So...whats for dinner?
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My favorite way to eat eggplant is a roasted salad-dip in the Greek style. My favorite recipe isn't online, but Diane [world-renowned for her Greek cookery] has several options to choose from here: http://zesterdaily.com/recipe/greek-roasted-eggpl... I have had great success roasting in the oven when I don't plan the grill properly. My recipe does have you roast the eggplant and then drain it overnight in a strainer for a more eggplant-ie flavor, but, certainly not essential.
Serve with a lamb kebob, or with a lovely Greek salad and you have a really nice meal.
*susan*
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Well, I may not be thinking about making dinner, but was curious about what I might be having for dinner. OMG! Overwhelmed by the menu of the restaurant DS2 is taking us to tonight. Love that they use saffron in many dishes....and so much else about the menu. Choices, choices! Yikes.... Check it out:
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Just saw your post, Susan.....sounds yum! Hope the eggplants in the bin are worthy.....;)
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That is the company that started in Salem, NH that Michelle loved so much. Will be interested to hear if they have been able to keep up the quality after becoming a chain. My daughter attended a wedding at the Salem location last Fall and thought it wasn't that very special, but banquet stuff is never great. Do report back!
*susan*
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lacey that menu looks amazing! Enjoy.
The parm rind in soup, I learned about that long ago. But i just saw on the Chew this week Mario called it one if the Chefs privileges! He cut it up in large dice. I always just left it in the soup. Guess you learn something new every day! LOL
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Hmmmm. Does two make a family restaurant a "chain"? Hope not. I am figuring that the family is big enough that they needed to create a second venue to keep everyone busy and out of each other's hair. I'll be going with an open mouth and a critical eye....will be gentle tho since this is one of the lease coups that DS2 landed for his new office park account.
DH has already announced that he wants to arrive there way before the reservation so we can check out all of the market offerings. Ooohhhh, okaaaay hon.......
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Guess two doesn't make a chain... it makes a chain-under-contruction. I really hope that it is as good as the original. Perhaps a little toast [under your breath] to Michelle! Remember her enthusiasm for their bread?
*susan*
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Oh Lacey looks like a divine menu. How to choose what a dilemma. I took a look thru the desserts. How to choose? And a market too?
Lots of leftover chicken here for dinner tonight. Have to pry DH off couch to work on freezer organization.
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Oh my goodness, I'd have to spent an hour deciding what to eat. Have fun Lacey.
And I'd like to second that toast to Michelle. Miss her and her enthusiasm and vibrancy on these threads.
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That toast will definitely happen...and not under anyone's breath since DH also knew her and DS2 learned about her positive influence on so many of our lives. It will be a sweet way to "open" the MA version of her favored restaurant.
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So Mercury is definitely in retrograde! There will be no reports on the Tuscan Kitchen from me tonight.
I had some intestinal distress earlier today, which has not only not subsided (even with immodium) but has expanded to general malaise. I realized an hour ago that I could certainly not face ordering and eating wonderful food...and worried that feeling sick during or afterwards would leave a very bad impression about the restaurant.
I actually hoped DH and DS2 would go without me so I could at least have a report.....but loyalists that they are, they preferred to postpone. I won't complain...but did feel badly that DH spent most of his day fasting in anticipation and I'm sure his dinner here of leftover kale soup and kale bedded raviolis did not quite cut it. Oh well......
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Oh crap! [pun intended] What a huge disappointment. I am sure that everyone was looking forward to your report as much as I was. Will you be able to reschedule with DD2?
Tonight I used the remaining 6oz of pork to make a pork-napa cabbage stir fry, but for some reason, I had a craving for scallion pancakes. Yea, silly me spent an hour making these little delights. Lot of time, but they were really delicious with the stir-fry.
*susan*
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Lacey - sorry to hear you're under the weather but glad they postponed. We'll look forward to a report another time.
Tonight was spinach salad w/bacon, cranberries, sweet onions, hard boiled eggs & poppy seed dressing. Going to a new restaurant for lunch tomorrow, Cafe Mezza, with my SIL before an afternoon chamber music concert. LOVE afternoon concerts so everyone is home before dark. I'll report on both.
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Disappointing trip to Costco today. No lemon tarts, boo! No wild caught salmon either. Consolation prize was fresh Canadian walleye. So dinner was panfried walleye and potato salad with a champagne vinaigrette.
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Oh no Lacey, feel better soon! What an amazing menu. I wouldn't know what to choose.
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lacey feel better soon. And when you do that toast say it out loud! Miss Michelle too
Nancy sorry about no lemon tarts.
Minus I love spinach salad.
Supper was chicken and stove top stuffing. Don't judge me. LOL I love stove top I use applesauce in place of the butter though. It's so good.
Much love
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lacey - feel better soon, sorry for the disappointment of the missed dinner.
moon - no judging
auntie - sorry about the lack of tarts - I don't have a Costco membership but I wanted some too. I looked up the company online but they are pricey to order that way.
minus - the salad sounds delish and the concert fun!
susan - do you have a special recipe for the scallion pancakes?
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Moon - I sure can't judge. I use the real butter with my StoveTop stuffing & have a hard time not scarfing it all up. When I want to go upscale I use Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing. I even add celery & onion & more sage. I do remember tearing up bread crumbs from the time I was probably 6 years old and making the "real" stuffing. I do live in the South, but since i was raised in CA we didn't have cornbread dressing. Mother always asked everyone who was away from home to eat in addition to the large extended family, and usually cooked a 25 lb turkey. But for one person, such a production seems excessive.
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I tried this recipe tonight, and I think this is a keeper. I made a half recipe. The hardest part was getting the cast iron pan to the right temp.... hotter than I expected.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/04/extra-f...
