*********WHAT'S COOKIN'? Week of May 30-June5th ***********

[Phentex]

This weather is not cooperating with all of my long weekend grilling plans! Boo.

Had plans to cook ahead using the grill, too. :rant:

And the house is muggy so I don't really want to sweat in the kitchen. Whine whine.

Anyone else having better luck? Oddly enough, I've been wanting cornbread even before that other thread was posted.

[The empressof all]

1. I just made two dozen meatballs

I'll stick them in baggies by the pair and pop them in the freezer for the family to use with pasta or on sandwiches. I also stuck a brisket in the oven for tomorrow. That should do it for me for the week at least, other than to make a few salads and chop some fruit as I go along. I'm also going to roast some eggplant later for some garlic/eggplant spread.

[Phentex]

3. That's why I don't degrease meat for spaghetti!

I rarely make a meat sauce. I make meatballs. :)

[Tesha]

2. well...

the bread came out great and the Mary Ann shell is perfect...
but when I went to use up the egg whites they wouldn't lift so I tried a few things... but it was disaster after disaster after that.

So I switched gears and grilled a couple of steaks and made a salad and met the neighbors in the garden for a very nice dinner, so...


things DO get better. Actually things DO get much better - that bottle of wine helped ... helped a lot!

[Phentex]

4. Maybe wine would help me...

Glad the bread worked.

And I'm happy someone grilled! *grumble grumble*

:)

[MajorChode]

5. Baby Back ribs

They are already in my sous vide cooker which is little more than a 17L roaster oven filled with water and a temperature controller attached. The ribs have been brined, rubbed with spices, vacuum packed, and put in the water bath to cook. I'm cooking them at 155 degrees F for 24 hours. After cooking they will be browned with a torch. I did a test run yesterday which we had for dinner today. The results were perfect. The meat was tender enough that the bones were easily removed, but firm and not mushy or overcooked. They were some of the best ribs we had ever eaten and everyone is looking forward to them again when my in-laws come over.

[Phentex]

40. Yes...

you are going to spoil them!

I'm glad it worked out so well. You have a lot of patience!

[hippywife]

6. Just finished dinner here.

The lamb kabobs were delicious and the corn very sweet. Also put thick slabs of fresh pineapple on the grill topped with some dark organic brown sugar and a little kosher salt. Ate them topped with scoops of good vanilla ice cream. There are two left for later. :9


I'm sorry the weather is messing up your plans, sweetie. :hug:

[htuttle]

11. What kind of marinade did you use on the lamb?

I've only gone two ways with lamb kabobs. Due east of the Bosphorus (olive oil, garlic, rosemary, marjoram, parsley, pepper) and Due west of the Bosphorus (yogurt, tahini, shawarma spice mix). I guess I've made it tandoori-style, too, but not on a skewer.

[hippywife]

13. Just what I had at hand

that I thought would go well with it. It was so tasty that I just used the tzatziki on my veggies and ate the meat without it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x77897

[htuttle]

7. Tonight: Tonkatsu pork plus a couple of kushiage skewers

I served the pork over a bed of shredded cabbage, just like in the pictures, and I made katsu sauce from a new recipe I found.

I also made a small pile of kushiage skewers -- I'm going to have leftovers for later. Half I made with chicken thighs, chicken liver, leek and green garlic. The other half I made with extra-large shrimp (eat'em while I can still get 'em), bell pepper and wedges of pineapple. I made a couple little piles of pickle to go with it all.

The chicken-liver-on-a-stick was especially tasty. I parboiled it, then marinated it in mirin for about 40 minutes before I strung it up.

I'm full. Time for sake. Got a bottle of the cheap stuff -- my favorite. :D

[hippywife]

8. That really looks yummy!

[htuttle]

9. I keep trying to leave leftovers so that I can have it in a sandwich like that or over udon noodles

...But my wife and I always manage it to finish it all. :9

[hippywife]

10. We finished all of the kabobs tonight, too.

I was sure there would be some for tomorrow, but...NO! They were entirely too good. :D

[Warpy]

12. Mother Earth threw the summer switch

and it's hot in the high desert. I got the swamp cooler tested out today and that meant Chinese takeout because I was out of gas when it came to cooking anything.

