So...whats for dinner?

I looked in Documents and found the chicken recipe!  Smart me, I had saved it.

Well the chili won't be made in the crockpot, its gonna be made on the stove because I got a bit busy with finally getting to changing out my seasonal clothing!

Carole, my apologies -- this is the recipe I use:

Preserved Lemons

Yield: varies

Lemons (see note)

Salt, preferably coarse

1 bay leaf, optional

½ teaspoon coriander seeds, optional

1 dried chili, optional

1 cinnamon stick, optional

Note: Smaller lemons are best for this recipe, and Meyer lemons, in season,
are ideal. I fit 10 Meyer lemons into a 38-ounce jar.

1. Wash lemons. Cut off the stem, if attached. Slice lengthwise from the
other end of the lemon, stopping about 1-inch from the bottom; then make another
downward slice, so you’ve incised the lemon with an X shape.

2. Pack coarse salt into the lemon where you made the incisions. Don’t be
skimpy with the salt: use about 1 tablespoon per lemon.

3. Put the salt-filled lemons in a clean, large glass jar with a
tight-fitting lid. Add a few coriander seeds, a bay leaf, a dried chili and a
cinnamon stick if you want, or a combination of any of them. Press the lemons
very firmly in the jar to get the juices flowing. Cover and let stand
overnight.

4. The next day do the same, pressing the lemons down, encouraging them to
release more juice as they start to soften. Repeat for 2 to 3 days until the
lemons are completely covered with liquid. If necessary, add freshly squeezed
lemon juice to cover them completely.

5. Store for 1 month, until the preserved lemons are soft. At this point
they are ready to be used. Use or keep preserved lemons in the refrigerator for
at least 6 months. Rinse before using to remove excess salt.

6. To use, remove lemons from the liquid and rinse. Split in half and scrape
out the pulp. Slice the lemon peels into thin strips or cut into small dices.
You may wish to press the pulp through a sieve to obtain the juice, which can
be used for flavoring as well. Discard the pulp.

Recipe from David Lebovitz

Yikes, I didn't realize (had forgotten?) that it takes 4 wks for the lemons to "preserve."  I think I will try the basic recipe first. 

Nance, your baking station is very nifty.  And no one is better suited to use it than you! 

Nancy, what a dream baking center! And it is so beautifully organized. Love your negotiation with our other "from scratch" queen. Show it! Show it! Show it! 

Went to the Head of the Charles River crew regatta today with DH's niece and sister-in -law. The weather was pretty cool compared to recent temps and breezy (not in a warm way). So I bundeled up like mad, and was glad I did. We walked way up the river to find her former team from San Diego...which we finally did after a few hours, then walked back to the Square. Niece kept track of her (and our!) steps which were over 13,000. I don't even know if it's a lot, but it felt like it....maybe because the moving crowds were so huge that walking and avoiding crashing into oncoming energetic foot traffic, dogs and baby carriages was a challenge. No treadmill for me tonight!

I had eaten nothing before our mid-morning start, and was totally ready to chow down in Harvard Square. We stopped at a little restaurant, The Red House, and had a lovely lunch....and warmth and a seat!  

We all shared a delicious phyllo mushroom appetizer with a warm scallion vermouth cream. DH had an angus burger which had  carmelized onion, gruyere, and bacon and garlic aoili with really tasty waffle fries (I tried one:)  Our relatives shared a roasted tuscan kale salad which they loved, and a house-made linguini dish that they raved over. I had a "breadless chicken club" which was just that....looked like bread quarters but it was pounded chicken quarters cut in club style with layers of spinach, bacon, cheese, and a paprika mayo drizzled over. It was very tasty. 

I quickly conked out on the couch when we returned home a few hours ago. No dinner necessary.

Tomorrow I'm walking up town to have lunch with a friend.....a rarity to have two consecutive lunches out, but today was a spontaneous happening.

