What's Cooking (Take Three!)

Had lobster tail, shrimp, red quinoa, and asparagus washed down with sauvignon blanc. Sorry, Jenise, too many purines or I would have invited you.

[Jenise]

Yes, that keeps coming up. Next thought: where to get cherries? There's juice around but would suspect the intensity isn't sufficient. Maybe eat frozen cherries. Meanwhile, I've been eating bananas and drinking lemon water.

Yes, that keeps coming up. Next thought: where to get cherries? There's juice around but would suspect the intensity isn't sufficient. Maybe eat frozen cherries. Meanwhile, I've been eating bananas and drinking lemon water.

Interesting question. It could be that cherry juice would be more potent because of the number of cherries used. A little research is in order.

[Jenise]

Larry, I have a $20 jar of cherries soaked in bourbon in the fridge, but I think that would go the wrong direction....

Larry, I have a $20 jar of cherries soaked in bourbon in the fridge, but I think that would go the wrong direction....

They may or may not help you, but eat enough and you won't feel the pain.

[Jenise]

Btw, my doctor and I have worked out that the gout attack was an immune system response to the Covid vax. Showed up next morning in the left foot (during a week where the vax was my only deviation from normal drinking and dining) and moved to the right a week later.

But hey, last night I made grilled marinated b/s chicken thighs on wok-fried bok choy. First thing I've eaten in five days that wasn't just a vegetable. So good!

[Jenise]

Had lobster tail, shrimp, red quinoa, and asparagus washed down with sauvignon blanc. Sorry, Jenise, too many purines or I would have invited you.

TORTURE.

We had Chilean sea bass last night and chicken the night before. Asparagus sits in the fridge, rotting. Cauliflower steaks lovingly prepped for a day or three ahead have already thrown out. And my foot still aches. This is going SO SLOW.

Last night I made Chinese stir-fried minced pork with minced hot chiles. I usually make this with those very long, sort of wrinkly green hot chiles commonly found at US supermarkets. Or with jalapenos if I can't find the long green chiles. I had some of the "long red chiles" from the Vietnamese grocery (see previous posting in this thread) left over, so I made the dish half-and-half with minced long reds and very long greens. It was visually more appealing, a tad more incendiary, and more flavorful. Now that I have a steady source for the long red chiles, I think I'll be doing the mixture regularly from now on.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, a mixture like that to serve in whole lettuce leaves--might be what I make for dinner. Sounds delicious, and I need a break from bland.

Last night I took two leftover boneless pork chops and two b/s chicken thighs and browned them in a pot with half a big onion, garlic, strips of red bell pepper and three tomatoes that were getting kind of long in the tooth, seasoned with chile flakes and thyme, and created a Portugese-ish soup finished with small white creamer potatoes and cilantro.

Had two leftover egg whites from when I made some lemon curd this week, so I made meringue cookies out of them. Used my copper bowl so no need for cream of tartar. Didn't have superfine sugar so they were just a touch gritty here and there. Really good, though. I'll back off on the sugar next time. A little less sweet would be good, IMO.

[Jenise]

Last night, for a salad we gnoshed on a bowl of celery sticks tossed with oil, vinegar and garlic salt. For a main course we had seared scallops on linguine tossed with spinach and walnuts, sauced with lemon juice and EVOO.

Tonight we're having turkey. I have a leg-thigh quarter leftover from the turkey I parted out around Christmas time that I've just put into a brine, and will roast that with celery and parsnips.

Made Edie a no-recipe pasta dish by using up miscellaneous items from the fridge. Starting with Italian spaghetti, I threw on sauteed diced portabellos, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, fake lobster, garlic, pesto, Parmesan Reggiano, and drizzled EVOO. Accompanied by toasted homemade multi-grain bread toasted with garlic butter. It made a hit with her and made a dent in our refrigerator.

[Jenise]

Laughed at the "fake lobster", Larry.

Last night I temped fate with a gout-unsafe big 1 lb ahi tuna steak. Separated the inner block with no sinew to cover with seeds and sear off later, and divided the sinewy part into parts edible and inedible by humans. Fed the latter to the ever-present seagulls and turned the other into a tartare with green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice to scoop into lettuce leaves for a cold starter.

[Jenise]

Made a wine run to south of Seattle yesterday which resulted in a side trip to restock my pantry with Asian ingredients. Brought home Kanpaachi, Hamachi, Blue Fin Toro and regular Tuna for a sashimi dinner. One of the things I bought, on a lark, was some tofu that was already fried. (Never bought it before). Cut that into large cubes and tossed it with shredded bamboo in chili oil--wow, was that good.

Tonight is going to be pork schnitzel, asparagus, and something else.

Yesterday, clam chowder. Today, boeuf bourguignon. (Cold snap coming so getting ready.)

[Jenise]

Last night we had cabbage rolls made with a lamb and rice stuffing made by a local deli; unexpected combo, and delicious. I served them on a plate of fried cabbage and bok choy. No wine.

The night before, we shared a thick steak and a bottle of 2000 Brane Cantenac. Funny how I don't enjoy steak like I used to (I only ate two slices) but I still crave it occasionally.

And the night before that, we did an amaro tasting with our little booze group. Six amari, then a Black Manhattan cocktail made with one of the dark ones. The hosts served spaghetti.

Last night we had cabbage rolls made with a lamb and rice stuffing made by a local deli; unexpected combo, and delicious. I served them on a plate of fried cabbage and bok choy. No wine.

Sure. The only correct beverage for stuffed cabbage is hemlock.

The night before, we shared a thick steak and a bottle of 2000 Brane Cantenac. Funny how I don't enjoy steak like I used to (I only ate two slices) but I still crave it occasionally.

Sounds good, though.

And the night before that, we did an amaro tasting with our little booze group. Six amari, then a Black Manhattan cocktail made with one of the dark ones. The hosts served spaghetti.

What is a Black Manhattan?

I made gai tod Hatyai (Hatyai-style fried chicken wings) again last night. This time I did a conventional breading by pressing the marinated wings into a bowl of rice flour, as opposed to adding 1/2 cup rice flour to the chicken-plus-marinade to form a batter. The wings came out more evenly coated. I also did the initial frying at a slightly lower temperature (250-275 degrees F). The wings were not dry as happened last time.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Lol, Jeff, on the 'hemlock' comment.

A black manhattan mixes a very dark amaro in place of the vermouth element, add rye or bourbon.

FWIW, I have a bottle of Vicieux black vodka. Yes, it's totally black.

[Jenise]

What makes it black?

What makes it black?

Caramel coloring. (Similar to a dark roux.) Cool bottle, too.

https://www.coppermuse.com/vicieux-black-vodka#

[Jenise]

Makes sense. I'm sure it's what colors the Amaros as well.