This coming week I'll be killing the fatted tofu block all week, doing several varieties of stir fries since the combination of those plus the rice cooker mean little additional heating of the house since the food is cooked so quickly.

I found a couple of Quorn naked cutlets and might vary the stir fries with those.

But mostly, it's going to be stir fried tofu and veg all week.

It's hard to think that our last snow here in the valley was at the beginning of the month.

[Phentex]

42. It must be strange...and speaking of Chinese...

to have such swings in the weather. No, we're in full blown hot muggy stuff and I expect we'll stay this way for a while.

We tried Chinese takeout a few weeks ago from a place that has existed for more than 25 years. Changed hands a couple of times, but it's always been there. We tried it maybe ten years ago and it was bad. And we have alternate really good choices, so we didn't try it again until recently. I figured after all this time, it MUST be better. Most restaurants here are hard-pressed to last.

But no.

The fried rice tasted old and dry. The pancakes for the moo shu pork were so brittle, they cracked. The pork itself was not bad, just not fresh tasting. It was that way with everything we ordered. Now I'm thinking the place has to be a front for some other kind of business. :shrug:

[Warpy]

47. A week later, first of several 100+ days

So I made seafood salad: Krab, chopped celery, chopped scallion, tons of ground mixed peppercorns, mayo, lemon juice, hefty pinch of cayenne, sprinkling of minced parsley.

It was good today. It will be great tomorrow.

[canetoad]

14. Tommorow is the first day of winter

Every Tuesday we have lunch together at work - like a family. There are only 5 of us but often neighbours, friends, blow in for a feed.

Big pot of Channa Dahl in the slow cooker. Basically, chickpea curry, flavoured with tomato, coconut and cinnamon.

[Phentex]

43. That looks really good!

Mmmmmmmmmm! :9

I love how you captured the green in the picture, too!

[grasswire]

15. what a nice cosmopolitan group we are here!

Look at all these lovely cooks!

Even though it's late spring here, there are two pumpkin pies cooking off tonight. One is for the almost 19-year-old family member who is coming home from a solo three month trip through Eastern Europe and vicinity tomorrow. He wants family and cheeseburgers waiting, but he's also getting his favorite pie. We're taking a lot of cheeseburgers to the airport.

Another family member is leaving tomorrow on an extended train trip through Minneapolis, Chicago, and down to Dallas and then back up the coast to Pacific Northwest. Snack bag is being packed for that trip. Fed him a big meatloaf dinner tonight. Zucchini with jack cheese and dill was a good side!

Tuesday is the niece's birthday lunch, but that will be out at a Parisian-style bistro. Hooray! A day off!

Wednesday I transplant potted veggies into the garden if it has stopped raining! !! And then get out all the canning-preserving cookbooks to start musing.

[Phentex]

44. Family and food!

What's not to love?

[japple]

16. We had chicken pie yesterday, and the last of the peas and

corn from last year's garden. Now we're in those sad times before this year's garden starts producing. Hopefully our summer squash will be in by the end of the month. I could live off that stuff--sauteed in olive oil with onions or leeks, garlic, and lots of garam marsala and cumin.

We planted so many field peas this year that it's going to be a full time job processing them for the freezer, but I've got a nice big screened in front porch where I can shell peas and watch the world go by.

We also had our first watermelon of the season this weekend--very tasty and red all the way to the edges.

Oh, and I made 6 qts. of home churned vanilla ice cream for the 1st time this year in honor of my little nephew's 3rd birthday.

Summer seems to be in full swing in Georgia, but at least it's not as hot right now as it's gonna get later on!

[Phentex]

39. We haven't had watermelon yet...

but I'm ready!

Sometimes a neighbor gets some from Albany and brings them up around the fourth of July. Those are always the best!

[bearfan454]

17. Brisket on the pit today

Macaroni salad to go along with it too.

[Phentex]

41. Ahhhh, more meat...

this is why I get so hungry when I read this forum!

Do you put anything on the brisket (sauce-wise)?

[yellerpup]

18. Tonight my friend and I are making strawberry rubies

which is whole preserved strawberries from an old French recipe. The ingredients are strawberries and sugar and juice of a lemon. My first batch of Christmas preserves this spring. For dinner, I think take-out. Enjoy your families this weekend and think of the soldiers and sailors who came before us and left us all too soon .

