Pat

At some point I suppose we should have people over again, but it has been a very long time. Meanwhile, I'll try to remind my husband the ice cream is there so he can at least eat it. Wednesday was sourdough bread and butter, a pork tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto done in the air fryer, and jalapeno mac and cheese. Thursday was more of the bread and leftover steak and noodles. Last night was leftover salmon croquettes w/ranch; baked chicken thighs; and leftover mac and cheese + green beans Tonight will be some kind of salad, asparagus - prosciutto bundles, leftover pork tenderloin, and a kale - sunchoke danish from Souk.

We've still got South Mountain ice cream from last year that we haven't even opened. I think we got 4 pints and have eaten 1 of them. I love ice cream but when I eat it, I eat too much. It's not going to keep forever, so I guess we should eat it. The salmon chowder from last night was great. I didn't measure exactly but mostly pretty much followed the recipe. Used whole milk instead of cream.

Update on Sunday: The crostini were white bean, from this recipe, except I topped them with thin slices of Gouda. Excellent. I also roasted some aged broccoli that was yellowing. I don't usually like roasted broccoli because I like it fresh and bright green, but when it's already headed south, roasting salvages it. Roasted it with avocado oil, s + p, garlic salt, nutritional yeast, and crushed red pepper flakes. Very good. Monday was more of the crostini, a reverse sear prime strip steak, and leftover egg noodles. I guess I forgot to mention the other reverse sear steak, which was served over the original batch of noodles that were mixed with sauteed cremini mushrooms, and with brussels spouts mixed with crumbled bacon. Tonight is toasted baguette; salad with red leaf lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion; and salmon chowder.

I'm way behind again! Your salads really don't sound that much different from ours. I've been slacking on making my own dressing, though I still do sometimes. Highlights: I've made a couple of Moosewood recipes: Bulgarian Pepper and Cheese Delight, which actually features quite a bit of bulgur and was decent; and, Broccoli Mushroom Noodle Casserole, which I liked more. I forgot how much cheese these Moosewood recipes use (a lot) and how large the portions are (very). I had a large pork tenderloin and split it more or less in half to make Bami Goreng (from Valerie Bertinelli's Enough Already, a recipe from Eddie Van Halen's mother) and a concoction of my own: cubed pork tenderloin dredged in flour, seared in butter, and braised in apple cider; plus drained pineapple chunks; served with basmati rice, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and and green bell peppers. Having not made any in a long time, I made beef stew and it came out really well. It featured potatoes, sunchokes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sunchokes are great in beef stew. I also made some mashed sunchokes, referring to a Martha Stewart recipe but using chicken stock instead of milk. The day before Valentine's Day (oh, Super Bowl Sunday!) we had a meal heavy on foods from Neighborhood Restaurant Group: Shrimp Cocktail with baby arugula Pigs in Blankets with mustard Iron Gate Meatballs + extra homemade tomato sauce Asparagus prosciutto bundles Air Fryer Buffalo chicken thighs V-Day we got from Rose's and drank a Minervois from DCanter: Frisee salad with lardons and bacon fat vinaigrette French onion soup with cheesy croutons Coq au vin with red wine sauce, carrots, noodles, and herbed bread crumbs Cheese plate: La Tur, Manchego, clothbound cheddar spread, grapes, focaccia, orange preserves There was chocolate mousse for dessert, but we ate that on subsequent days. More recently we've been working through Salmon with Dijon, mayo, thyme, toasted bread crumb, and lemon juice topping, baked over sweet onions. It made a great salmon spread over onion bagel and also wonderful croquettes. Also has been used to top salad. (Costco piece, very large.) Tonight the plans are for Crostini (with white bean and/or tomato) Tortellini in Brodo Spaghetti with leftover Iron Gate meatballs and sauce

It's a good spot for private events, FWIW. I went to a birthday party there in December, one of the few times I've been in the presence of a lot of people at one time without masks on in quite a long time. Food (buffet) was fine. Service was good.

