Nothing exiting been cooked here but I made 2 types of Jam last night. #5 will only each strawberry jam but #6 (who is turning into a foodie) has been nagging me to make raspberry. In winter I use frozen fruit, which is a cheat but does speed the whole process up.
I've also been educating myself on the various egg/bread/pan combinations. Over here we tend to whisk the egg up and dip the bread in and call it the imaginative name of 'eggy bread'. Works in a sandwich toaster as well (note when I was 16 almost anything worked in a sandwich toaster). As far as I can tell the next up the chain in complexity is French toast, which it appears the french don't eat much these days and usually contains milk and sweetning. Then we get the fancy pants birds nests on artisan bread you guys make.
I feel such a hick around you guys
I've also been educating myself on the various egg/bread/pan combinations. Over here we tend to whisk the egg up and dip the bread in and call it the imaginative name of 'eggy bread'. Works in a sandwich toaster as well (note when I was 16 almost anything worked in a sandwich toaster). As far as I can tell the next up the chain in complexity is French toast, which it appears the french don't eat much these days and usually contains milk and sweetning. Then we get the fancy pants birds nests on artisan bread you guys make.
I feel such a hick around you guys
A lot quicker than blanching spinach, pureed, and added to a boiled, peeled, riced, potato gnocchi dough.
Pain perdu/French toast is a common breakfast sweet here. I'm more partial to "eggs in the clouds" which is whipped egg whites formed into a volcano, baked and the whole yolk put in it towards the end. Served on crusty bread with whatever breakfast type meats and toppings you prefer.
Roasted potatoes -- I get the fingerlings or other small potato, rub with oil, salt, rosemary and pepper. (FWIW in spite of bitter cold, the rosemary refuses to perish). These I put in a shallow Creuset pan and roast on the Weber. They are devoured by guests who range in age from 3 to 99 years old!
Baked potatoes discussed in todays UK Telegraph. HoHum.
Baked potatoes discussed in todays UK Telegraph. HoHum.
I only add a pinch of salt to the egg whites for every 4 eggs. Textbook whipping technique works best in this. Preheated oven to 400°F, parchment lined tray in the top 1/3 of the oven. Bake 5 minutes or until just turning color on the tips. Add egg yolk, continue baking 3 more minutes for runny, 5-8 minutes for set. These don't keep well, so serve immediately.
In an interesting turn of events, I literally just now, FOUND two, cast iron chicken fryer pans, lol!
I work in an industrial area, 75,000ft/sq building and we get a lot of homeless parking dilapidated motorhomes on the streets, collecting garbage and of course leaving a ton, too. Well, taking a quick walk around the property on break I find a pile of trash in our bushes, so I go to collect it. In there I spot these two pans! Muddy, but don't look cooked in. No cracks, rust or anything! The one on the left is a Lodge.
Going to hose these off and give a quick scrub before putting them in my car, but score!
I work in an industrial area, 75,000ft/sq building and we get a lot of homeless parking dilapidated motorhomes on the streets, collecting garbage and of course leaving a ton, too. Well, taking a quick walk around the property on break I find a pile of trash in our bushes, so I go to collect it. In there I spot these two pans! Muddy, but don't look cooked in. No cracks, rust or anything! The one on the left is a Lodge.
Going to hose these off and give a quick scrub before putting them in my car, but score!
I made something very similar the other night.... chopped deboned chicken thigh/legs into two inch chunks, coarsely chopped onion, green pepper. red pepper, a lot of pitted green olives, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, olive oil, a bit of white wine... in a baking pan for an hour at 425F. Covered for the first 45 minutes.
On top of Japanese white rice.
Didn't take pictures, but it was delicious and gave us two dinners ( just the two of us ).
On top of Japanese white rice.
Didn't take pictures, but it was delicious and gave us two dinners ( just the two of us ).
I went pretty traditional on this one, saffron, paprika, white pepper, ground ginger, ground cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, chopped onion, minced garlic, caramelized the lemons first, browned the chicken both sides, then onions until soft. Spices, water, add chicken back, cover and simmer until chicken is done. Added lemon juice, caramelized lemons and green olives back right at the end. Only thing I didn't have was preserved lemons, so just a pinch of sugar right at the end. The missus loved it and gets a lunch for tomorrow out of it! Kids were a split decision. Good thing I make two options every night. Eat it, or go hungry!
i bought some Ras El Hanout (for making Moroccan stuff) but I haven't used it yet. My plan is to use the tagine with that... and the cous cous...
