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

[Jenise]

Soup looks fantastic. But thatsa lotsa meatballs!

Btw, this may sound daft, but best I can recall I never heard of Italian Wedding Soup until about two years ago, if it was that long. And all of a sudden it's like the most popular soup around. You can even buy canned versions of it. Did it really just arrive out of nowhere, or have I been hanging out in the wrong circles?

I heard about it maybe 4 years ago. Then it was a weekly feature in the cafeteria at work. I went online to look for a recipe and there were several of them on FoodNetwork.com and Epicurious. Before that, I had never heard of it either. Who makes a canned version? I don't think I've seen that.

I freeze the extra meetballs for another use or to use later in another soup.

[Jenise]

I heard about it maybe 4 years ago. Then it was a weekly feature in the cafeteria at work. I went online to look for a recipe and there were several of them on FoodNetwork.com and Epicurious. Before that, I had never heard of it either. Who makes a canned version? I don't think I've seen that.

I freeze the extra meetballs for another use or to use later in another soup.

Okay, so I haven't been out in the clueless tundra all by myself on this, thanks. I believe the canned version I tried was Wolfgang Puck's, but I believe I've also seen it since announced as a new flavor for Campbell's.

[Jenise]

Jo Ann,

Yup it's true!

http://www.epinions.com/review/Campbell_S_Italian_Style_Wedding_Soup/content_418614447748

Campbell's soups seems to be pretty bland these days, even the Italian Wedding Soup which two grandkids eat. When I eat it with them, it is tweaked.

Campbell's soups seems to be pretty bland these days, even the Italian Wedding Soup which two grandkids eat. When I eat it with them, it is tweaked.

Really? I've always thought the Campbells soups really high in sodium, which overshadowed any other flavor. For that reason, I changed to progresso ions ago. Maybe I'll give them another try. But, since I've seriously expanded my soup making skills, I pretty much just make my own. Yum!

I'm no baker, but just finished making this recommended-by-a-friend Chocolate Stout Cake for wine group tomorrow night (we are hosting). I know it's really good because I also made a few mini cupcakes as "testers" to see how it would be. A keeper recipe for sure. It's so tall, I can't use the cover of my cake plate, so I've put a huge lobster pot over it.
Also making 7-Hour Leg of Lamb tomorrow, so I'll let you know how that goes too...

Chocolate Stout Cake compressed.jpg

I made Ethiopian doro wat tonight. Deelish!

-Paul W.

I've been enjoying the panini maker I got for Christmas. Yesterday it was paninis with gorgeous chanterelles, hedgehog mushrooms, and scrambled eggs. Today it was paninis with prosciutto (yes, I eat prosciutto), tomato sauce, and manzanilla olives. Always fun.

North Indian cardamom chicken curry that I made on Thursday for a wine dinner.

Paneer tikka (marinated in yoghurt, cumin, garam masala and red chilli) last night was also really great.

[Jenise]

I've been enjoying the panini maker I got for Christmas. Yesterday it was paninis with gorgeous chanterelles, hedgehog mushrooms, and scrambled eggs. Today it was paninis with prosciutto (yes, I eat prosciutto), tomato sauce, and manzanilla olives. Always fun.

You eat proscuitto? This IS a surprise. Any other exceptions?

You eat proscuitto? This IS a surprise. Any other exceptions?

Well, I have nothing against meat and would eat it more often if my stomach could take it. I grew up not eating meat because that's how my mother cooked and so whenever I've tried as an adult it has been difficult to digest. I started eating proscuitto on trips to Europe where I was looking for lunch and it was impossible to find vegetarian sandwiches. Similarly, I started eating tiny bits of meat in soups and dumplings when in Asia and I could not communicate that I was vegetarian!

I don't usually buy any meat to cook at home however. And then living from 2001-2008 in Berkeley gave me very little incentive to explore meat further since there was such a bounty of fruits and vegetables. Will see what happens in the future.

Soup looks fantastic. But thatsa lotsa meatballs!

Btw, this may sound daft, but best I can recall I never heard of Italian Wedding Soup until about two years ago, if it was that long. And all of a sudden it's like the most popular soup around. You can even buy canned versions of it. Did it really just arrive out of nowhere, or have I been hanging out in the wrong circles?

It's been around for many, many years. BTW, the "marriage" in the name means the marriage of the meatballs and greens, not anything to do with weddings.

I'm no baker, but just finished making this recommended-by-a-friend Chocolate Stout Cake for wine group tomorrow night (we are hosting). I know it's really good because I also made a few mini cupcakes as "testers" to see how it would be. A keeper recipe for sure. It's so tall, I can't use the cover of my cake plate, so I've put a huge lobster pot over it.
Also making 7-Hour Leg of Lamb tomorrow, so I'll let you know how that goes too...

Chocolate Stout Cake compressed.jpg

Great counter tops! I am looking forward to the 7-Hour Leg of Lamb review.

Last night, it was seared scallops with almond-vanilla cream sauce and potatoes fried in goose fat. Also did steamed romanesco broccoli with EVOO and lemon juice.

[Jenise]

North Indian cardamom chicken curry that I made on Thursday for a wine dinner.

Paneer tikka (marinated in yoghurt, cumin, garam masala and red chilli) last night was also really great.

What makes it North Indian, Salil?

[Jenise]

Last night, it was seared scallops with almond-vanilla cream sauce and potatoes fried in goose fat. Also did steamed romanesco broccoli with EVOO and lemon juice.

Between Carrie's chocolate cake and your dinner--pure decadence!

What makes it North Indian, Salil?

The mix of spices used and the base. "Curries" and gravy bases in India vary really wildly depending on the region - dishes from the south Indian states will usually tend to use more tomato or coconut (particularly in Karnataka and Kerala) in the base, occasionally jaggery if a sweeter element is needed and for the stronger flavour elements usually spicier south Indian chilies, tamarind, fenugreek, turmeric and occasionally mustard seeds.
North Indian dishes will use more dairy products (yoghurt often, sometimes heavy cream or occasionally crumbled paneer), and spices along the lines of cardamom, saffron, clove, etc will be used more prominently.

North Indian cardamom chicken curry that I made on Thursday for a wine dinner.

Salil, what wine did you have with that? I don't have any experience with Indian food wine pairings...

Great counter tops! I am looking forward to the 7-Hour Leg of Lamb review.

You would not believe how good the house smells. I can't wait to have this lamb.

[David M. Bueker]

North Indian cardamom chicken curry that I made on Thursday for a wine dinner.

Salil, what wine did you have with that? I don't have any experience with Indian food wine pairings...

We had two great Rieslings. The '99 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Spatlese acted as a counterpoint to the dish (the wine's fruit versus the dish's spice), but the '90 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Auslese was a perfect match with the spice in the wine picking up on the spice in the dish, making both better.

[Jenise]

As I unpack, I'm able to diversify more in my cooking!

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Mexican spicy pickled carrots. They are not really a side dish, but like the snacks one would see in a Mexican restaurant.

A thumbs up to Celia's chocolate guinness cake, of which I've just sampled part of the 'cooks portion', the large cake going off to the brains of the operation's weekly volunteer day. I didn't have Guinness so substituted Monteiths Black (NZ dark beer) which seemed to work well. Nice texture to it.

I'll do a chocolate topping for it later in the week, as the crew seem to appreciate the sugar hit.

regards
Ian