Yesterday: Radicchio, Belgian endive, carrots, scallions, walnuts, and hard-boiled egg; vinaigrette Penne with marinara sauce and mozzarella Leftover roasted cauliflower Tonight: Leftover salad + red leaf lettuce, white radishes, and Craisins While wheat pita and hummus Leftover turkey meatloaf Steamed broccoli Baked potatoes with broccoli, cheese, bacon, sour cream, and jalapeños

While I can't right now, I'm hoping I can in the future. I've been remiss keeping up with menus and this thread again. I've been mixing up foods from the freezer (e.g., chicken and noodles in peanut sauce; yogurt-marinated chicken thighs) and new dishes, plus their leftovers in various forms. The nacho cheese sauce got reused just plain with chips but also in a mac and cheese with broccoli. The pork shoulder and gravy turned into a pork and black bean chili and also couple of meals of pork and gravy over mashed potatoes. The gravy itself (which had homemade chicken stock in its base) got reused in other places and the last of it went into the freezer because it was too good to waste. Of new things, this apricot chicken I had not made in a long time and forgot how good it was (scaled back the ingredients). I served it with roasted mushroom risotto and roasted golden beets. (Leftover risotto made wonderful air fryer arancini, alongside Rao's arrabiata sauce for dipping.) Honey-Glazed Mushrooms With Udon from the NYT was excellent. I served it with leftover from the freezer French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts (in pita) from David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen. It froze pretty well, but I boosted it with extra dressing and nuts and cheese to refresh. On Friday I made turkey meatloaf with shiitake mushroom sauce [Cava harissa in the meatloaf with oyster cracker crumbs, egg, thyme, salt, and pepper; gochujang spread on top partway through cooking when the top looked dry; thyme, garlic salt, pepper, and cornstarch slurry with chicken stock* and additional water for the sauce; about 6 - 8 oz. mushrooms]. Served with baby red potatoes, carrots, and peas with butter, s+p. Saturday was arancini plus Roasted Eggplant and Lentil Soup from Food & Wine. I used full fat milk that was souring instead of 1% milk + lemon. Yesterday was leftovers of that soup, the apricot chicken, and the roasted red potatoes, plus new roasted mustard Parmesan cauliflower. I love that cauliflower recipe (from Food Network). Tonight we should finish the eggplant soup, turkey meatloaf and arancini. I'm also planning to roast a small acorn squash, utilizing the sage breadcrumbs I made out of excess from the eggplant soup recipe, plus walnuts and feta. *I have been making a lot of InstantPot chicken stock using chicken necks from South Mountain Creamery deliveries. Wish I had realized what a great trick that was before now.

FYI, Hendrick's and grapefruit Spindrift over ice is pretty good.

I walk past there sometimes and smell the food cooking. Smells wonderful. I'm never going by at a time of day when they're open and I can get something, and it's a little too far to head back there easily at prime time. I know they were closed for several days around the holidays. I hope they can bounce back.

Last night Nachos with pulled pork, black beans, pickled jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese, plus Velveeta nacho dipping sauce [added chi chi's tomato salsa & milk to the dipping sauce, which I made in a standalone tiny electric cooker I got with some appliance years ago; Velveeta was a pandemic purchase and past its best by date] InstantPot Korean chicken wings [made them again because they were awesome the first time despite my messing up the temp] Tonight Tortilla chips with leftover Velveeta nacho sauce Black bean and pork chili

We've been eating lots of freezer stuff and leftovers. Of new stuff: Had some air-fryer Korean chicken wings one night and breaded turkey tenders in the air fryer, with couscous, and cranberry orange ginger sauce. Last night: Salad [butter lettuce, radishes, green olives; red wine vinaigrette] Toasted olive bread and herbed evoo Lemon ricotta ravioli with ricotta, lemon and baby spinach Upcoming tonight: InstantPot pork shoulder and gravy Leftover couscous and cranberry sauce Roasted brussels sprouts, cauliflower, turnips, and bacon

This makes me very sad. My husband and I went there a lot when we lived in Greenbelt, before they added the second part of it. The last either of us was there he was to dinner with his best friend, who lives in Baltimore. I'm sorry I didn't get back again😞

Tonight: Pumpernickel bread Salad (radicchio, romaine, napa cabbage, pomegranate seeds, feta, bacon, radishes, cucumber; ranch) Leftover turkey meatballs and gravy Leftover mashed potato casserole

Tonight: Salad (romaine, cucumber, radishes; ranch) Leftover chicken tetrazzini Dinner on Sunday: Leftover baked chicken thighs over leftover orzo Green beans almondine Monday: Baguette slices Pumpernickel bread Turkey meatballs with gravy Mashed potato casserole (topped with aged cheddar and truffle cheese)

The space for the Hank's on PA Ave. near Eastern Market that closed is being taken over by the pandemic-era* Beuchert's sandwich, etc., popup Fight Club. Excellent news (though sorry to see Hank's go; maybe they'll find another nearby space). Good on multiple fronts: Looks like Andrew Markert is hoping to get Beuchert's going again; Fight Club will endure; and, the vacant restaurant space on that block will be occupied. AND, Markert is taking over the nearby Montmartre space. Woo-hoo! *I'm getting retrospective. The Pandemic Era will be in the rearview mirror soon (I hope.)

