So...whats for dinner?

eric95us

Thank you Minus...and I'm still smiling that we got to meet in person.

This is pretty much the only thread I've posted on since Sharon was diagnosed and I greatly enjoy "hanging out in the kitchen". It's almost hard for me to believe that it's been over four years since she completed active treatments (except for the exchange surgery).

I ran out of energy today The car work tired me out and going over to mom's house finished me off. The pot pie is still in the freezer and the pork chops are in the refrigerator...I ate an apple instead..and now I'm watching the World Series game as I type this.

Mom has been following Cleveland for 92 years and "ET" is a super die hard Cubs fan. I hope mom gets to see the Indians win another World Series, but I hope that the Cubs win a game or two at home.....

Lacey12

Minus, that is a very heartfelt share. I know what you mean, and do miss our friends who have drifted off. I do see Laurie's Facebook posts. And she is living a very busy mommy and sub teacher life.....doing well. I also see Debbie's posts and she is struggling with her health mightily, but amazingly positive...and still has a great sense of humor.

So Eric, back to Cleveland for these contenders. Your Mom may well see the Indians win on their home field, given two games to do it.

So April, I am crazed to hear that you make braciole! My favorite Italian dish. I have only made it a very few times, but my mom and aunts always did. What do you put in yours...and a pic would be great.....inspiration you know! And I never make my own pasta...mainly since I try not to eat same! And if I made it I would be so tempted to eat more! Do you do the "little" ears by rolling a bit of pasta dough on the inside of a grater like we used to make our gnocchi shapes, which were ear-like? Love to hear more!

Last night I was still feeling awful, so we ordered shrimp scampi and a Greek salad from Sweet Basil, a popular restaurant up the street. Yes, I know, pasta, so I tried to stick with the shrimp and salad.

For tonight I made French onion soup, and a garden salad to go with a Trader Joe's Greek Chicken meal with orzo that we microwaved. Easiest dish in the world, and not bad at all.

So, the candy is out, but that is about all we have ready for Halloween. Did not carve the pumpkin (from my sister's VT garden) and we have exercise class until 6ish, (determined to go unless I feel really awful) so will have to run back quickly to greet any trick or treaters who dare to come past our thick hedges! In recent years, we have had fewer and fewer kids, but there are some new families on our block, so maybe more this year!

And on a personal note, it is now past midnight, meaning that my dear younger son is now 36! Wow! That is not so young! He has always been a wonderful "Halloween treat" in our lives. It was wild delivering him that night....full moon and hardly a bed to be had! So HB to him!

Happy Halloween Everyone

ChiSandy

Dinner last night at the folk conference in IA City was on my own (no buffet), so I was going to have sushi a couple of doors down. But I didn’t like the wines they were serving (no sparklers), so I went back to the hotel’s wine bar/restaurant and had champagne (Domaine Chandon) and crab cakes; then next door at the carry-out-or-dine-on-the-patio Market Cafe, a breve cortado (somewhere between an espresso macchiato & a short cappuccino, made with half-and-half) and a mini cannolo (single of “cannoli”). At the Mill, where I opened for Anne Hills this afternoon, I had a grilled pork tenderloin sandwich and green salad. Then tonight, on the road home, some really mediocre sausage & peppers from the Sbarro concession in the DeKalb Oasis on the IL Tollway. When I got home, to celebrate the Cubs win (arrived in the top of the 7th and was too nervous to eat or drink till it was over) I had the last glass of Mumm Napa DVX and made truffle popcorn (rainbow popping corn—white, yellow, red, black—in the microwave with a little truffle oil & truffle salt).

april485

Minus, that was beautiful and heartfelt. You and I go back several years on the other thread as you know and I think of you as the glue for that thread.

