What's Cooking (Take Three!)

Tonight was Kung Pao beef with Sichuan peppercorns for the heat. Next time, I'll had some Japones chiles for more heat.

I have some Sichuan peppercorns in my cupboard, and I like Sichuan peppercorns, and, alas, I very rarely make anything that is the least bit Sichuan. What are some other ways to utilize them?

Your question made me curious: https://www.seriouseats.com/sichuan-peppercorn-recipes

If a peppercorn on your tongue is hot and numbing, it's still good. I think heating them in a dry skillet also enhances them, as in heating up curry spices, etc.

I also sa[w] a rather long oval, very bright gold/orange fruit with black seeds in the middle. They had cut it in half and were selling each half wrapped in food wrap. Very pretty, but I had no idea what it was.

Probably a papaya: https://www.google.com/search?q=half+a+papaya

One half of an organic chicken, cut up and well seasoned with coarse sea salt, a bold pepper, garlic powder and sweet paprika has been sitting in fridge overnight. This will be browned and then finished cooking with thick sliced mushrooms, grape tomatoes, garlic, marinated artichoke hearts, white wine, chicken bbroth, lemon juice, and oregano.. I may serve some sort of grain, need to look in grain/pasta pantry and see if anything grabs me. I am also putting a few sourdough baggette slices around the chicken pieces to cook in the juices and get charred edges. A spring salad with raw, shelled peas, radishes, mint, chives, feta cheese, green onions, Aleppo pepper, drizzled with white wine vinegar, and olive oil.

My wife has been away for the past week on a business trip, and as is the custom when that happens I cook as many of the dishes she hates, but I love, as possible. As it happens, this week the entire menu revolved around one ingredient: lamb!

My wife hates lamb. I love lamb. And lamb went on sale the day she left. Win/win! I bought the two heaviest legs they had in the display.

First things first, I de-boned them, made a stock, then a demi-glace from the stock. (I did reserve the hocks though.)

One of the two legs was tunnel boned, and that leg was simply tied and roasted with an herb/apricot based stuffing in the cavity, with the outside scored and inserted with garlic slices.

The other leg I butchered into several roasts, the largest of which I rolled around a paste of honey and herbs, then into a sous vide and seared afterwards.

The hocks were also done sous vide, simply salted.

That left two other smaller boneless roasts, one of which was coated in a Kansas City dry rub ("Three Little Pigs" American Royal winning rub), the other in 5-spice powder. Both were also done sous vide. (The sous vide was done in large part because I needed to be able to hold some for several days before finishing them. I'm only one man!)

Finally yesterday I had the last of the last. I had one hock left, so I shredded its meat and mixed it into toasted Lebanese bulgur, mint from my garden, tons o' parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and onion. Lamb tabbouleh! It was lovely, and matched delightfully well with the citrus notes of (several bottles of) Leinenhugel's Summer Shandy.

Sigh. But my wife comes home tomorrow. And I miss ewe already....

[Jenise]

All of that sounds wonderful, Tom. I especially like the lamb tabbouleh, that's clever cooking and it reminds me of the kind of foods an Armenian ex-roommate's aunts cooked. Lamb+bulgur figured into a number of dishes they made.

If a peppercorn on your tongue is hot and numbing, it's still good. I think heating them in a dry skillet also enhances them, as in heating up curry spices, etc.

Yes, you test Sichuan peppercorns by biting into one. It should be very numbing on the tongue. If it isn't, it's stale. The best source I know of for really top-quality Sichunan peppercorns is The Mala Market. They import directly from Sichuan and have several varieties of Sichuan peppercorns. In addition to the usual red ones they have green Sichuan peppercorns and also the famous "tribute pepper"--the finest quality that used to be sent to the Chinese emperor.

Heating Sichuan peppercorns in a skillet is the traditional Chinese method of bringing out the flavor. You just stir them around in an ungreased skillet until the aroma comes up--half a minute to a minute. Be careful not to let them burn. This is best done just before you use them in a dish. Dry-roasted Sichuan pepper ground up with salt is a popular Sichuan table condiment.

-Paul W.

Tom, that all sounds delicious, but why would you deprive yourself of it simply because your wife does not like it? You could grill her a salmon steak, or whatever she likes and still have your lamb and all the sides you both like. Many years ago, when I was on Weight Watchers, and my husband tended to lose weight, so I had to cook higher calories for him. I simply cooked dinner for the two of us, but added a cheesy quesadilla for him, or gave him sliced avocados, or pieces of cheese or whatever to add more calories. I never deprived myself of what I liked and neither did my husband. We just made the meal work for the two of us. Try it

Tom, that all sounds delicious, but why would you deprive yourself of it simply because your wife does not like it? You could grill her a salmon steak, or whatever she likes and still have your lamb and all the sides you both like. Many years ago, when I was on Weight Watchers, and my husband tended to lose weight, so I had to cook higher calories for him. I simply cooked dinner for the two of us, but added a cheesy quesadilla for him, or gave him sliced avocados, or pieces of cheese or whatever to add more calories. I never deprived myself of what I liked and neither did my husband. We just made the meal work for the two of us. Try it

Small stove, small fridge, small budget. I'm happy you were able to affect such a great strategy (and congrats on the weight loss!), but one main dish per night is all any of those three factors will allow in our case.

