinnamon rolls, cornbread, brownies, scones.  Fresh bread smells so good!


----------



## fbelec

PaulOinMA said:


> Fresh bread smells so good!


yes it does. i think as much as apple pie. 

off topic but try removing fat from the diet. i had a hamburger tonight for dinner and am all swollen up from it. hamburger and salami are my trigger points


----------



## fbelec

bread dough i almost have. in the middle of the pandemic when i was home our local cable tv company had a 10 part class on tv for free. it came from the bread chef at johnson and wales school.


----------



## PaulOinMA

There's a culinary arts museum at J&W that pretty neat.


----------



## fbelec

where and what is j&w


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## 1kzwoman

fbelec said:


> where and what is j&w


I’m going to say it’s the Johnson and Wales cooking school mention previously but who knows


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## PaulOinMA

Yes.  Johnson & Wales was mentioned above.


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## fbelec

i'm not to bright when it comes to the abbreviations


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