Orechetti is easy in compared to other pastas in my opinion. I just roll a long piece of dough into a snake and cut tiny little pieces off with a sharp knife then roll it around the knife and then turn it inside out to make it "cup like" and although time consuming it can be done while watching television (which is what I do) if you have a table that faces it or a board to use (how I do it) and the dough is also easy as it is just flour and water (special double 0 flour that I mix one part to three parts semolina I buy at the Italian market) which I make with my food processor. Here is a video I found that shows how I do it from Mario Batali's website. He only uses semolina flour but I find that it makes it more tender to add the double zero flour. http://www.mariobatali.com/videos/orecchiette/

As for my braciole, it is easy as well. I just have the butcher (which also happens to be the Italian store where I get the flour and many other things) sell me beef cutlets (they are labeled "for braciole") and then I chop a bunch of parsley really fine, mince some garlic and mix the two together with some EVOO and set that aside (season it with S&P as well) and then I cut Pecorino Romano cheese into thick matchstick size and spread the mixture on the beef with a piece of the cheese, add a couple of flakes of pepperoncino (red pepper flakes and this is optional) and roll up and skewer with toothpicks. I brown them in olive oil and then add my San Marzano tomatoes, seasonings and let it simmer for about an hour. Then it is ready to serve with the pasta which takes only 3 minutes to cook.

The meal is something I only make a few times a year because it is so fattening (and I cannot resist two helpings...LOL) plus a decent amount of work. Sometimes I cheat and use dry pasta (DeCecco brand only...I am a pasta snob) but this time I decided to go all out. Even hubby loves this dish and he is really not into Italian. (isn't that incredible, I thought EVERYONE was into Italian...lol)

PS, it came out fabulous if I say so myself but whenever I make Italian, I really add the love since it is my absolute favorite food on the planet)

I am Greek by the way but we are very close in terms of cuisine.

Edit: Lacey, Happy BD to your son! My son is my oldest and he turned 37 on Oct. 17th...dang, time is sure marching on by!

Kattysmith

I made Coq au Vin yesterday, mainly to give me an excuse to buy some vin to guzzle! It was delicious and hearty - chicken thighs, olive oil, garlic, pearl onions, carrots, mushrooms, fresh thyme, parsley, pepper, chicken stock and Cabernet! I make mine on the stove, not in the oven, and it isn't labor intensive. The broth is incredibly flavorful, great with mashed potatoes, rice, or with some crusty French bread for sopping. I could drink it in a glass. I made a big pot; lots left for tonight!

carolehalston

April, thank you for the step by step. Sounds delicious! I love Italian. I have made the "little ears" by hand several times.

My groups of "Friends" on Facebook is much smaller after I unfriended all those people who posted rude, ugly political stuff. I find that I'm not interested in following people who are acquaintances. We don't have enough in common or know enough people in common.

Minus, I appreciate your post. Is the other thread the oldies thread? You post there occasionally.

Our dinner last night was skin on bone in chicken thighs cooked in the oven until the skin was crispy and brown. The nice thing about thighs is that you can over cook them and they don't dry out. The side was baked potato. I worked outside on the patio yesterday planting some flowers and herbs in the big pots and repotting some plants. Last night I was tired and glad for an easy prep.

Lacey, happy birthday to your Halloween son!

I think I will cook Cuban style black beans for tonight. I have a good recipe.

M0mmyof3

Waiting to see what hubby wants for dinner? Hoping he wants something quic

april485

Oh, almost forgot the recipe Minus asked for (cognac cream sauce for the pork medallions) I basically do it all in one pan. After I cook my pork medallions and mushrooms, I take them out and put on a plate and set it aside. Then I deglaze the pan with 1/3 cup of cognac which I reduce to about 3 or 4 TBSPs , I add 12 oz of heavy cream and reduce that to about half. I add the pork and mushrooms back to the pan to heat through and then add fresh parsley and correct for seasoning (salt and pepper) and that is about it. I serve with all different sides of whatever I am feeling. It is not for the "diet friendly" either since it has butter and cream in it (I saute the pork and mushrooms with some garlic and I use butter mixed with olive oil to do that with) but it is very delicious fall dish. I like roasted butternut squash with this a lot.

auntienance

Minus, I felt a little sad (and guilty) reading your post. I miss people too. I'm hoping things pick up this winter. As for me, I truly haven't done much cooking of any consequence. Between stuff with my dad and being sick (and indeed, I have just caught yet ANOTHER cold!), food has not been front and center in my life. I haven't posted much because of that, feeling like the mundane details of my life too boring to write much less read.

