So...whats for dinner?

illimae

Cherry, I bought DH an Artisan Kitchen Aid a couple years ago, he loves it and I love that he was making sourdough and cakes! So, I bought him the pasta attachments next, that was a hit too. Enjoy!

MinusTwo

DownNotOut - let me know what you think about Makoto. I'm too lazy to grate my own ginger & etc, but I had this in the fridge for two months before getting up the nerve to try. Glad I did. It's so hard to switch from something you used to love. The other salad dressing I've been using lately is Panera Bread "At Home" Asian Sesame.

SpecialK

lacey - so sorry about your DDIL’s dad, so hard, but it sounds like he was very well loved and that his family has many friends and family members. Kudos to you and your DH for being there for your grandchildren - I was tired just reading about all you did!

The KitchenAid discussion is timely - my DH just returned from a weekend at his parent’s home sorting through things - he brought my MIL’s vintage KitchenAid home for DD! It looks a lot like my 1991 model, but the beater, whip and dough hook are a more galvanized finish, and the splatter guard is metal and one piece, mine is a 2-piece plastic one

eric95us

Cherry, I had been "lusting" for a stand mixer since I was 19 years old (1980). At the time I couldn't afford one and I had kind of forgotten about it until a few years back.

I was almost 55 when I finally bought a use one with all the standard attachments. It is labeled Hobart, which is Kitchen Aid's predecessor company. It looks just like a new Kitchen Aid stand mixer, except there is a handle on the side that moves the bowl up and down instead of the mixer tipping backwards. It has a "mfg 9/71" tag on its underside, so I'm assuming it was made September, 1971.

Lacey12

Thanks for the condolences offered for my DS1 and DDIL’s family. Huge loss for them! In this case, it was probably a blessing that it was not sudden.

Cherry, reading your description of the “under ice” cracking brings me back to my youth. We lived by a lake and spent many hours enjoying ice skating with friends, and feeling the excited terror when hearing that sudden eerie sound! Thanks for the name of the saffron/rice dessert. I have an awful time remembering such names since I can never picture the letters in a word when I hear it via Persian accented speech. Now I must look it up and make it for the adventurous eaters I know. I enjoy anything with saffron in it.

Eric, where does one house that amazing “hatchet” knife?? And when you create your “squash block” you might want to market it! Sorry to learn of your DD’s developing allergies. If she is really aversive to injections, there are functional medicine docs who provide a treatment option in the form of sublingual drops. Unfortunately, the drops treatment is not covered by ins, tho the doc appts are. My allergies blossomed horribly when I was taking Tamoxifen (after being well managed after shots throughout my childhood), and I sought treatment with a functional med doc where I had extensive testing. I now follow a sub lingual drops regimen. Best of luck to DD.

I’m feeling quite out of date with no sous vide option in this house! I must research more about that. I have never been attracted to the water and plastic (?) bag process for meat...but obviously I’m missing the point, and the deliciousness that is described here! Susan raved about hers too.

Nance, you might be horrified that my Instant Pot is still not unpacked! Maybe this confession will motivate me to unveil it and make some of the NYT recommended recipes I saw last month. It is a miserable snowy day here, so I canceled plans to meet up with a former colleague....thus, time to unearth that Intant Pot?

Minus, did I miss a recope for the ginger dressing mentioned? Sounds good. I have taken to using only homemade dressings these days, so I’d be interested in trying that.

Sandy, those were quite the meals you described! I have yet to venture into Boston’s Eataly.

Has this seemed like an extremely long month to anyone else besides me? DH and I were joking that it must be our “dry January” effort. Maybe......or maybe because we’ve packed a lot into this month for two old folks!

I need to decide what food to bring to our friends’ Super Bowl party. Maybe something made in my “about to be unearthed” kitchen appliance! While I have pretty much stopped following football, mainly due to the concussion concerns, I found myself thrown into the role of Patriots’ apologist in NJ given my MA license plate. I deflected the “hate” pretty well. Yikes! Just reminds me of how everyone felt about the Yankees in their heyday. I’d be much happier if that focus were for the Celtics! Someday.....

I hope you're all managing to avoid the flu. So worrisome this year! DH has so far successfully been fighting a head cold he caught in NJ. I’ve been treating him like a leper since I will have it for months if I catch it. Nance, I hope yours passes soon!!

