What's cooking?

I had a "There is a Cure for the Wintertime Blues" family dinner. Wilted spinach salad, chicken & dumplings, Parker House rolls, glazed carrots, baby potatoes and two pies (cherry and apple). I even wore my Hawaiian shirt and served a bottle of Rascal PG.

Today I made chili from Robert Jenkin's recipe that he finally posted on his blog. Chili. Oh my! I don't know if it was the chocolate that was in it, the almond butter, or the homemade chili powder I used, but this was without a doubt the best chili I have ever eaten. I honored Cowboy's request to not blaspheme the chili with the addition of beans, and nobody missed 'em. I did have to tome down the heat in order to prevent marital discord, but it was still great chili.

Had a retired neighbor couple over to help us eat it, and we washed it down with a 2008 Colorado Reserve Merlot from The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, CO (Linda L. liked that Merlot when we opened a bottle at her party in August), and a 2009 Reisling from Willamette Valley Vineyards. We guys had the Merlot, which was good with the chili, holding its own against the spicy bowl. Apparently the girls thought likewise about the Reisling, because the whole bottle was consumed between the two of them.

Ended with One-Bowl Fudgy Brownies w/ pecans. Now I need to sleep it off...

Tenderloin steaks in rasher, roasted Baby Yukons, and green beans (Frenchies) almondine. Made for a beautiful picture, but I didn't take it.

[Robin Garr]

I honored Cowboy's request to not blaspheme the chili with the addition of beans ...

Entirely in a spirit of fun, I'm wondering what Cowboy would have had to say about almond butter.

I honored Cowboy's request to not blaspheme the chili with the addition of beans ...

Entirely in a spirit of fun, I'm wondering what Cowboy would have had to say about almond butter.

That is actually Cowboy's ingredient. I was extremely faithful to his RCP this time.

[Robin Garr]

That is actually Cowboy's ingredient. I was extremely faithful to his RCP this time.

Okay, I'm sure it's amazing chili. But still. If you are willing to put almond butter in chili, it kind of muffles your voice when you start to rant against beans.

I also did pulled pork with vinegary cabbage slaw and cheesy grits for the Packer game. My husband had a new small keg of some Wisconsin craft beer to wash it all down. Must say it all tasted great. The win is what did it.
We're starting SB menu planning :-]

[Jenise]

I also did pulled pork with vinegary cabbage slaw and cheesy grits for the Packer game. My husband had a new small keg of some Wisconsin craft beer to wash it all down. Must say it all tasted great. The win is what did it.
We're starting SB menu planning :-]

Do all-team colors. At least with the Packers, that's more doable than if your team were the Rams, the Dolphins or Oakland!

Mike - that sounds good. Next time you may want to try Chef Carey's Dry Rub & Barbecue. I've used it several times for ribs and my son has used it for pulled pork. I keep a shaker jar of the dry rub in my spice cabinet - great for using in rice. Here's a link to the archives: Chef Carey's Dry Rub & Barbecue.

Thanks for the reminder on that, Howie! The recipe I used had it's own rub, but I'm betting Chef Carey's would work every bit as well or better.

I didn't get around to this yesterday, as I was preparing for the Golden Globes and a couple friends to show up. When they did, we had Rock Fish Vera Cruz, Saffron Rice, Spiced Roasted Beets, Salad Nicoise with roasted garlic vinaigrette and Moet et Chandon. Wanted to prepare saffron and pistacho popcorn, but when I went to pop the corn, I realized I didn't have any. C'est la vie!

I found 1/2 of a flank steak in the freezer. I marinated it in a local BBQ sauce which is made with warm spices and is the best I have had. I'm stir frying red and orange bell peppers, onions, and two kinds of mushrooms, and will toss in the thinly sliced flank at the finish to cook a few minutes. Served in square toasted ciabatta buns. A side will be white Aztec beans cooked with red onion, bay leaf, and thyme. Once cooked beans are mixed with salsa verde, which has parsley, shallots, anchovy fillet, mint, chili caribe, lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary.

[Robin Garr]

Omelet stuffed with sauteed mushrooms and onions and a little grated smoked Gouda. Combo worked out very nicely indeed.

Tonight, it's Bucatini All'Amatriciana from The Italian Country Table. (With guanciale, even!)

Ham and bean soup. 22 varieties of beans, some assorted herbs/spices, tomatoes, garlic, diced ham and a ham hock and the place smells wonderful on a snowy Midwest afternoon. Can cornbread be far behind?

1930's ratatouille from MFK Fisher's book " Long Ago in France: The Years in Dijon" The book is a great read, but the ratatouille is an even better dinner. I usually make this as a wholly vegetarian dish, but this time I am including some sweet italian sausage, and hope it is as good with the sausage as it is vegetarians. Next time I might try her suggestion of adding some shrimps near the end of cooking.

Ham and bean soup. 22 varieties of beans, some assorted herbs/spices, tomatoes, garlic, diced ham and a ham hock and the place smells wonderful on a snowy Midwest afternoon. Can cornbread be far behind?

Winger, I almost wish I were having dinner at your place. Bean soup, and cornbread (with some jalapeños). WOW! what a dinner for a cold winter evening.

1930's ratatouille from MFK Fisher's book " Long Ago in France: The Years in Dijon" The book is a great read, but the ratatouille is an even better dinner. I usually make this as a wholly vegetarian dish, but this time I am including some sweet italian sausage, and hope it is as good with the sausage as it is vegetarians. Next time I might try her suggestion of adding some shrimps near the end of cooking.

It'll be fine. What's not to like about sausage and peppers, eh?

(Yes, yes, I know. Let me have my little joke.)

