zoramargolis

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clearing the refrigerator shelves:

lamb tagine, made with leftover kebab meat

saffron rice and potato-celery root puree, also leftovers

2013 Woodwork pinot noir

The traditional Ashkenazi "pudding" is lokshen (noodle) kugel, which is a baked pudding, usually sweet-- made with egg noodles, eggs, sour cream or some other type of dairy, sugar, and dried fruit--often raisins, but my mother made it with both golden raisins and dried apricots. In many non-kosher homes like mine, it was served as a starch alongside brisket, pot roast or chicken.

Darkstar, your belief that rice pudding was a traditional Jewish dish may have come from eating at deli restaurants, where rice pudding was often offered as a dessert. This has more to do with Americanization than anything else. Deli desserts were often the same as offered at American coffee shops, like Jello, tapioca, sherbet, or chocolate cake, none of which were eaten in the "old country" where the immigrants had come from. Typical Eastern European desserts like compote made from dried fruit or babka were unlikely to appeal to American kids.

Nachos.  Xochitl brand corn chips, cheddar cheese, black beans, slivered jalapeí±os, diced avocado, tomatillo salsa (made and frozen last summer).  I understand there was some sort of sporting event on last night, but every time I looked at the tube, I saw unusually long and complicated advertizing.  We watched a movie instead.  The nachos totally hit the spot.

Great minds think alike, Elizabeth. I made two separate plates of nachos to honor J's devotion to the Stupor Bowl. Good thing we have two tv sets. I ate mine while watching a Mel Brooks special on HBO. I defrosted some homemade chili, opened a can of refried beans, and made pico de gallo and guacamole. Layered the chips with shredded jack and cheddar, refritos, chili and put the salsa and guac on top after they came out of the oven. I really, really, really hate football.

Good thing that I enjoy going on foraging trips like the one Pool Boy described. J hates any kind of shopping. He'll agree to run up to the neighborhood Safeway for a limited number of items, but only if I am incapacitated somehow.

melanitzasalata (charred eggplant-roasted pepper-feta-pine nut salad) redipe from the Sunday Post Magazine, with pita chips

charcoal grilled 4-day yogurt, onion, and mint marinated lamb kebabs

saffron rice

2011 Bodegas La Cartuja Priorat

Just a quick thumbs-up from one of the mods. Our dinner thread contributors have been making some very creative, tasty-sounding meals lately. Wayto go!

tuna noodle casserole with mushrooms

spinach sauteed with way too much garlic

cassou-lite. which is to say that it didn't rise to the level of a true cassoulet, but had many of its elements: tarbais beans; garlicy sausage; pork belly in the form of bacon; I have some duck confit in the freezer but it felt like too much trouble to thaw it, so added duck broth for a ducky component. Plus a bunch of finely chopped aromatic veg and a bundle of herbs. I started it too late to have it spend many hours in the oven, and since the beans wouldn't have time to partially break down and make it creamy, I added a peeled and diced russet potato to contribute its starch. We started with a bibb lettuce salad and had some baguette slices for sopping.

And drank a 2007 Brunel cotes du Rhone cuvee Sabine from the back of the closet that was delicious--still had plenty of fruit but with a hint of leather that I love.

sesame noodles with ground pork, bok choy, celery, scallions and cilantro

Fat Tire and Saranac Long John lager

last night:

lettuce, avocado and spinach salad with meyer lemon vinaigrette

spaghetti with marinara and homemade meatballs from the freezer

2011 La Planeta

pan roasted duck breast with sour cherry-blueberry sauce

haricots verts with garlic and lemon

warm potato salad with bacon

2008 La Fleur de Haut-Bages Libéral

My usual places to get Fever Tree products: MacArthur Beverages, Ace Beverage, and Rodman's.

croquetas de bacalao

alioli

roasted peppers

TJ's salted caramel gelato with dulce de leche

2013 Botani moscatel seco

The other day, my husband wanted to make himself a cup of hot chocolate, and the only mix I had in the house was Ghiradelli.

"I don't like that one. Don't we have any Swiss Miss?"

We didn't. I offered to make him wonderful hot chocolate from scratch, using Mexican chocolate or Callebaut cocoa powder.

"Never mind. I just won't have any. Next time you're at the store, get some Swiss Miss for me. That's what I like."

It isn't about Swiss Miss being less expensive than more upscale choices in the hot chocolate spectrum. After all, I already had better IMO choices in the house.

He didn't take too kindly to my (unspoken) opinion that Swiss Miss is industrially produced crap-ola, and by inference that he has an impoverished palate. He likes it, along with other things that IMO are god-awful, like McDonald's quarter pounders and neighborhood take-out Chinese with gloppy sweet sauces.

