What's Cooking (Take Four)

So so sorry Jenise. What a disappointment. Hopefully you can find another appropriate place soon.
Count me in the Love Stuffed Peppers But Haven't Done Lately club, I actually adore the stuffed green bell peppers I grew up with, but Betsy doesn't so we do red/orange/yellow. But it's been too long.
Good weekend - got halibut at market yesterday and did last night topped with lemon and olives, and then tonight Eric Kim's jalapeno pork chops with Kenji's blistered Sichuan beans. But the exciting thing was fishmonger had black cod (rarity for us), so I've got marinating in miso/mirin mix.

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.

That sounds very comforting!

[Jenise]

Dale, no we're not looking. Unfortunately, healthwise for Bob, that window has closed. Where we could have packed a few suitcases and pots and pans to set up shop in the Herrick house half a mile away, a decision Bob participated in--like checking into a VRBO--I do not have the freedom to continue searching. Doctors orders, pretty much, but common sense too. Bob gets weaker--physically AND mentally--by the day and at this point unfamiliar surroundings 1-3 months when we'd close on a different house would likely be even more dangerous than the stairs in this house.

Re stuffed peppers, must be green! The others can be good too, but a lot gets lost. Sounds like a good weekend!

Re our swiss steak yesterday: by the time dinner rolled around and Rory McIlroy won at Pebble Beach, I remembered I had a pkg of maitake mushrooms, AND I found a partial pkg, conveniently just enough for two servings, of black truffle tagliatelle nests in the pantry. So dinner was a beef burgundy with lightly panfried maitakes folded in just before serving. Delish.

Personally, I love all colors of bell peppers; I like green for some things like beans and chile, and the other colors for salads, soups, and stuffed peppers...just because they are so pretty, and I like using color in my food. When getting my produce I grab the lovely colors and usually forget about the green. I need to change that because I miss a green pepper in my stuffed ones this week.

[Jenise]

I also enjoy the colors, but usually raw or in Asian stir fries. My very favorite of all though? Late season green ones that have turned halfway red. Or vice versa. When I see them I buy twice as much as I would otherwise, I'll hunt thru the pile for the most bi-colored ones there. They are extra intense--sharper flavor of green with the sweetness of red--a win-win

[Jenise]

Took some mystery chicken parts out of the freezer to thaw overnight. Turns out they're two good sized thighs. Will probably become a sheetpan style dinner though I have no plans beyond that--will need to review the contents of the produce drawer.

I also enjoy the colors, but usually raw or in Asian stir fries. My very favorite of all though? Late season green ones that have turned halfway red. Or vice versa. When I see them I buy twice as much as I would otherwise, I'll hunt thru the pile for the most bi-colored ones there. They are extra intense--sharper flavor of green with the sweetness of red--a win-win!

Totally agree, Jenise, I do that as well, I love the ones with two colors...so pretty,

Last night I made Charles Phan's shaking beef recipe. Delicious and easy to make. I won't be making it too often, though, because it calls for beef tenderloin, which is hideously expensive.

-Paul W.

yesterday I raided the freezer for things that needed attention. I pulled out a tub of pulled pork and had a great taco for lunch with handmade new white corn tortillas, which our grocer brought in—more for today. I also found a tub of marinade marked to use with beef. I had thick beef short ribs, bone-in, and took those out to be marinated and cooked in the slow cooker today. I've been craving the roasted potatoes I add with a mess of peppers, onions, and garlic, so that is on the menu. There will be some sort of veggies in this mix, yet to be determined. I have zucchini, broccoli, carrots, corn on the cob, and red and green cabbage to choose from.
I have a new to me product, Peruvian Pepper Jam. They suggest using it on roasted veggies. I mixed it with Fresh Garlic Olive oil
and tossed the red and yellow potatoes in it. Tha jam is spicy, savory and a hint of sweetness. Pretty color. Looks good with the peppers.

[Jenise]

We're having the Picky People over for dinner tonight; it's been awhile. This plan was only hatched yesterday so at Costco I started going in the direction of pot roast but came to my senses about taking the easy way out and adding to the freezer (because I'd have to buy two huge roasts) vs. forcing myself to create something that will work down the freezer, which I've been working prodigiously on. All I ended up buying was raw chicken thighs because I always need those on standby. And once home, I pulled a pkg of pork tenderloins from the freezer.

I decided to go Chinese, a bit of bravery here since I'm cooking for people who don't eat onions or much in the way of vegetables at all. I coated them in a cure of sugar, salt and five spice powder at 6:30 this morning and set them aside in the fridge for roasting. I'm also serving egg fried rice with bok choy, fried garlic and cilantro stems (for the kind of detail usually achieved with green onions); and a stir fry of sugar snap peas, water chestnuts and red-cooked pork (which I happened to have on hand). For a finger food appetizer I poached some shrimp and combined them with lengths of cucumber, seeds removed, and Fly By Gin Vin sauce. It's a smallish menu but I think they'll eat everything. The only thing they might balk over, at least the guy half, is the bok choy in the rice but with a lot of egg and the fried garlic I think I'll win him over.

...people who don't eat onions or much in the way of vegetables at all.,.

And these are adults?! My goodness...

...people who don't eat onions or much in the way of vegetables at all.,.

And these are adults?! My goodness...

The only vegetables my one brother eats are french fries and corn. And can you believe he's never tried a sub/hoagie?