We had homemade pizza again last night. I participated in a trunk or treat at a church that we often attend. Friday night I participated in another one at the city park. It was great fun, Friday saw 500 kids! I was impressed with how clever a lot of the costumes were. There were the usual Elsas and super heroes, but they were not the majority. My favorite was an 8 year old Teddy Roosevelt. I was told he picked out the costume himself. I've gone through all my treats so I doubt we'll even turn on our light tonight.

This cold is requiring soup, so I'll be making Senate bean soup in the pressure cooker. Corn bread in cast iron too. Although this might be a more appropriate meal on election day.

April, some of the best meals of my childhood were made by an Italian woman who married a Greek man, who were friends of my parents.

Happy Halloween 🎃 my friends!

auntienance

Minus, I felt a little sad (and guilty) reading your post. I miss people too. I'm hoping things pick up this winter. As for me, I truly haven't done much cooking of any consequence. Between stuff with my dad and being sick (and indeed, I have just caught yet ANOTHER cold!), food has not been front and center in my life. I haven't posted much because of that, feeling like the mundane details of my life too boring to write much less read.

We had homemade pizza again last night. I participated in a trunk or treat at a church that we often attend. Friday night I participated in another one at the city park. It was great fun, Friday saw 500 kids! I was impressed with how clever a lot of the costumes were. There were the usual Elsas and super heroes, but they were not the majority. My favorite was an 8 year old Teddy Roosevelt. I was told he picked out the costume himself. I've gone through all my treats so I doubt we'll even turn on our light tonight.

This cold is requiring soup, so I'll be making Senate bean soup in the pressure cooker. Corn bread in cast iron too. Although this might be a more appropriate meal on election day.

April, some of the best meals of my childhood were made by an Italian woman who married a Greek man, who were friends of my parents.

Happy Halloween 🎃 my friends!

auntienance

Carole where did you find your Cuban black bean recipe?

MinusTwo

Nance - oh no, not another cold. Do you suppose we're spreading it via this thread? (LOL). Hope it is short lived. Pizza sounds wonderful.

April - thanks for the cognac tips. I've been adding onion so maybe I'll try without, but I don't care for parsley. And yes, I do use butter & heavy cream. No calories, right?

Lacey - thanks for the updates about "old" members from Facebook. Will you check with Susan and see if she'll let you give us occasional updates from her Facebook posts? Happy B-day to your DS, who is exactly 10 years younger than my only DS

Carole - while I lurk on a number of threads & do occasionally post on the oldies, my other main thread is Stop Smoking Support. I quit in 2007 (for the last time) and it was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. If I can make the way easier or give support to anyone who's still trying to quit, I will do so. And I hope w/o being judgmental like so many 'reformed' smokers can be. It's been interesting to hear about the number of docs who won't do surgery unless the patient quits - and are actually testing for nicotine in the blood.

Katty - are you at MD Anderson? Hope the treatment is going well. The Coq au Vin sounds delish.

carolehalston

Nance, I found the Cuban black beans recipe on line and printed it out a few years ago. I'll give the link or describe the recipe. It is simple and really delicious. And no meat. I burned the brown rice again! We ate the unburned part and now the pot is soaking. Our side was my standby bagged crunchy salad with the addition of red pear. I do like that salad. DH picked up a couple of packages at Sam's today. About $2.50 a bag. You pay at least $4.00 in a supermarket.

I've been having problems with peeling my boiled eggs. I've been buying brown organic eggs. The cheaper eggs seem to peel so much better. They must be older. Fresh eggs do not peel easily.

Cognac, butter and cream. Has to be good!

bedo

Minus, you and several others have meant so much to me.

I will PM Debbie on this thread, If I don't hear from her, I hope you will PM me with her email.

I find myself at 5 years out also posting less often.

That doesn't discount how much you have meant to me.