I do take a tumeric supplement and actually have forgotten why I started it!! Obviously not for memory support! I think I’ll ask my MO for her recommendation at my next appt in a few weeks.

auntienance

Hey Carole - I know you share my love for soba noodles so I thought of you when I came across these:

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/soba-noodle-recipes?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=well-done&utm_source=realsimple.com&utm_content=20180130

I will definitely be making the Asian pork dish, although I think I'll use the pressure cooker instead of the slow cooker.

Lacey! Break out that pressure cooker! Quit stalling! I'm sure I sent you game day pc ideas last year to get you started! Make butternut squash risotto!

I have some chicken pieces cooking in the pressure cooker right now for gumbo. I'll add andouille and shrimp (to my portion only) and serve over brown rice. Sadly, I'll use the last of my jarred dry roux in the making. I'll have to see if I can find some in Texas, otherwise it will have to wait until my next trip south. Of course I can make it from scratch, but I like having the (lazy) option ;-)

Lacey, I know what you mean about the lingering colds, mine usually are like that too with a cough that won't quit. This one, fortunately, seems to be quick moving and other than going through a whole box of lotion Puffs and an unproductive cough that kept me up one night only, I haven't felt too bad.

I took turmeric for a while but noticed no difference in anything so quit. I use it in cooking only and then not much at least by itself.

april485

Walmart has the dressing you like Downnotout. Naturally Fresh Ginger dressing is only sold "in store" so you can't buy it online. Publix also claims to have it via Instacart. I don't have that store in CT so have never seen it there.

Hi ladies and Eric!

Cherry-sw

Thank you all for the update on stand miners and KitchenAid in particular, I have selected one already online and will order it together with my youngest since it against all odds leaning towards a pastell pistage color because both pearl white and creme were not in stock. Very funny giw I complained about the price for a KitchenAid being an US brand and therefore... I recently bought a duvet jacket by Calvin Klein, full price, they are selling well because it is cold here) When I fell on my knee while skating the jacket’s zipper got ripped down there, nothing very serious a tailor will not be able to fix but I raised a claim and since all jackets were sold out I got two options, either get money back and send them the jacket or to keep the jacket and get sixty percent back. i opted for the latter and now when one US company will partly finance my stand mixer from another US company. My dry clean will fix the rip for approx 20 euro. So, it does not sound so expensive any more) I also liked it in red metallic, so shiny))

Dinner today was for me leftovers of my bean chili, I will probably be eating it the whole week, for the rest of the family I made tomato and thyme marinated chicken breasts in organic tomato sauce with thin spagetti with melted mozzarella. They loved it, it took twenty minutes, bought marinated chicken, fried it in olive oil in the skillet, dumped the jar of sauce over it, let it simmer for ten minutes. That chili took me five hours to cook, it has such an grown-up flavour, my best chili ever, I am a newbe to chili, added fennel seeds, ancho, some dried chilies I recently bought called something Nero and a half of my own grown and dried tai bird chili. I am the only one who is eating it. I also made a bean and chick peas Italian salad, I wonder if I am going to explode tonight but they told me to eat like a rabbit. This kale is still in my fridge making me feel guilty.

carolehalston

The shredded Brussel sprouts side was a success and super easy. I hand sliced the little cabbages in advance. Sauteed them in a large skillet with a little olive oil and butter, s & p. Burned them a bit for flavor. Sprinkled with a good balsamic vinegar. DH, the Condiment King, sprinkled more on his and conceded that they were "pretty good."

The grilled lamb chops were perfect. We also had a romaine salad with tomato, cucumber, avocado and blue cheese. Sweet onion in dh's salad.

Tonight is chicken breasts roasted in a very hot oven. I'll slice one of them and have one left over. Side of lightly candied carrot hunks (big carrots) and salad of some description. DH will get out the jar of chutney, which is good, I have to admit.

All this talk of Kitchen Aid is making me feel guilty. Mine sits in a corner on the kitchen counter under its quilted cover and the pasta attachments hide in a cabinet.