[The empressof all]

19. Do you have a recipe for the rubies?

I have tons of berries and would love to try it

[yellerpup]

20. Strawberry Rubies

Recipe is taken from "Food for Friends" by Sally Pasley Vargas

3 pounds fresh strawberries (about 2 Qt.)
7 Cups sugar
Juice of 1 to 2 large lemons
(1/3 to 1/2 cup)

Wash and hull strawberries and leave them whole. (Halve or quarter very large berries, if necessary.) Layer the berries in a bowl with half of the sugar and let stand for 2 to 3 hours, until the sugar liquefies and starts to dissolve.

Pour the berries into a colander placed over a 6-quart or larger heavy-bottomed pot, capturing the fruit syrup in the pot. Set the berries aside in the colander over a bowl.

Add the remaining sugar to the syrup in the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the drained strawberries and any accumulated juices to the pot and return the mixture to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes from the time the mixture returns to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Use the larger quantity of juice for very ripe berries.

IMMEDIATELY pour the berry mixture into a large, flat baking dish (suggested: 9x13 glass baking dish. When the berries have cooled, cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight.

THE NEXT DAY, return the berries and syrup to the same pot, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reaches the jellying point. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully and don't overcook.

Ladle the hot jam into clean, hot jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for long-term storage. Or ladle the hot jam into sterilized jars, cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Too keep the strawberries from floating, invert the jars several times while cooling.

[japple]

24. This sounds just like the recipe I use for figs, except with figs, you

have to sprinkle them with baking soda and then pour boiling water over them. The rest of the process sounds the same, and the figs are translucent after they've been cooked--kind of jewel-like. My friends think they are heavenly, but I couldn't say because I hate figs.

Thanks for sharing this recipe. I've printed it to keep.

[yellerpup]

25. I'd like to know more about those figs.

I like jewel tones for Christmas. I'm thinking about pairing strawberry with pickled serranos or roasted jalapeno-stuffed olives for the Martini drinker in the family. He has a taste for flame. Tomorrow we are going to start four bottles of strawberry cordial with the rest of these excellent berries.

[grasswire]

57. I would love to see a photo of a jar of this

....if you've got one.

It sounds scrumptious.

[yellerpup]

35. The green market opened in our village today, right on Main St.

I found the perfect berry for the "rubies" and realized that I forgot to mention that small strawberries are best to be preserved whole. The first batch Ben and I made made a lot more syrup than preserved fruit because we had to cut nearly every berry in halves or quarters. The ones I found today are not as sweet as the ones he found and are sized almost exactly like my fingertips, from thumbs to pinkies for the most part with only a few that need to be halved. I have made the rubies with this type of strawberry before and they were great.

[hippywife]

21. Tonight we're grilling again.

Brat burgers (bratwurst made into patties instead of cased; easier to cook and to eat) and hot dawgs, both from one of our local farmers. They are both delicious! Making some baked beans and a salad from the garden to go with.

Might have to grill a little more pineapple. :9

[Phentex]

38. We were finally able to grill!

And I think I'm going to try it again tonight. Storms are possible, though. It feels muggy and smells woodsy. But for some fresh grilled salmon, I have to have hope!

[htuttle]

22. Steamed buns

Made two kinds. Singapore-style chicken Gai Bao and mushroom/cashew Mauna Pua style buns.

Ate our fill and have a huge pile for lunch for the week.

[Phentex]

45. How long do they keep?

I love leftovers but I tend to eat them for breakfast. :)

[yellerpup]

23. Tuesday: Thai

I got the recipe in this forum and now it is my all-time favorite for chicken soup recipes. My dear neighbor fed my kitties while we were away this weekend.

June 1, 2010
Cat Gratitude Supper

Vegetable Dumplings
Coconut-Chicken Noodle Soup

Cashew Beef
Jasmine Rice
Cucumber Salad

French Rolls

Pineapple-Coconut Sorbet
Sesame-Sunflower Honey Crunch

Wine Beer

[hippywife]

26. Ummm...

can I watch your kitties?

[yellerpup]

28. Don't I wish you could!

I'm exhausted. Ben and I made a double batch of strawberry preserves about 16 1 C. jars. He bought 15 lbs. of strawberries from Trader Joe's when we only needed 6-7 lbs. so today we wound up starting a gallon and a half of strawberry cordial. He bought the Stoli. I'm glad I bought 10# of sugar because we used up the better part of it.