[Jenise]

I didn't get around to this yesterday, as I was preparing for the Golden Globes and a couple friends to show up. When they did, we had Rock Fish Vera Cruz, Saffron Rice, Spiced Roasted Beets, Salad Nicoise with roasted garlic vinaigrette and Moet et Chandon. Wanted to prepare saffron and pistacho popcorn, but when I went to pop the corn, I realized I didn't have any. C'est la vie!

Sounds great: do you throw Oscars parties too? Tell us more about the popcorn, that sounds enticing.

[Jenise]

Doing a lot of cooking this weekend--too much, really. Don't know how I get into these things. But tonight is the neighborhood wine dinner and I'm doing bamboo skewers of sliced rare curry-cured grilled flank steak with a lemongrass vinaigrette for 40 persons. Then I have to be out of bed at 5 a.m. to throw a 16 pound ham in the oven for the Yacht Club breakfast. I'm also doing fruit platters: will be serving 50-70 people. Later tomorrow I'm having a friend's son over to celebrate his 21st birthday. Doing a Provencal style dinner. Will be serving grilled Key West pink shrimp drizzled with a saffron aioli and basil oil for something to snack on. Then, at the table, baby goat cheese "tarts": baked rounds of compressed puff pastry topped with goat cheese and then topped with fresh asparagus in an orange-butter sauce. That will be followed by a watercress/fennel/walnut salad, then chicken braised in a tomato-green olive-anchovy sauce on grilled whole wheat ciabatta with parsnip-carrot puree and broccolini with garlic, and finally an apple balzona cake, I think the name is. It's a NYT recipe where stratified layers of thinly sliced granny smith apples are entombed in a vanilla bean cake batter and baked in a spring form pan.

Doing a lot of cooking this weekend--too much, really. Don't know how I get into these things. But tonight is the neighborhood wine dinner and I'm doing bamboo skewers of sliced rare curry-cured grilled flank steak with a lemongrass vinaigrette for 40 persons. Then I have to be out of bed at 5 a.m. to throw a 16 pound ham in the oven for the Yacht Club breakfast. I'm also doing fruit platters: will be serving 50-70 people. Later tomorrow I'm having a friend's son over to celebrate his 21st birthday. Doing a Provencal style dinner. Will be serving grilled Key West pink shrimp drizzled with a saffron aioli and basil oil for something to snack on. Then, at the table, baby goat cheese "tarts": baked rounds of compressed puff pastry topped with goat cheese and then topped with fresh asparagus in an orange-butter sauce. That will be followed by a watercress/fennel/walnut salad, then chicken braised in a tomato-green olive-anchovy sauce on grilled whole wheat ciabatta with parsnip-carrot puree and broccolini with garlic, and finally an apple balzona cake, I think the name is. It's a NYT recipe where stratified layers of thinly sliced granny smith apples are entombed in a vanilla bean cake batter and baked in a spring form pan.

Jenise, don't your hands hurt?

Doing a lot of cooking this weekend--too much, really. Don't know how I get into these things. But tonight is the neighborhood wine dinner and I'm doing bamboo skewers of sliced rare curry-cured grilled flank steak with a lemongrass vinaigrette for 40 persons. Then I have to be out of bed at 5 a.m. to throw a 16 pound ham in the oven for the Yacht Club breakfast. I'm also doing fruit platters: will be serving 50-70 people. Later tomorrow I'm having a friend's son over to celebrate his 21st birthday. Doing a Provencal style dinner. Will be serving grilled Key West pink shrimp drizzled with a saffron aioli and basil oil for something to snack on. Then, at the table, baby goat cheese "tarts": baked rounds of compressed puff pastry topped with goat cheese and then topped with fresh asparagus in an orange-butter sauce. That will be followed by a watercress/fennel/walnut salad, then chicken braised in a tomato-green olive-anchovy sauce on grilled whole wheat ciabatta with parsnip-carrot puree and broccolini with garlic, and finally an apple balzona cake, I think the name is. It's a NYT recipe where stratified layers of thinly sliced granny smith apples are entombed in a vanilla bean cake batter and baked in a spring form pan.

I'm glad to see you are cutting back, Jenise!

[Jenise]

Doing a lot of cooking this weekend--too much, really. Don't know how I get into these things. But tonight is the neighborhood wine dinner and I'm doing bamboo skewers of sliced rare curry-cured grilled flank steak with a lemongrass vinaigrette for 40 persons. Then I have to be out of bed at 5 a.m. to throw a 16 pound ham in the oven for the Yacht Club breakfast. I'm also doing fruit platters: will be serving 50-70 people. Later tomorrow I'm having a friend's son over to celebrate his 21st birthday. Doing a Provencal style dinner. Will be serving grilled Key West pink shrimp drizzled with a saffron aioli and basil oil for something to snack on. Then, at the table, baby goat cheese "tarts": baked rounds of compressed puff pastry topped with goat cheese and then topped with fresh asparagus in an orange-butter sauce. That will be followed by a watercress/fennel/walnut salad, then chicken braised in a tomato-green olive-anchovy sauce on grilled whole wheat ciabatta with parsnip-carrot puree and broccolini with garlic, and finally an apple balzona cake, I think the name is. It's a NYT recipe where stratified layers of thinly sliced granny smith apples are entombed in a vanilla bean cake batter and baked in a spring form pan.

I'm glad to see you are cutting back, Jenise!

Ha! Today we're vegans. Nothing but simple steamed veggies and salads.

Roasting a whole chicken tonight stuffed with lemons, garlic and thyme. The chicken is sitting on a bed of sliced seasoned onions and rubbed down with butter, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Fresh lemon halves will cook in with the onions for a nice caramelizing on the cut end. Along side is a red quinoa salad with red and gold bell peppers, scallions, cilantro, fresh corn, black beans with a lime vinaigrette. I'm marinating plum tomatoes, as well.