Like Lacey, I'm feeling sous vide deprived! Plastic and water don't have much appeal for me either as cooking method. What is the timing on sous vide? Let's say you want to eat dinner at 7. How far ahead of time do you cook the pork tenderloin in the water?

auntienance

Carole, it depends on how thick it is but I'm guessing 1 - 2 hours for a tenderloin, 8 hours or more for a butt roast. You definitely have to plan ahead.

I have gone through 2 Kitchenaid mixers (2 motors in one). My first was one that's no longer made - the Accolade - for good reason. The guts were inferior to other models. It would not handle bread dough at all. Two motors later I got a Pro model. It was a beaut that handled 10 cups of flour and bagel dough. Alas, I was using it during a pop up thunderstorm when lightning and a consequent power surge fried it. After a lot of research, I ended up with a Cuisinart. I'm been very pleased with it and its ability to handle the tough jobs like bagel dough. It had the extra plus of being considerably lighter than my previous models. DH always had to lift the Pro from the cabinet for me. It isn't, however, as pretty as the Artisans.

eric95us

Wow. I just looked in my email account spam folder and based on my Facebook pictures,I am the hottest man in the world. I've got almost 800 emails from Russian women all saying the same thing, so it must be true. They only have one thing wrong; I don't have a Facebook account (big sigh). Oh well.:-)

The Hobart stand mixer that I bought used....it is very obvious the design engineers did not take advantage of any weight saving materials. :-) I should get the scale out and weigh it, but I'm guessing it's 35 pounds (15kg). I now know why I wanted one when I was in college.

Aunte, too bad I wasn't closer to you. I've fixed a couple of mixers and they aren't too bad to work on. About the only thing that will make one not worth fixing is if the motor burns out and that has a very obvious, very awful smell.

Lacey, I tied two shoelaces around my knife block. To put the knife away, I slip the knife between the shoelaces and the block. The knife slides downward until handle hits the edge of the block and it stays put.

MinusTwo

Eric - my memory says that Hobart made/makes only commercial machines & they are all heavy duty.

Love the 800 women story. Dear me - 800 emails to delete in your spam folder?

ChiSandy

Haven't used my Kitchen Aid in years--long spates of being low-carb, then constantly baking for my FIL when he lived with us. Now I no longer bake (but might do some skillet cornbread). I've found that for the quantities of whipping I do, a whisk or eggbeater works just fine (and there's always my Cuisinart and hand-mixer). My mom had an old Sunbeam with a turntable--one selected speeds by turning the back half of the bullet-shaped mixer head.

I see Hobarts all the time in institutional kitchens--mostly houses of worship & schools. Those things are enormous and built like tanks, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many are half a century old.

Cherry-sw

eric))))) oh, come on, bring it on, I am Russian))) the question is can you tell the difference between Russian, Bulgarian, Chech, Slovak etc surnames?))) Very funny though, I believe I was considered a postorder bride myself but me and my former husband we met at university though.

That was a .. of a hatchet snd reminded me of my grand dad, he was all about these raw stuff. Thank you for the tip regarding the knife holder, I know an engineer when I see one, hear in that case.

I like Cuisineart very much but again we do not have do many stores selling it here, they are selling more local brands.

I checked some articles on stand mixers and apparently Hobarts are still being manufactured, they do look pretty heavy but an KitcheAid’s weight is approx 10 kg too.

I went to pick up my Kosta Boda tumblers today, the famous chrystal brand in Sweden, found these in some colors that are not manufactured anymore, on my way I stop by Lidl, which is a German grocery chain that is quite cheap and there is no any Lidl store where I live. So, the organic section was very small and mostly just for fruits and vegetables, some brands I never heard of but I bought a bit of smoked pork belly, it looked so delicious I just put it in my cart, I fo not have to eat it but I will make my family a nice omelett with the slices of this pork belly. I also bought cheese-”breaded” schnitzels and fried them for DH and the youngest, they loved it, it is official, no matter how hard I try this kid always prefers junk food before the healthy and organic option, so I am still eating my leftovers. And I also bought herring in small glas jars, a very Scandinavian thing, one in thai sauce and one in wasabi, very unusual but I am excited and willing to try them

carolehalston

Is everybody fasting?

I spent the last two days painting our master bathroom. What a huge job. No wonder I put it off a couple of years. Cranberry red is gone and green/blue has replaced it. The chip looked quieter than the actual color but it's a sea color, which is what I wanted. In a day or two we'll get the bathroom restored to its usable former self.