Have your tried putting chopped dates, dried cranberries or prunes in your cous cous? It's delicious.
Saffron, nost often, I combine Spanish saffron with Spanish smoked paprika in the same dish (like paella). Always fry the paprika and add the saffron in chicken broth later.
I ought to try the lemons... or actually the limes. My lemon tree died... but I got a lime tree loaded and a small satsuma orange tree also loaded. So, I need to figure out what to do with them. I usually make a great orange marmalade ( cutting back big time on the sugar and adding Splenda )... this time I'm thinking of making a lime marmalade... Would be useful for the dish you made.
Oh, I made four pints of blueberry jam this week.... I tried using frozen berries before but the flavor collapses in the jam, you got to use fresh ones.
...
I can imagine how much food you are making with three boys.
We have one of each... and we'd seldom had any left overs when they were teenagers. At one point I'd make four one pound ribeyes for Sunday Dinner and we'd have NO left overs... Whenever we went out for sushi, I'd feed the kids a PBJ sandwich before we went. That was worth about 100 bucks! They ate everything... they loved too so we couldn't just hold it from them. But, ay! Do they eat.. specially the boys when they get into those cross country teams and their need for 8000 calories per day...
Have your tried putting chopped dates, dried cranberries or prunes in your cous cous? It's delicious.
Saffron, nost often, I combine Spanish saffron with Spanish smoked paprika in the same dish (like paella). Always fry the paprika and add the saffron in chicken broth later.
I ought to try the lemons... or actually the limes. My lemon tree died... but I got a lime tree loaded and a small satsuma orange tree also loaded. So, I need to figure out what to do with them. I usually make a great orange marmalade ( cutting back big time on the sugar and adding Splenda )... this time I'm thinking of making a lime marmalade... Would be useful for the dish you made.
Oh, I made four pints of blueberry jam this week.... I tried using frozen berries before but the flavor collapses in the jam, you got to use fresh ones.
...
I can imagine how much food you are making with three boys.
We have one of each... and we'd seldom had any left overs when they were teenagers. At one point I'd make four one pound ribeyes for Sunday Dinner and we'd have NO left overs... Whenever we went out for sushi, I'd feed the kids a PBJ sandwich before we went. That was worth about 100 bucks! They ate everything... they loved too so we couldn't just hold it from them. But, ay! Do they eat.. specially the boys when they get into those cross country teams and their need for 8000 calories per day...
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I've got 2B and 1G. 14, 15, 18. Girl child (15y) is the pickiest one, she'll eat a dozen eggs in a day if she's home from school. She's 5'7" and pretty trim, I often wonder where she puts all the food, lol! The boys pretty much devour anything I put between their face and video game systems. Youngest can be particular, but only certain things. Oldest just started classes at the local CC and works at a pizza joint on weekends. He'll eat pizza at work, bring some home, order Door Dash and then eat dinner I make! At least he's able to feed himself financially, I dont know if I could afford to!
A small source of pride for me, when they have friends over (we're the "kid house" 5-8 kids on a weekend isn't uncommon for us) and I'm cooking and baking, they'll request certain dishes and their friends are blown away at what we eat on a regular basis! The good kids tend to stick around and get to eat all kinds of stuff.
I think the fact that we don't have a TV as the center of our time together and instead it's food, the kitchen, music, conversation, eating, I feel very connected with my kids and family.
A good meal serves more than just the appetite.
A small source of pride for me, when they have friends over (we're the "kid house" 5-8 kids on a weekend isn't uncommon for us) and I'm cooking and baking, they'll request certain dishes and their friends are blown away at what we eat on a regular basis! The good kids tend to stick around and get to eat all kinds of stuff.
I think the fact that we don't have a TV as the center of our time together and instead it's food, the kitchen, music, conversation, eating, I feel very connected with my kids and family.
A good meal serves more than just the appetite.
For citrus, combine navel orange, ruby grapefruit and lime juice equal parts. A few toasted chile de árbol, several toasted pasilla chile and salt in a molcajete. Itll be some melt your face off hot, but so flavorful and delicious Yucatan style hot chile salsa! Great on eggs, pizza, tacos al pastor, or anything. Stem and deseed all chile. I think a 1/4C of each juice to 1oz of each pepper would be about right.