Clyde's in various locations is one of the few businesses I've patronized in person during the pandemic. I believe I've been to all the DC ones except 1789 and Penn Quarter one. They do a fantastic job. Food is at least reasonably good (with seafood being extraordinary) and service is excellent. It seems like it will be months before I go anywhere again, so I thought I'd post this.

NYE Dinner: Champagne (Trouillard Brut Extra Selection NV) Kalamata & Pimiento Stuffed Olives Sourdough Ricotta - Fig Jam Toasts Baguette With Aged White Cheddar and Truffle Cheeses (and some Danish blue for me) Baked Chicken Thighs Over Leftover Orzo Green Beans Almondine I got a demi of champagne (375 ml) from DCanter on Barracks Row. It was excellent and just the right amount for us. The various breads and cheese were wonderful. I could live just on that. The orzo that goes with those lamb shanks lasts forever, and having the chicken with more of it was a nice change. New Year's Day Dinner: Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake Leftover Spare Ribs + BBQ Sauce InstantPot Black-Eyed Peas Kale with Vinegar, Bacon, and Hot Pepper Flakes I made the baked ham and cheese thing because there were only 4 ribs left and no more bread. We ate a tiny bit of it but it keeps to be reheated as leftovers. I used the last of the baguette and got our fish portion in for the good luck by making spicy tuna salad sandwiches with chopped lettuce for lunch. I used some gochujang along with Hellman's light mayo and a splash of citrus champagne vinegar to dress the tuna and celery for the salad. (I could put this in the lunch thread, but...)

I'm not super fond of them, but canned veggies have gotten better over the years and the worst part of these was the color. I added more back in when we had leftover Chicken Tetrazzini last night, plus salad, and bread.

Yesterday for lunch I was looking for a way to use up the last of the Christmas Eve cod, some of which was getting pretty dried out. My creation was called Cod Hash Croquettes😄, and they were pretty good, if I say so myself. The hash was made from the cod (still topped with baked on cranberry sauce), that I flaked and mixed with the leftover cooked peas that were in the same container, plus the leftover greens, onion, and garlic that were in another container. I mixed in a beaten egg and unseasoned breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and formed into patties. This made 3 croquettes about 3" or so in diameter. I didn't want to add too much binder and risk drying the mixture out because the point was to counteract dry fish, so I sprinkled flour on each side of the cakes to add a little more to hold them together and help them brown as well. They were served with tortilla chips and hot green crema/sauce that came with rotisserie chicken I'd gotten from Canales/Tortilla Cafe. I haven't kept track of lunches in quite a while now, but this one was worth recording.

Last night was chicken tetrazzini made with leftover rotisserie chicken from Tortilla Cafe and lots of mushrooms. I added canned corn and peas from the pandemic supplies. The peas were nearing their expiration date (meaning they must have been pretty old already when I got them). Peas are one of the canned vegetables that I tend to avoid (along with asparagus), but I figured they'd be fairly well buried in all the other ingredients here. These surprised me a bit in that, while they had that unappealing olive drab color coming out of the can, they held up pretty well in the oven and tasted okay.

We had leftover salad and cod last night, with extra cranberry sauce. Also had some of the orzo from the lamb plus sourdough bread. I sliced some truffle cheese from TJ to go with the bread. Tonight we're having spare ribs (the way I've made them several times recently), plus leftover kielbasa and pinto beans, and sauteed greens (arugula, kale, spinach) with garlic and onion.

Christmas meals have been really simple this year. Christmas Eve was salad, Canadian wild cod baked topped with homemade cranberry-ginger-orange sauce, and buttered green peas. Christmas we had salad, Ina Garten's lamb shanks and orzo, and buttered green beans. I've made the lamb shanks a bunch of times now but messed up the timing, so we ate a bit later than planned. The green beans were perfect, however! They make a very nice accompaniment to the dish.

Seeing Ashleigh Pearson's name in the thread title reminds me to post that she has moved on and now has a small shop in Georgetown called Petit Soeur (1332 Wisconsin), where she is producing gorgeous (and delicious) handpainted bon bons. She also has some cookies (sables) in different flavors and rolled fudge. The shop's still in soft opening and will have its grand opening next month. I spent wayyyy too much money buying Christmas (and birthday) gifts there this month🥰.

Romaine, butter lettuce, radicchio, cucumber, radishes, pomegranate seeds, raisins, toasted walnuts, green bell pepper, feta; ranch dressing Spinach tortellini in brodo with Parmesan Grilled herbed turkey and cheese with cranberry sauce on sourdough wheat bread

Tonight is leftover salad, Red Apron kielbasa braised in porter, drunken pinto beans, and home fries.