Yes, I'd watch your biddies and you can be my cat wrangler and we'll feast on Thai any time at all. You'll probably want to be traveling with that sweet puppy, but if he stays home, I'll feed him. :hi:

[hippywife]

27. I was thinking it was going

to be bean and rice veggie burritos but now I'm not sure. x(

[yellerpup]

29. Did you make burritos last night?

We had organic hamburgers (4 oz. uncooked) on sesame buns, red cabbage slaw, and barbecued beans. Tonight, we're going to have either leftover chicken-coconut soup, another hamburger, or chicken salad. It's hot and muggy here and I barely slept last night. Finished the laundry before noon, though, and I'm always glad to have that out of the way for the week. Hope all is well with you! :hug: Later!

[hippywife]

31. All is well here.

Just didn't feel like cooking after work. We ended up just finishing some hot dogs from a local farmer that Bill grilled on Monday and some leftover baked beans. It's just been too freakin' hot here to want to do anything. I hate running the air this early in the year but it's a must right now.

:hi:

[pengillian101]

32. "It's just been too freakin' hot here"

Same here and we are just shy of Canada. Hot!

[yellerpup]

33. I want a job now.

So I can go out to eat when I don't feel like cooking. The weather is unseasonably warm here, too. We'll go get the ACs out of storage and put them in the windows this weekend. For years we only needed AC for about 2 weeks during summer. Last summer was like that, but this one is going to be beastly. Stay cool!

[cbayer]

30. I am having a relatively big cooking day here

Just took my bread out of the oven and it is a thing of beauty.

Planning salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and some broccoli with cheese for dinner. I know, I know - not the healthiest meal in the world, but I am trying to use up what I have left in preparation for a grocery store run.

:hi:

[yellerpup]

34. I could go for that.

That sounds like a comfort meal that I could relax into. Just the thing after a long week; you get to use up your tag ends before you go shopping and you certainly won't go to the store hungry. :hi:

[cbayer]

36. It was profoundly delicious!

:hi:

[htuttle]

37. Bison burgers with wasabe mayonnaise and onion rings

I spiced up the rings just enough to notice it with some garlic, thyme and cayenne in the batter and dredged them in panko breadcrumbs.

I haven't had any kind of burger in so long that it was extra delicious. :9

[yellerpup]

46. That sounds like an interesting and satisfying meal.

Red meat is a rare occasion around here, and this combination would make the most of it. I'm a big fan of every ingredient you mentioned, so it sounds extra-extra to me.

[Fire1]

48. LOL!!! I know what you mean! I found the recipe I was looking

for and man, was it ever GOOD!!

[Fire1]

49. It's raining and I'm still grillin! Putting on my rain hat and

grillin my steaks I bought on sale yesterday! Come hell or high water, we're having grilled steak, pasta salad, corn on the cobb and baked potato. Amen.

[Phentex]

50. We do what we have to do for food!

I'm glad I don't have to hunt or anything. The prep is enough for me!

[tigereye]

51. hmm, Santa Fe chicken, chicken, onions and peppers on cibatta, chicken-

mango strawberry salad with spinach, pesto pasta with broccoli, that sort of thing.

Oh and broiled Salmon one night with asparagus and bhasmati rice.

[hippywife]

52. I just carved up some beef short ribs

and put them in the crockpot with some red wine, organic soy sauce, whole cloves and allspice berries, some mace, garlic, kosher salt, pepper. Going to put them on the grill later with some homemade sauce.

Gonna make a little mango salsa if I have enough of the ingredients, plus gotta make the weekly cookies and quickbread. Got some zukes coming on out in the garden. Can't wait for some zucchini bread! :9

[Phentex]

53. I looked at mangoes yesterday...

but I was trying to stick to my list so I didn't pick them up.

Guess I need to start a thread for a new week! :)

[hippywife]

54. How about starting one

without a date and we could have our own C&B version of Graywarrior's thread that never dies. ;)

[Phentex]

55. I fear the duck would not last in this group!...

With so many ways to eat it, what would be the point of keeping it around so long? :9

[hippywife]

56. That's true.

We wouldn't need THAT duck, we would have our own. Plural. ;)