Last night's dinner was baked sweet potatoes and stuffed pepper halves.

Tonight will be sea scallops and scalloped potatoes. Lots of "scallop"!! Maybe a salad, too.

So what's cooking?

auntienance

Pulled pork and baked beans here Carole. I should have something green but I had a rather large salad for lunch. That may have to suffice.

eric95us

Stuffed bell peppers. I've been doing lots of yard work. It's 80F/25C here at 3:30pm...might as well do it before the summertime oven like temperatures arrive.

Cherry-sw

Stuffed peppers, I second this one, I have to make it soon, might as well be one of Ukrainian national cuisine signature dishes, but the stuffing is different, as always)

No cooking here, just baking, my orange cranberry cake a lady from my chemo group sent me a recipe.

ChiSandy

Might make annellini al forno (I was able to find annelini on Amazon, though not at Eataly). Seems that unlike other pastas, in Sicily it's never served al dente with sauce, but always baked with not just tomato sauce but also ground meats, cheese and sometimes (in Sardinia) eggplant. Or I might just order out, I dunno. Not really hungry right now. Bob's down in Oak Lawn tonight, and Gordy has a raft of leftovers to eat.

DodgersGirl

working overtime... dinner will come from the freezer/microwave tonight

eric95us

Cherry..

Orange???? That looks really good.

I still have lots of oranges,

Hi Chi...I don't like cooking for one..so if u I were in that situation, I'd probably order out... ( I was typing on my smart phone and meant to say "I" not "u" like it said before...oops)

And hi to DodgersGirl.

DodgersGirl

Hello Eric!

I don’t cook as much as I used to or want to. Still trying to find my new normal amid all the treatments.

Really enjoy reading about everyone’s meals. One day, I will return to the kitchen more actively involved. Used to cook no sugar/low carb so everything was from scratch. That’s my goal, to get back on that swing.

beach2beach

Hi,

Anyone try Chipotle black bean burgers? They are frozen and have a nice seasoning bite. For a no meat option, they are pretty good. I make some quinoa, sautee some peppers and throw the burger and all on some butter lettuce.

It's quick for me to do this for myself and cook something else for the rest of the family.

MinusTwo

I looked up annellini pasta. This caught my attention. A smaller version of anelli is anellini (meaning 'little rings', from anello, meaning 'ring'), which is about one-quarter of the size. Anelli pasta is used in the production of Campbell's Franco-American Spaghetti-O's.^{[citation needed]} Spaghetti-O's was my son's favorite when he was 3-5 if we were going out to dinner and he had to eat before the baby sitter came. I could never choke it down.

I had a long 3 hour lunch with my SIL at Perrys to celebrate her upcoming B-day which will happen while she is in Antarctica. We solved all the problems of the world. I had a delicious lunch size filet served med-rare with asparagus & broccolini. She started with their Signature fried asparagus topped with lump crab meat before her steak, while I had a screwdriver with fresh squeezed OJ. (thought of you Eric) My meal, along with two pieces of delicious crusty bread, was more than I could eat but she ordered an elaborate desert sauteed tableside. I only managed one bite.

Nutty D'angelo* Crushed pecans flambéed with brown sugar and brandy. Served over vanilla ice cream, dipped in white chocolate and toasted almonds

SpecialK

minus - Spaghetti-os is still DD's favorite, lol! Nutty D'Angelo sounds amaze-balls!

MIL/FIL's cremated remains are being interred tomorrow afternoon at the Florida National Cemetery with a reception at my house to follow. My son built a beautiful ash and red oak box to hold them in together, I had a plate made for the top with their names, and we added their wedding picture, and the preserved buttionere and part of the wedding bouquet tonight and sealed the box and had a glass of wine to toast them. Tomorrow will be a difficult day, but it will bring some closure and finality - my FIL passed away Nov 2016, MIL Dec 2017. We will have military honors tomorrow (again, some of you may remember that there was a 21-gun snafu last time), and a chaplain. I am sure the gathering afterward will be full of stories and laughter - just like they would want.