Wow, Tom. I also love lamb, preferably rare but an occasional frizzled bit is good, too. Pumpkin will eat it but not as often as I would.

So, if you ever need any help with all that lamb, be sure to let me know. Brooklyn is not far from Northern NJ.

Wow, Tom. I also love lamb, preferably rare but an occasional frizzled bit is good, too. Pumpkin will eat it but not as often as I would.

So, if you ever need any help with all that lamb, be sure to let me know. Brooklyn is not far from Northern NJ.

DEAL!

Tonight was chili con carne made from a somewhat complex recipe. Pretty good. And it had beans, so to all you Texans and so-called purists.

Tonight was chili con carne made from a somewhat complex recipe. Pretty good. And it had beans, so to all you Texans and so-called purists.

Haha! You tell 'em, Larry

Do you find your chili improves after a day's rest in the fridge, btw? If you've ever had the self control to delay your gratification, that is

Tonight was chili con carne made from a somewhat complex recipe. Pretty good. And it had beans, so to all you Texans and so-called purists.

Good for you, I NEVER make chili without beans...IMHO it jus ain't right!
As Jacques Pepin said: A recipe is a teaching tool, a guide, a point of departure. You have to follow it exactly the first time you make the dish. But as you make it again and again, you will change it, you will massage it to fit your own taste, your own sense of aesthetic.

Tom, I get what you are saying and have been in that situation, as well. Tiny apartment, one small fridge, not enough storage space. But then kids came along, and so did the bigger living quarters. Now, I am a family of one, with the big house, huge yard, pool, and only myself to cook for. I still have a big Sug Zero with freezer, another fridge with small freezer in laundry room, plus a full freezer, and am still trying to work down everything. It has been nine months since my sweetie passed away and I am still cooking up a storm. It is huge burden to keep this all up, but thankfully I have a lot of help. Keeps me on my toes, or sure! I did, however close down the small under counter fridge in hubbies workshop. Told the kids they can bring thier own beer and soda from now on. Since I don't drink either one, no sense having the unit running.

Tonight was chili con carne made from a somewhat complex recipe. Pretty good. And it had beans, so to all you Texans and so-called purists.

Haha! You tell 'em, Larry

Do you find your chili improves after a day's rest in the fridge, btw? If you've ever had the self control to delay your gratification, that is

It absolutely improves the next day.

Speaking of Jacques Pepin, I just made a roasted chicken in the Jacques Pepin style (wishbone removed, trussed, laying on its side in a pan in the oven), and it is just fabulous. As is the pan sauce.

Now, I am a family of one, with the big house, huge yard, pool, and only myself to cook for. I still have a big Sub Zero with freezer, another fridge with small freezer in laundry room, plus a full freezer, and am still trying to work down everything. It has been nine months since my sweetie passed away and I am still cooking up a storm. It is huge burden to keep this all up, but thankfully I have a lot of help. Keeps me on my toes, for sure!

And when you're ready, make no bones about selling it to some family of 6 who needs all the space, and find yourself another spot in which to be happy (albeit, in a different way than in recent times).

[Jenise]

I disagree with the word "have" in the reference to Jacques Pepin. That's coaching for beginners. Experienced cooks like all here are free to stray off the reservation any time they want.

Not cooking today. We're having poke for lunch and I'm making a pile of green beans in pesto with parmesan to take to a wine tasting.

I'm making a pile of green beans in pesto with parmesan to take to a wine tasting.

Gruner veltliner vertical?

[Jenise]

Ha! No, it was Wines of Altitude and Attitude. I'm always the one who brings the vegetables.

Yesterday was simple. I caved into my desire for cheeseburgers. We got green chile cheeseburgers from Lucky Boy Hamburgers and Chinese Food, a hole-in-the wall establishment that's been around as long as I've lived in Albuquerque. They make good burgers, including an egg foo young burger (can you believe it?). I told the proprietress that the reason her burgers are so good is that the buns are toasted. FWIW, the chile had a nice bite to it, too.

The restaurant is featured in Zack Snyder’s latest film, Army of the Dead.

[Jenise]

Larry, I would absolutely love a place with a name like that. I adore 'quirky'. And there's nothing better than a green chile cheeseburger.

Monday we ate out all day. Started with a big American breakfast at a place called Diamond Jim's Grill that is exactly the kind of local institution it sounds like. Had not been there in years. And then dinner was out too wherein I learned that a rhubarb coulis is a great topping for Alaskan halibut. Last night, Bob got leftover chile relleno pie while I nibbled on green and orange bell peppers in atonement for the excesses of Monday.

tonight I'm planning on grilling chicken thighs smeared with Hotter TRUFF Sauce.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, that has success written all over it.

Btw, I diluted some the other day with oil and vinegar and used it as a dressing for a cabbage slaw with peanuts. Kind of a kung pao vibe--really, really good.