What's the best thing you've made lately?

[Jenise]

Last night I made a chicken lime soup that used crisped corn tortilla strips--yum!

When I went to pick up a lime earlier in the day, I asked the clerk if they were out of them because I didn't see any. Well, no wonder. They were round ones, as big as oranges and not particularly green. I had thought they were some kind of orange or something and passed over them. Just one half of a lime yielded 1/4 cup of juice.

Hmmm...neat. Wonder what kind those are? I have a bunch that came from a friend's tree that you'd think were lemons, they're that yellow, but they do have a greenish tinge to them and they're lime sized. I've never seen one like you describe--that's a lot of juice. Probably Florida fruit.

Mexico.

Had some friends over for dinner on Saturday night and made pistachio encrusted Halibut, roasted asparagus with a hot bacon vinaigrette and Mike Filigenzi’s potato splats (with grated asiago cheese on top). Simple stuff but all very good.

Mark Bittman's Creamy Chicken Liver Pâté. We have a popular restaurant here that serves their pâté with a balsamic glaze. I included that, but found the syrup had broken down in the refrigerator over night and became liquidy again (huh!), although, it did not penetrate the pâté. Nonetheless, the pâté is yummy and the balsamic is truly a great flavor layer addition. I'll always serve pâté this way.

pate.jpg

creamy pate.jpg

Made a very rich chocolate ice cream to bring to a birthday party last night. Everyone loved it, although it's decadent enough that no one had more than one small scoop. I'll post the RCP later today - it's a winner.

Mark Bittman's Creamy Chicken Liver Pâté. We have a popular restaurant here that serves their pâté with a balsamic glaze. I included that, but found the syrup had broken down in the refrigerator over night and became liquidy again (huh!), although, it did not penetrate the pâté. Nonetheless, the pâté is yummy and the balsamic is truly a great flavor layer addition.

Jo Ann...would it be possible for you to post your recipe? I make Chicken Liver pate alot and have only actually had some already made from a store a few weeks ago. My family likes my Pate fine, but the texture is not creamy enough and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Yours sounds wonderful!

love...

Sorry, but I've wanted to give that answer to this post question since I first read it. I just couldn't resist any longer. My apologies that I have no "food" response that is more special, more professional, or more fun in nature. The wording was just too perfect to pass up...

Jeff

Jo Ann...would it be possible for you to post your recipe? I make Chicken Liver pate alot and have only actually had some already made from a store a few weeks ago. My family likes my Pate fine, but the texture is not creamy enough and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Yours sounds wonderful!

Hereyou go, Maria. I took most of it to work this morning with a rustic French baguette to share with my colleagues. (My husband and kids wouldn't think of touching the stuff.) I barely had my finger off the email send button before the parade passed my door. The jury is in -- it is wonderful. With the balsamic hit, you don't need cornichon. But, I really did miss the champagne. Will finish the rest tonight -- Properly!

I recently bought a container of fake sour cream (Unreal SourCreme, 25 cal/TBS) and looked for a recipe. I settled on beef stroganoff with homemade fettucine, accompanied by asparagus and a tossed salad. Surprisingly good.

If you want to vent about real sour cream, go ahead if it will make you feel better, but >expletive deleted<

Tried a new recipe for Tah Chin, a Persian chicken and rice dish with saffron yogurt crust. I had seven people for dinner so had to use larger pans than usual, but when inverted on the platter the crust and chicken were golden and perfectly finished, probably the best I have ever made. I wish I'd photographed it, but those diners were waiting at the table. Everyone agreed it was delicious. My husband eyes sparkle every time he talks about it. It was one of the foods his mother made very well and we both miss now that she can no longer cook.

[Jenise]

Jo Ann...would it be possible for you to post your recipe? I make Chicken Liver pate alot and have only actually had some already made from a store a few weeks ago. My family likes my Pate fine, but the texture is not creamy enough and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Yours sounds wonderful!

