What's Cooking (Take Four)

[Jenise]

Both? I thought they never do both at the same time.

Different procedure requiring both being done at the same time. But hey, I got industrious! Made a tomato and onion pizza.

I'll be making dhansak (Parsi dal and vegetables), one of my favorite cold weather dishes. Dhansak usually is made with goat meat or mutton, but this is a vegetarian version. I don't make it very often because it requires a long list of veggies and fresh herbs.

-Paul W.

Just before Christmas I picked up a small prime rib roast and never got around to cooking it. Yesterday, I thawed it out. seasoned well with Quebec Seasoning. It roasts tonight. I also found a lovely package of fingerling baby multi-colored potatoes. those will be made into a horseradish, sour cream potato salad today with celery leaves, smaller stalks, and green onions. I am marinating Brussels Sprouts, Delicata Squash, and small multi-color peppers, in fresh orange juice, cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme to roast along with the meat in a separate pan as I was not sure of all the timing. After making the sauce and tasting it first, I may add a bit of the red wine vinegar I am lusting over these days. I am a dedicated tweaker and ideas hit me as I go along.

Paul, I don't think I have ever had goat...yet when I think about it I grew up with many goats as playmates. Grandpa had them in a gully area to keep the grass down. Humm... They are adorable, I could not eat goat now.

Goat is the most common meat in India, and when they say mutton in India they usually mean goat. I bought some goat at a halal butcher shop once and made a lamb curry with it. It was immediately clear that the spice mix was intended for goat, not lamb, although it's good with the latter as well.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Humm... They are adorable, I could not eat goat now.

I'm with you. They're in the pet zone--no can do!

Awww, cutie little goatie-woaties.... Curry on the hoof!

Every spring, rhe City of Redding brings in goat herds to mitigate the weeds, and overgrown growth around the neighborhoods in city owned property. The locals love it, the goats are curious , friendly, and willing to eat. Locals are warned, to not feed, pet, or talk to goats. Dogs and a goat herder attend to them. We respect that.

[Jenise]

Happens around here too, and in fact we had them for a month on the hillside at the end of my short little street, so only about four houses between me and them. I'd go and watch almost daily, checking in on my favorites. They're pets, not food.

Pets and hard workers. Plus they are a hoot, so funny to watch. I love how they respond to the dogs who guard them.

They also have an interest in commerce, esp. selling admission tickets:

goatticket.jpg

Cute, goofy, and curious.

I finally got around to making the dhansak last night. I accompanied it with idli, which is unconventional but delicious.

-Paul W.

I made the corn, andouille, and lima bean soup again today,
using the large white limas from Rancho Gordo. I tossed in green cabbage, and what was left of a Harissa sauce I made for chicken. It came out very tasty. Using fresh corn off the cob and the dry beans cooked from scratch makes a difference. It is only 46 degrees outside and this will make a comforting lunch.

The chef where I play piano just gave me a Costco rotisserie chicken today. Guess what I'm having tonight?

[Jenise]

We're having hamburgers. And while making those I'm assembling the ingredients for a beef and onion enchilada pie tomorrow, all because the two pound price of the 93% lean ground beef was a dollar less than the 1 lb. So hell, we're gonna beef it up!

The burgers will be the version we call Weebies, made in the style of a same-named drive thru burger joint in Anchorage we just loved. Iceberg lettuce, two slices american cheese, salt AND pepper on the patty, butter toasted bun and lots of chopped raw onions.

We are slicing into a lasagna I made on Sunday.

[Jenise]

This has been a horrible week. Between Bob and I we had doctor appointments every day, sometimes two in the same day, with only Friday free and then Friday turned out to be another doctor day because Bob had to go back for a re-do on a test he failed on Wednesday. While in town we ordered new glasses for Bob and dropped in at Costco for a rotisserie chicken. Snow is coming and we needed to pack in for the next three days, and I wanted to try out one of those birds in a shortcut with orzo and leeks. But alas, bird flu strikes again and there were no chickens, so I bought a piece of salmon because I discovered they are now packaging smaller, more manageable pieces and I was able to get one that was only 3/4 of a pound.

My plan was to do a quick tea-smoke and splash it with a bright miso-mandarin sauce. Which I did. The preparation was perfect but the fish itself was a tad too fishy for me. The seagulls loved it though.

I hope your days get smoother, Jenise. It is tough to be on errands every day of the week, especially during doctor's appointments.

We are looking at a full week of rain and prediction is up to 12 inches. I am making easy meals for the rest of the week. Italian Stuffed Bell peppers using red, yellow, and gold colors. They will be filled with organic chicken, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, cauliflower rice, and fresh basil. I am mixing fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with a Pinot. Half will go into the peppers the other half around the peppers. Parmesiano Reggiano will top the peppers when almost done cooking in the oven. My side is coleslaw with green cabbage, and shallots topped with vinaigrette made from nonfat sour cream, Dijon, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, honey, salt, and pepper. Later in the week, I have broccoli rabe, that I will saute with Bok Choy.

[Jenise]

I hope your days get smoother, Jenise. It is tough to be on errands every day of the week, especially during doctor's appointments.

It is what it is. One of the appointments was emergency dental because I lost another half a tooth last weekend--another victim of that fall I took. Oh, and twice Bob did not recognize me while he and I were alone in the room, and the people we were buying the other house from changed their minds and are keeping their house. Like I said: BAD week.

Stuffed peppers! I haven't made those in so long and I absolutely adore them. I love your idea of using the cauliflower rice in them, I might steal that. I have a fresh romesco (sp?) on hand that I haven't decided how to use.

...the people we were buying the other house from changed their minds and are keeping their house.

Ouch! And they repainted the whatever-it-was above the garage door already!

Yikes Jenise, it's not a good week at all. Sorry about the house, was the other party unable to find a home they wanted?
I love using cauliflower as mashed potatoes and in place of rice. This time I used my tiny food processor to make a small amount and the little guy is a powerhouse and before I knew it the cauliflower was not the size I preferred. Still turned out tasty so that is fine.

[Jenise]

...the people we were buying the other house from changed their minds and are keeping their house.

Ouch! And they repainted the whatever-it-was above the garage door already!

I know, the oars! (Actually, I didn't want them, that's not my kind of thing, but I would have treasured them because it was so sweet).

And yes to Karen, they couldn't find anything as good as what they have. And since they custom-built this house for themselves, that's not really surprising--nothing else could be as exactly what they want and need, except to be closer to things they'd like to be closer to now.

[Jenise]

Snow is going to start any minute. Old-timey Swiss steak (two chuck eye steaks simmered with fired roasted canned tomatoes and onions), probably over noodles, is on the menu for tonight.