He likes things that I am not willing to eat, and reacts with defensive anger when I try to suggest that there are better choices. Sometimes it's about money, but not often. So I choose my battles cautiously and this is not one I am willing to take on. I bought him a box of Swiss Miss a couple of days later, and he smiled and said "thank you." And I just shrugged and said "you're welcome." What're you gonna do?

a cooking down the pantry and freezer meal:

brandade de morue with toasted baguette (frozen, pre-soaked salt cod from Pesca Deli)

soup with mushrooms, tarbais beans, cabbage, misc. aromatic veg, eco friendly ham hock, in smoked turkey broth

marinated, roasted red peppers

more pineapple upside down cake

2011 Kermit Lynch CDR

I thought everything was tasty, but unfortunately K. didn't care for either the brandade or the soup.   She ate bread and butter with apricot jam. Well, at least the jam was homemade...

She's headed back to Amman, Jordan tomorrow. I promised J that I would make croquetas de bacalao out of the leftover brandade.

last night:

enchiladas rojas stuffed with poached chicken or jack/cheddar cheese (sauce was adobo that I'd made last week thinned out with poached chicken broth and pinto bean broth)

refried pinto beans

rajas de poblanos

saffron rice

pico de gallo

pineapple upside down cake

Left over Pizza

Carrot

And what was your beverage choice with this fascinating repast?

I've been to Taco Bamba a few times recently, and had a chance to taste around on the menu. It's hard not to keep ordering favorites, though. In case it hasn't been clear from my previous posts, I love this place. And I am very hard to please, when it comes to Mexican food. There were a few misses: tinga put my tongue to sleep. won't make that mistake again. Birria was a bit too fatty for me, but J. loved it. Even preferred it to his perennial favorite carnitas. Al Arabe was a mistake: grilled chicken in a flatbread with tzatziki. Huh? the chicken was tasty--I ate it with a fork and pitched the flatbread. When I go to Taco Bamba I want corn torillas, period. You can't go wrong with barbacoa, in my book. It's just flat out delicious. And I like the taco bamba a lot--grilled skirt steak always works well in a taco. Lengua is sometimes fabulous and other times just very good. Al pastor is another favorite. I've had the spicy 'shroom a couple of times, and if there are any vegetarians in your world, that is the taco they should get. It's really good. Tamales are excellent. I usually get the verde but I've had the rojo a couple of times recently and liked it very much. the rojo is billed as "spicy" but it really isn't. And we always get just beans no rice. Their beans are fantastic. And the posole is wonderful.

green salad with meyer lemon vinaigrette

meat loaf made with eco-friendly ground beef and bulk mild ground pork Italian sausage

roasted kabocha squash, rutabagas, and celery root

basmati rice

Note to self: miso-ginger butter for firmer greens or asparagus...of course!

I used white miso from South River, which has more than a hint of sweetness. I might have added a few drops of mirin otherwise. Mixed the miso with softened butter, ginger put through a giant garlic press that I have, and a few drops of roasted sesame oil and good soy sauce. I lightly steamed the bok choy, which had been cut lengthwise into quarters and smeared some of the miso butter on before I put it onto the grill with the steak. I turned them a couple of times and took them off when they'd gotten some nice grill marks. I added a bit more of the miso butter before serving. Really delicious, and I imagine it would be very nice with other grilled veg like asparagus, eggplant, green beans.

tonight:

charcoal-grilled rib-eye with salt-pepper-pimenton rub

charcoal-grilled bok choi with miso-ginger butter

baked russet potatoes with sour cream, butter, and chives

2003 Torbreck Woodcutters shiraz --found in the back of one of the cabinets where wine is stashed. Mercy! I was prepared for it to be cooked after so many years of less than ideal storage, but it was fabulous!

salad with avocado, cuke, feta, lemon vinaigrette

chicken sofrito with preserved lemon, chick peas, moghrabieh,* celery root, and broccolini

this is a one pot meal with a long cooked sofrito of onion, garlic, tomato, roasted peppers, cumin and pimenton, browned chicken thighs, vegetables, pasta, broth and aromatics.

2007 Laurent B. CDR

*similar to Israeli couscous, but the individual pearls are larger.

I have had no contact with Melissa Harris in a long time, but I believe this is a Paypal issue. I'm certain that Melissa informed Paypal that she was suspending publication and requested that they suspend any automatic renewals. I don't think she should be blamed if Paypal is charging people. Paypal is eating the money, so the ire should be directed at Paypal.

Dislike. Though maybe 4 years is close enough to justify replacing in a few with a Kittchen Aid or Frigidaire?

I already have major purchases in mind. Like a restaurant range. I hadn't planned for replacing them. We'll see how they do.