I am making loaded deviled eggs, Hawaiian Roll sliders (ham/turkey), a Greek orzo salad, fruit platter with Kahlua dip, veg platter with sour cream based dip, spinach artichoke dip with crackers, a bacon cheese ring with strawberry jam (sounds awful but is wickedly delicious!), a chocolate cake, some cupcakes, peach sangria, and pitchers of Arnold Palmers. Red wine, white wine, and beer. This will not be a big crowd, but they are eaters/drinkers!

eric95us

Beach, I've never seen those burgers in the store, so I haven't tried them.

I am interested in those kinds of things, both for myself and the rest of the family. I did find a recipe for them that I want to try when I make it through the leftovers (chicken and BBQ sauce and stuffed peppers).

We love spicy foods and I have nearly all the ingredients in the pantry for that recipe, including the stuff to do homemade adobo sauce.

In college, several cans of Spaghetti-Os would be in the "mobile pantry". We would use them when we got to a campsite too late to cook anything more sophisticated and didn't want to clean up a bunch of dishes. If we were careful we could heat it in the opened can and only have a couple of spoons to clean. This was also good for a hot lunch along the roadway.

Antarctica? Is she on a research team, or just "visiting"? I guess it's getting toward "fall" there now.

Special, I had to do some errands and just let my post sit while I took care of them...so I didn't see your post until after I submitted mine. That was a nice thing--the oak box and the mementos. It is never easy and I would worry about someone who did find it easy. The military honors is a very moving ceremony. Both my mom and dad received them and both times I teared up.

ChiSandy

I never could stomach Spaghetti-Os, nor any canned pasta for that matter. Tinny sauce, mushy pasta. Funny, when we took our 2015 Mediterranean cruise and had our group lunch in a Palermo restaurant, we were served individual portions of annelini al forno (baked in large ramekins and inverted onto our plates). Our tour guide proclaimed it was a Palermo specialty, but all I could think was "ugh--Spaghetti-Os? Do they think we just fell off the turnip truck?" Then I stuck my fork into it, and took a bite--al dente, meaty & just enough cheese to hold it together. Never saw it anywhere else after that--I drove the staff at Eataly crazy looking for it, and for two years the only Amazon listing was "out of stock." Now I had two brands from which to choose, neither one cheap. I picked Rusticella d'Abruzzo (made with bronze dies), because I like its bucatini, spaghetti and linguine. (Whole Foods and Italian groceries sell the brand).

Tonight I ordered from Coalfire Pizza in Lakeview (about 4 mi. s.), considered the city's best Neapolitan (at least the best one that delivers). While I waited, I roasted broccolini with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic & salt. The pizza toppings I chose were Berkshire sausage, seasonal mushrooms and sweet peppers. I added my own basil leaves. I realize now why the other wood-oven pizzerias (especially Antica and Spacca Napoli, Chicago's best dine-in) don't deliver: that style of Neapolitan thin-crust doesn't travel well, especially in winter. It arrived lukewarm, so I had to reheat it in a covered skillet. Delicious, and though small (14"), quite filling. But I think next time I will bundle up & drive to Spacca Napoli. (It's sort of "wet" in the middle, requiring a knife and fork). But I noticed that the pizzas at Eataly looked pretty good too, so maybe the next time we return we'll split one.

SpecialK

eric - when DD went down to the Keys after Hurricane Irma with emergency supplies and to do SAR, they ate spaghetti-os exactly as you described - heated the can over the fire and I think they used disposable spoons, lol! They stayed outside in the yard guarding their gas supplies and the generator. I can make it through the whole military honors ceremony until they get to Taps, then I can’t keep my composure. Your mom earned her own honors, correct? She was quite a woman. I PM’ed you a pic of the box my son built

MinusTwo

My 'can of choice' for quick camping or emergency eating with only a spoon needed (which you could dip in the river & wipe clean on your levis) was always Beenie Weenies.

Eric - my SIL & DH & another couple are going on a cruise based trip with five different stops. They have this thing about making it to the last of all the continents left on their list.

Special - I'd love to see the handmade box if you're willing to post a picture here. The food sounds marvelous - and chosen for perfect standing & telling stories. I hope everything goes smoothly.

eric95us

...a beautiful box....

Mom was a USN Lieutenant (jg) in WW2 and Korea....an organic chemist.