I decided to go Chinese, a bit of bravery here since I'm cooking for people who don't eat onions or much in the way of vegetables at all....

I was just reading the yakamein recipe published recently in the NYT. That's a really safe-looking dish, too. You'd have to simplify the seasoning for these folks but it's essentially a beef soup with spaghetti. Bravely Chinese. Ish. Of the New World kind of Chinese.

The only vegetables my one brother eats are french fries and corn. And can you believe he's never tried a sub/hoagie?

I guess in some respects these types of people are living proof that you don't *need* to eat vegetables. Don't tell my kid!

Amazing dinner Jenise and how did it go over with the picky eaters? I cannot believe how some folks today have to announce all their "I won't eat that" stuff. I was taught to eat what the hosts were feeding me if I did not like it, to at least take a few bites, and never complain.
I also want to add that the Divina Peruvian Red Pepper Jam was a hit with the roasted potatoes, peppers, lemon wedges, and whole garlic cloves I roasted last night. I mixed the Jam with Fresh Garlic EVOO, salt, and pepper. I like Divina products and always have a Whole Red Bell Peppers jar on hand. They are also great. I love trying new products, especially when they are what I expect.

Jenise, what cut of pork did you use in the red cooked pork? Traditionally it's made with fresh pork belly. That doesn't sound like the sort of thing that would appeal to the Picky People.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Jenise, what cut of pork did you use in the red cooked pork? Traditionally it's made with fresh pork belly. That doesn't sound like the sort of thing that would appeal to the Picky People.

-Paul W.

I bought it pre-made at a Chinese grocer, pretty lean and long so likely tenderloin. And it appeals to the Picky People a lot--they are staunchly carnivorian and they love sweet. When they do steak it's always dipped in BBQ sauce, and their spaghetti sauce is essentially pan seared hamburger meat finished with ketchup. (It's actually not bad, it's just not Italian.) Sweet meat is a hit. And the Five-spice cured roast tenderloin I made was declared by the lady half of this couple to be the best pork she's ever eaten (she's Jewish, so this is important).

They also loved my modified/copycat Chow Yuk , btw, and turns out Dave likes water chestnuts. At the end of the meal the only thing left on his plate was a piece of bok choy stem that he identified in time to avoid eating it. His serving of rice, and he had seconds, would have contained a lot. And he ate the green parts!

Small victories.

I have found over the years that if picky eaters can't see what they don't like, they're usually okay with it. Reminds me of my then receptionist who hated onions. I gave her a sample of my French onion soup. She really liked the broth, but left the onions to one side. Pathetic

Tonight, while between snowstorms, I made chicken pot pie - enough for six dinners (or thereabouts). And more short crust ready to bake up for a crisp top every time.

I've never made Chicken Pot Pies, but grew up eating a lot of them. I cannot recall the brands my mother used to buy but they were delicious, and our kids loved them as well. I am not much of a dough lover because of the flour mess, but I love eating it. I am interested in the recipes that use readymade phyllo dough in many applications but have not tried it either. Eating differently these days so the chances of my experimenting with it is probably not going to happen.

[Jenise]

I have found over the years that if picky eaters can't see what they don't like, they're usually okay with it.

Agreed. Although the guy half will find onion flavor--a very minor amount grated into a potato gratin for instance--and reject the food, I've tried.

I've never made Chicken Pot Pies, but grew up eating a lot of them. I cannot recall the brands my mother used to buy but they were delicious, and our kids loved them as well. I am not much of a dough lover because of the flour mess, but I love eating it. I am interested in the recipes that use readymade phyllo dough in many applications but have not tried it either. Eating differently these days so the chances of my experimenting with it is probably not going to happen.

Well, then, you won't be disappointed. I used to like chicken pot pies in my younger days, but they've shrunk greatly in size and don't taste as good because of skimping on quality and replacing aluminum dishes with paper so you can microwave them. That led to a different dough recipe that doesn't really brown. I tried one a year or so ago and was severely disappointed. Awful.

[Jenise]

I cannot believe how some folks today have to announce all their "I won't eat that" stuff. I was taught to eat what the hosts were feeding me if I did not like it, to at least take a few bites, and never complain.

You were taught well BUT: there are dislikes, and then there are phobias. Having a phobic fear myself (cold/white dairy or egg based creamy sauces, dressings, spreads, dips), I can hardly be too critical. When I try to eat something that just scares me to look at it, the gag reflex will be RIGHT there. Not easy to hide, much as I would like to. Fortunately 99% of the food in this world does not contain that which I fear and in fact, the world around me has become more health-conscious and there's a whole lot less of what I have a problem with around to avoid.

I cannot believe how some folks today have to announce all their "I won't eat that" stuff. I was taught to eat what the hosts were feeding me if I did not like it, to at least take a few bites, and never complain.

You were taught well BUT: there are dislikes, and then there are phobias. Having a phobic fear myself (cold/white dairy or egg based creamy sauces, dressings, spreads, dips), I can hardly be too critical. When I try to eat something that just scares me to look at it, the gag reflex will be RIGHT there. Not easy to hide, much as I would like to. Fortunately 99% of the food in this world does not contain that which I fear and in fact, the world around me has become more health-conscious and there's a whole lot less of what I have a problem with around to avoid.

Does that include Bechamel sauce?