Hereyou go, Maria. I took most of it to work this morning with a rustic French baguette to share with my colleagues. (My husband and kids wouldn't think of touching the stuff.) I barely had my finger off the email send button before the parade passed my door. The jury is in -- it is wonderful. With the balsamic hit, you don't need cornichon. But, I really did miss the champagne. Will finish the rest tonight -- Properly!

Where do you buy your chicken livers, Jo Ann? Having once had an oriental market to supply me, I've been somehow reluctant to trust supermarket sources for organ meats now that this is all I have available, though maybe I shouldn't feel that way.

[Jenise]

Tried a new recipe for Tah Chin, a Persian chicken and rice dish with saffron yogurt crust. I had seven people for dinner so had to use larger pans than usual, but when inverted on the platter the crust and chicken were golden and perfectly finished, probably the best I have ever made. I wish I'd photographed it, but those diners were waiting at the table. Everyone agreed it was delicious. My husband eyes sparkle every time he talks about it. It was one of the foods his mother made very well and we both miss now that she can no longer cook.

Recipe?

Where do you buy your chicken livers, Jo Ann? Having once had an oriental market to supply me, I've been somehow reluctant to trust supermarket sources for organ meats now that this is all I have available, though maybe I shouldn't feel that way.

Oriental markets, only! Like you, I don't trust the supermarkets for organ meats. I once bought chicken livers that fell apart in my hands when I picked them up (not to mention the smell). That cured me. I go to Viet Wah because they get their meats out of Canada and it's shipped in daily.

Why does the Canadian chicken cross the road?

To visit its liver in the oriental market!

(I know, I know... it's not funny. Yet. I have to spend some more time working on it. I'll post back when I find the humor. Maybe I'll look in Chinatown...)

Why does Shirley McClaine cross the road?

She was channeling a chicken.

*****

BT, Shirley's a Santa Fe resident.

Jo Ann...would it be possible for you to post your recipe? I make Chicken Liver pate alot and have only actually had some already made from a store a few weeks ago. My family likes my Pate fine, but the texture is not creamy enough and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Yours sounds wonderful!

Hereyou go, Maria. I took most of it to work this morning with a rustic French baguette to share with my colleagues. (My husband and kids wouldn't think of touching the stuff.) I barely had my finger off the email send button before the parade passed my door. The jury is in -- it is wonderful. With the balsamic hit, you don't need cornichon. But, I really did miss the champagne. Will finish the rest tonight -- Properly!

Thanks Jo Ann!! I will give it a go!

Chicken saltimbocca last night.

Pork lo mein tonight. The pork was "boneless barbecued spareribs" from the local Chinese restaurant, sliced thin and added to the lo mein at the end of the frying. The noodles were stir-fried with shredded onion, scallion, bamboo shoot, and fresh shiitake mushroom, with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a pinch of white pepper for seasoning.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

Scrounging in the fridge last night I grabbed some onion, spinach, eggs and cheese and made an improvised frittata. I just caramelized the onions then wilted the spinach with them, added scrambled eggs, let it cook for a bit then topped with a little cheese & threw it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Tasty!

Today, blueberry, walnut pound cake....It adds the closest color to "Baltimore Raven's purple, that would look appetizing in a dessert.
GO RAVENS!!!!!

Drew

Today, blueberry, walnut pound cake....It adds the closest color to "Baltimore Raven's purple, that would look appetizing in a dessert.
GO RAVENS!!!!!

Drew

I agree, Go Ravens!

The pound cake looks great too.

PAELLA! Not perfect, but when I get my ingredients in the mail soon, I will have great Paella that we love. Great dish tonight with chicken legs, breasts, thighs, cut into serving pieces, shrimp, scallops, Linguisa. No clams or lobsters this time....this was practice and it came out great.

Moist, very nice flavor. Dried apricots are soaked in Grand Marnier.

Italian Wedding Soup (needed a tad bit more pasta).

These are the nickle sized meatballs just before roasting for 15 minutes.

Wedding Soup meatballs.jpg

Here is the finished product. Voila!

Italian Wedding Soup.jpg