I am fortunate to have been one of those who (hopefully) can move on. And that is exactly what you have helped me to do. Isn't that the purpose of this thread? So you have done that and I'm so grateful

Plus I am a wretched cook. This has also been the only thread I have posted on

You also helped me and distracted me and gave me comfort when I wasn't so certain of the future And I know that you will continue to do that for others

For dinner Indian food and beer.

Waiting to be a Gramma to a baby boy! Just found out gender yesterday.

auntienance

Awww Bedo, how wonderful!

eric95us

I am working tonight, so I left work early. On the way home, I stopped by the store to pick up some bell peppers for Sharon and I noticed whole chickens were on sale for 89 cents a pound. I bought two, froze one and put the other in the oven with a pot pie.

The pork chops are cooking in a skillet. A friend of mine cooked some pork chops with some apple sauce, cinnamon and a bit of ginger. I liked it, so I'm trying that out.

Halloween, 1983, was when MIckey's doctor gave us "The Talk". It took awhile for Halloween to become fun again.

Bedo, that's got to be thrilling. I experienced that when "test daughter" told me I was going to be a "test grandpa". :-)

Hi Katty. That sounds good. I've used pretty much the same as a braise for a pot roast, but never with chicken and that surprises me...chicken is my favorite thing to cook. Maybe this weekend...... :-)

Edited to add...the turkey pot pie was *amazing*, if I say so myself... :-)

MinusTwo

Eric - I have a friend who browns pork chops, slices up fresh apples and piles those on top of the chops, pours apple juice into the pan about 1/2 way deep on the chops & simmers. Sometimes she adds cinnamon. She says they're delicious and 'melt in your mouth'.

Bedo - so know you know the sex, you can start knitting or start buying. What fun.

april485

I love pork with apple anything. I make a pork roast with apples and calvados (a liqueur) and it is divine in the fall. The apples themselves that roast with the pork are so good we fight over them. Pork and apples are a natural. Actually, pork and most fruit is. I have had it with cherries and with peaches as well. Good stuff!

Kattysmith

I'm keeping it simple tonight, baked sweet potatoes and spinach salad with pears.

carolehalston

allrecipes.com/recipe/47612/cuban-black-beans-ii/

carolehalston

It didn't print as a link! So google Cuban Black Beans II and you should get the recipe. I use less tomato paste and omit the jarred pimento. I also cook the black beans with the onions, green pepper and garlic until they are tender, then add the sugar, salt, vinegar and tomato paste and simmer a little while longer. Use as much olive oil as you feel comfortable using. I used quite a bit yesterday when sautéing the seasoning.

I ate Cuban style black beans in Tampa some years back and liked them so much that I looked for a recipe.

We're having a ribeye tonight.

eric95us

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/47612/cuban-black-beans-ii/

auntienance

Thanks Carole (and Eric). I use several different black bean recipes but have yet to find one in wild about, so I'm always looking. I haven't tried one with tomato paste so it might be interesting.

While freezer diving for dinner possibilities, I came across a 1 pound piece of pork loin. I may try April's cognac cream sauce if my cream is still good, otherwise I have s refrigerator full of various apple varieties will pair nicely with it, as previously noted. What I'm really craving is steak, the one thing my freezer didn't have.

SpecialK

Hi all - have not been cooking much lately, but can't pinpoint why exactly... weird scheduling among the fam, I guess! I have been doing a lot of baking though - I made Halloween cupcakes for my plastic surgeon's office because my pre-op was that day, and also took some to my cancer survivor class at the wellness center. Probably a foul since this is supposed to be about health after cancer - which I don't think really includes cupcakes - but we all need a treat now and then. I was way behind on this thread and just read all of the posts to catch up.

bedo - yay for a boy!

lacey - a Halloween baby - I bet that was an adventure - I am looking at my oldest approaching 30 and I can't imagine where the time has gone. Because my youngest is only a year younger than her brother, they will enter their 30's in rapid succession! In an interesting worlds colliding situation - my son just went out for drinks with the daughter of one of my oldest friends. We met when we were 4 because our older brothers played Little League together and we went all through school from kindergarten to HS graduation together. How crazy would it be if they ended up dating? At least I already know the family, lol!

