What's Cooking (Take Three!)

Over the weekend I'll be making Chinese spiced chicken wings, but instead of deep-frying them I'll be grilling them.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Not cooking at home tonight. Last night, didn't cook at home either. Had to do an errand run to Seattle and ended the day buying take-out barbecue and cocktails-to-go to consume on the beach at Shilsole Bay. Bought the family pack of food--four meats and four sides, then ate just a part of it and packaged up the rest (minus the cocktails) to deliver dinner to a group of homeless men at one of the encampments we saw on our way in. That felt pretty good.

That was nice of you, Jenise.

We had our first grill evening. Hamburgers and hot dogs, 'natch.

Pecan-smoked ham and corn on the cob for us last night. This morning will be more of that ham and some kind of egg dish, (Maybe green eggs and ham.)

[Jenise]

That was nice of you, Jenise.

We had our first grill evening. Hamburgers and hot dogs, 'natch.

That's what was served at the croquet party we went to. Hamburgers were frozen Costco patties which had that old/spoiled meat smell to them as soon as I got that patty up to my face. I just loaded it with onions and hoped for the best--at least I'd die with 7 of my favorite people.

Today I made a brothy tomato-beef-garbanzo-pasta soup-stew soup for a couple who just had a baby. Will take that to them with a fresh loaf of bread tomorrow. I fed my starter and separated the discard for a little booster shot and inclusion in the bread dough.

For lunch Bob and I will have a turkey-salami Italian sub for lunch and chicken schnitzels on broccoli raab for dinner, a great combination since both love being drowned in fresh lemon juice.

Hamburgers and hot dogs, 'natch.

That's what was served at the croquet party we went to. Hamburgers were frozen Costco patties which had that old/spoiled meat smell to them as soon as I got that patty up to my face. I just loaded it with onions and hoped for the best--at least I'd die with 7 of my favorite people.

Yeesh.

I make my own patties. In this case, 80-20 beef, s+p, garlic, a small shake of thyme and paprika, and something to add a little umami (rye bonji but could also be Worcestershire). It all comes across very savory, no spice stands forward of the others.

[Jenise]

I too only make/serve hand-made patties. And I too love worcestershire as burger seasoning!

Tonight:

Edie: creamed chicken curry with peas over sourdough toast.
Moi: A ribeye so big it had its own plate. I need a nap.

Tonight I'm making Puttenesca sauce to go with penne

It's too hot today to do any cooking, so I'm putting together a Sichuanese cold dish: kou shui ji (Saliva Chicken), using one of those supermarket rotisserie chickens. I'll have cucumbers on the side--smashed cucumbers if I'm feeling ambitious.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes with basil tonight.

Dinner was leftover hamburgers and hot dogs but, ah, lunch was a big, beautiful dark heirloom tomato dressed with a bit of truffle carpaccio, a burrata dressed with flake salt, and sliced ham dressed with black pepper (and a board of knekkebrod). First heirloom of the season for me and a good one.

Corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes with basil tonight.

We did, too, but substitute mayo for the basil.

Dinner was leftover hamburgers and hot dogs but, ah, lunch was a big, beautiful dark heirloom tomato dressed with a bit of truffle carpaccio, a burrata dressed with flake salt, and sliced ham dressed with black pepper (and a board of knekkebrod). First heirloom of the season for me and a good one.

Sounds delicious Jeff, particularly from the depths of winter. Which is why last night was roast lamb and tonight will be pizza.

[Jenise]

Speaking of truffles, four Australian truffles will land on my doorstep, overnight delivery, on Friday. I'm already salivating.

Speaking of truffles, four Australian truffles will land on my doorstep, overnight delivery, on Friday. I'm already salivating.

Ooh, I'm curious about them. The Australian truffle industry has worked many years to make this possible and it's all been coming together in the past few years. Very interested to hear what you think of them. Are you a truffle lover or just truffle-interested?

Today, I was given cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots, and a bunch of other fruits and veges. What to do with them?

I didn't have any corned beef, but I remembered I had a skirt steak so I used that to make an ersatz corned beef and cabbage. I threw in my own mixture of pickling spice (which turned out quite aromatic and wonderful). Overall, a big yum. And coincidentally, I had a big loaf of Irish soda bread (part WW) I made a couple of days ago. Sometimes the stars align.

Grill the Second: two Cornish game hens, four skirt steaks, three weird end-of-the-primal pork chops, and four yellow nectarines.

The birds and steaks were kissed by the fire but specifically left under-done; they'll be finished-off in the oven on some evening soon. The chops were really quite excellent, despite the oddly-stretched proportions. And this all from the supermarket, not even the nicey-nice butchers.

The nectarines are semi being saved for tomorrow or Monday when I'll have a ginger/white chocolate ice cream ready.

[Jenise]

Are you a truffle lover or just truffle-interested?

That made me laugh--I get the question's riff on another topic. Definitely full truffle lover! And these Aussie winter truffles are FANTASTIC. $42 an ounce and I got two truffles weighing in at a total 4.5 ounces. I'm VERY impressed. They're surprisingly rich and earthy. Had big plans for dinner last night, then friends showed up at 2 p.m. with tons of take-out Chinese from a new food truck they wanted me to try. And we drank three bottles of wine out in the sun. By the time I should have started my chicken-truffle braise, my day was over.

So today the chicken's back on deck and I'm not answering the phone.

Definitely full truffle lover!

Me, too. I feel so sorry for those poor benighted people who don't like them.

And these Aussie winter truffles are FANTASTIC. $42 an ounce and I got two truffles weighing in at a total 4.5 ounces. I'm VERY impressed. They're surprisingly rich and earthy.

This sounds excellent. Would you share your source?

Had big plans for dinner last night, then friends showed up at 2 p.m. with tons of take-out Chinese from a new food truck they wanted me to try. And we drank three bottles of wine out in the sun. By the time I should have started my chicken-truffle braise, my day was over.

"The old chow-mein-and-wine-in-the-sun trick!" --Maxwell Smart

So today the chicken's back on deck and I'm not answering the phone.

Too busy popping aspirin? Or are you a raw egg + Worcestershire person?

[Jenise]

Not hungover! And I wasn't sloshed at all, just in too low a gear and too full still from a late lunch to start the elaborate dinner I had in mind for those truffles. And absolutely happy to share my source, they deserve all the business they can get. They're in L.A. Epicurus (spelling accurate). Ask for Hilary. Lemme look up the number. (818) 658-6367. They have a website: Epicurus Gourmet. Will appear that things are only available for local pickup but it's not the case, Hilary will send O/N.

[Jenise]

It's Meatless Monday again! Yesterday I harvested all my potatoes, so tonight: potatoes with black truffles and butter.

Tried what I thought was a weird marinade on chicken thighs last night: mayo and chimichurri, I used the screaming hot cast iron skillet in the oven trick. Came out great. And I put on more chimchurri before serving.

After I reflected on the ingredients in mayo, it didn't seem so weird. It also helps keep seasonings stick to the meat. I'm going to try the mayo trick in some other recipes.

[Jenise]

Larry, for the reasons you mention I use mayo as the initial spread on the skin when I roast turkeys. Good flavor, good browning, good glue for powdered seasonings.