*susan*
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susan - that looks so fun but I can see why it took some time. I'm definitely trying this - thanks!
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Making preserved lemons and pickled beets today and enjoying a day of sunshine.
Tonight is "Not Texas" chili with black beans. DH's request, of course. I got some hot chili powder at my favorite spice shop and am anxious to try it.
Lacey, I hope today finds you feeling better.
Susan, thanks for the scallion pancake recipe. I'll have to try this one.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.
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Lacey, hoping you're already feeling better...
A chicken is thawing out and I'm going to be looking through some of the less used cookbooks from the collection for some ideas...in other words, the family is going to be a part of a "lab experiment" tonight. :-)
The other thing I am going to do is to run some sweet potatoes through the french fry cutter and bake them like cookies.
As for other stuff, I've got some more bread rising (sourdough, of course) and I'm going to be on a car oil changing marathon today...typical American...seven cars and three licensed drivers... :-) One of the cars also needs shock absorbers, so I'll be doing that today too. I figure it'll be about 3 hours to get it all done. With three oil drain pans...just line them up and do them three at a time.
And tomorrow..........I'm taking a knife sharpening class. I can kind of keep the knives sharp, but the new ones that I bought in May deserve more than "kinda sharp".
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Well, I went online to find us someone to make our dinner, serve us on real plates, and then do the dishes, and gosh.... there isn't a table to be had before 8:30. Our "cheapo" standbys are Mexican and Chinese places, which I have made for us in the past two days. As much as I didn't want to make dinner tonight, I will make a soup from the lovely roasted chicken stock I made yesterday.
Today is a heavy kitchen day. Time to process all the green tomatoes into a relish, and I have all those chicken parts for soup stock. We ended up with 12lbs of green tomatoes. That is a lot of slicing..... I need some motown or something lively to keep me going.
*susan*
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You need to get Edward Scissorhands in there to help with the tomato work......
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Susan, too bad a mandoline doesn't work so well on tomatoes.
Ok Kitchen Divas (including you Eric), I need your advice. Here is a picture of my core cooking pans.
This is by no means everything (don't judge) as I have left out the specialty pans -- 4 sizes of cast iron skillets, 3 stock pots, 3 sizes of dutch ovens, a windsor pan and a wok. (There are probably others I missed lol) Believe it or not, I use them all. But I am considering adding a 3 qt. saucier. If you're not familiar, it looks like this:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-d...
My question is do any of you have one and is it worth adding to my arsenal? They vary in price from very expensive (all clad) to not so much (caphalon). The caphalon has a cheesy handle and with my crappy hands I'm not sure that's a good idea. Anyway, I appreciate your advice/input.
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The all-clad is a very nice saucier to be sure! I have a 1 quart which is a bit too small for my burners. The center of gravity is wrong, and it falls over. But, I still use it and just know I have to be careful about placement. Personally, I think you would love it. And I would splurge on the all-clad if you can afford it. One never regrets buying good pans. For some reason, I have never cared for the feel of the Calphalon.
*susan*
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Thanks for all the well wishes...taking it easy on the tum today, and hopefully I'll be back to normal quickly. I'm thinking that I may have poisoned myself with eating some almond butter I brought home from the NH house that DDIL had used for the kids in the summer. Who knows what was lingering in that opened jar.....
Moon, no judgement from this end either!
Susan, love the sound of those scallion pancakes....enjoyed DD's pic on Facebook. Sorry you can't get a good reservation for tonight. We had the same problem with TK for last night (DS2 called earlier in the week), but he decided he'd used his business connection with them to get one...which he rarely does. That's why I waited so long to bag out. Next time we will have to plan well in advance, since I would not want him to do that again.
Nance....love your arsenal of pan! I like the one you are considering....maybe you can ask for it as a combo gift from family members (like all those folks for whom you cook marvelous meals), so you can get the All Clad one? Are you going for the largest size. It reminds me of the pan our Italian chef used to mix the pasta in....yes, he insisted you should mix the pasta and sauce in the pan before serving!
Okay, DH took off (at my insistence) for the UMASS game where DD2 and his alum friends are tailgaiting (he is obviously starving!), so after I do my treadmill, I promise I will get on my computer and do a bit of Tuscany food posting.....
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Making burgers and fries (baked, not deep fried) for dinner!
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I agree about splurging on good pans, but there are some middle alternatives such as this one:
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/vollrath-77792-tri...
In fact, I only have one All Clad pan, which I love, but most of my stainless pans are Tramontina tri-plys, and I have been very very happy with them. Lacey, I'm looking at the 3 qt. I think the 4 qt would be way more than I need.
As I was looking through my pictures I came across this and don't think I showed you all my completed baking center (if I did, my apologies):
I love it so much I can't stay away from it. Bad for the waistline :-(
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Lacey, hope you feel better soon. My favorite way to eat Pumpkin or Butternut squash Ravioli is just drenched in in a browned butter with some fresh sage..... Sinfully good.Debating on either making some Sloppy Joe's or getting Chinese carryout. Looks like a rain storm (again) is moving in, so if I can get to the store for some Ridged Potato chips to go with my sloppy joe, I may be in business. I was doing so good last week on Weight watchers, but only dropped a pound. Oodles of activity points and barely touched my bonus points.....Pretty disgusted by the scale. Now I have rebelled ever since weigh in on Wednesday, partly because I felt like it, and then partly because my dad was having health issues and then my best buddy landed in the hospital overnight with an unknown cardiac issue, so it was Fast food/pizza at night cause I didn't get much breakfast or lunch......I just hate when that happens. I wanted to be even more skinny by my Onc appointment Nov. 24th....
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