Sorry for those with old and new colds - DH is still not 100% - this is compounded by the worsening of his dad's leukemia situation, I think DH is just sad. I think my FIL is close to making the decision not to proceed with any more transfusions and let this take the natural course - hard on the family of doctors and nurses, but I get it - maybe more than they all do.

I do a pork with apples dish - sauté the chops until browned but not done, remove from the pan and add thinly sliced apples and onions and cook until mostly done, add the chops back and add apple cider or juice, cover and cook until the chops are done - really just a few minutes. I usually serve this over rice, with a green veggie or salad.

minus - I miss our old friends from this thread too - and think we are all missing hearing from susan lately too! I know her spoons are in short supply, and I have always marveled at her energy, but understand she only has so much!

carole - always looking for a good black bean recipe since I am in the region for great Cuban food! Last time I went to SC I was surprised to see my MIL serving Cuban black beans - in 33 years of knowing her I had never seen her make them - I think this was an old recipe from her Miami days, but they were delish, she is a great cook. She was actually once featured in the Miami Herald, the clipping is on her kitchen wall with a great photo of her. I made a family cookbook for her 80th birthday, with all of her recipes, and contributions from each grandchild, and recipes from all of her children and their spouses that were served at family occasions - it was a surprise and she was really touched. We had bound copies printed for everyone - it was a labor of love, collecting all of the recipes and printing them was a bit of a goat rope - they came in by fax, email, verbally over the phone, and snail mail, and I was right at the end of chemo - not the best timing, but it worked!

carolehalston

Special, I enjoyed your newsy post. Perhaps you could share your MIL's recipe? Sad news about your FIL.

I cooked more brown rice tonight and managed not to burn it. We'll have the black beans and rice again and the kale salad, too.

Last night's ribeye steak dinner was so-o-o-o good. We had a small baked russet potato with butter and sour cream and creamed spinach made with frozen (thawed!) chopped spinach and Greek yogurt cream cheese. So easy and delicious and easy on fat and calories.

MinusTwo

Last night was our once a year dinner honoring the volunteers in our neighborhood. We used to go to Steak & Ale before they closed. It's hard to find a restaurant close enough for all the older people to drive after dark with a private room so we can have our meeting & awards. The only place close that has various choices is Olive Garden, so we went there again. I had the plentiful salad bowl & shrimp scampi w/asparagus.

So tonight, do I eat the left over shrimp scampi? Or the leftover pot roast (note - veggies are all gone so it would be meat & gravy over noodles). Or the leftover Boston Clam Chowder? Serious decisions.

ChiSandy

I find that if I remove the hard-cooked eggs from the pot and immediately put them in ice water, then roll them around on the counter using gentle pressure until the shells craze & crack, they’ll peel very easily.

Took the lazy way out tonight—my depth perception is nonexistent since I’m wearing a dressing and shield over my left eye (had cataract surgery this morning) so I shouldn’t be trusted around knives and fire. (I even had to pour the celebratory champagne by touch—holding the bottle against the plastic flutes to avoid spilling any). So I ordered NY-style pizza (I garnished it with basil from my garden), mesclun-chevre-cranberry salad, and tiramisu.

auntienance

Congrats Sandy and all the rest of you Cubs fans!

Carole, I had the same problem with my very fresh eggs until I started cooking them in the pressure cooker.

Anonymous

Hi! I'm not much of a cook, but I love to eat and see what other people are making (so I lurk here). I do cook eggs in many different ways, but I like to keep a bowl of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for a quick eat anytime. I agree with auntienance that the pressure cooker makes the easiest-to-peel eggs. I use my fairly new Instant Pot.

SpecialK

I put the eggs in a pan in cold water, bring it to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 mins. I pour off the hot water, run cold water over the eggs for a couple of minutes, then fill the pan with cold water. I leave the eggs in the cold water for about 10 minutes, then pour off the water completely. I put the lid on the pan and shake vigorously, the shells slide right off. I keep the peeled hard-boiled eggs in a container in the fridge.