Nance, 

WOW! That is gorgeous! Interesting that I have the same pull out shelves that I retrofitted to my ancient cabinets in the pantries. Took so much time and effort to create the measurements, and then find the perfect option. The amount of room that I gained was worth the expense and time. I am so under-the-weeds right now, I am not sure when I will have time to take pictures. My pantries are two small rooms so it is hard to take a picture that tells the story.

Dinner was grilled pork chops. 1 1/2" chops from this year's pig. I did a dry brine and it was even better than the wet brine I love so much! Served with a decadent potato gratin and peas sautéed with shallots. I am fighting to keep up here. I am going to have to let people help.... like make me some of these meals. My own fault. Making so many stocks and the relish this weekend clearly was too much.

*susan*

Eric, would love to know how to sharpen my own knives. I wish someone here would give a class. Are you using a series of stones?

Susan, I have dry brined beef and poultry but oddly enough, never pork.  For how long do you do it?

Eric, what a great skill to learn! I'd love to take a knife sharpening class like you described. Hope your stone comes in soon! I got that feeling of a kid who gets an exciting new toy for his birthday and his parents forgot to buy the battery! 

Never brined a thing...even turkeys which had become such  a popular process. 

Slide out cabinets are the best!

Moon - so glad to see you back here & the Book Lover's thread.

I have never brined either.  Cannot get around a mental block against heavy salting of food!  The chefs on ATK brine EVERYTHING including dry beans!  They have what looks like dedicated brining containers, square in shape. 

My brother delivered another box of veggies to my mother's house yesterday.  A good friend of his is a big produce farmer.  The box contained eggplants, zucchini, green bell peppers, yellow squash, poblano and jalapeno peppers.  So I have eggplants, yellow squash and poblano peppers in the refrigerator.  A few of the hotter peppers.  My sister raided the box and took all the cucumbers except one.  I gave the rest to a cousin who lives close by.

I will look up a recipe for "healthy" stuffed poblanos.  Maybe a stuffing using quinoa.  Or brown rice. 

I am slowly dropping the extra lbs. gained during Sept.  It's so much easier to pack on the weight than to lose it.  One of life's unfair realities! 

My bottom cabinets have sliding shelves.  DH built the cabinets when we bought and renovated this 70's ranch house 20 yrs. ago.  The hardware was expensive.

Today I canned the tomato relish along with some hot red peppers I found at a great price at the Asian market. An essential ingredient for Rhode Island calamari, which I do love. Don't relish making it however. Anyhow, here is a picture of my day's work.

Dinner was some leftover potatoes and a fast-thawed burger. Too tired for something that took more care.

*susan*

Susan.  Those look great.  If someone breaks into your house and steals only the peppers....I would be a strong suspect! :-)

using last of the chili and adding pasta to it!

Eric, what a bummer! 

I use salt in my cooking but not an excessive amt.  DH and I laugh when we watch cooking shows and the chef tastes the food to check the seasoning.  "More salt!" we both say and sure enough, in goes a handful of salt!  I think the primary taste in fast food offerings is "salty."  Children grow up with their taste buds attuned to lots of salt.  I do have bp issues and take a med.

We had "fishy" pan-seared white fish for dinner last night.  I had two more packages in the freezer and threw it away.  The white fish was delicious in Grand Marais but apparently it didn't freeze well.  Our side last night was steamed yellow squash and asparagus with lemon butter.

Tonight I plan to cook stuffed poblanos.  Some of the recipes blacken the peppers in advance and skin them.  Other recipes don't.  I never take this step with stuffed bell peppers.  I wonder why the poblanos wouldn't taste good with the outer skin on.  I might have to try both ways just to compare. 

Haven't settled on the stuffing but it will include cooked quinoa and cheese. 

I'm ashamed to say this- a week after our 5th wedding anniversary I finally used the slow cooker that someone gave us as a gift!  Ended up cooking a whole chicken in it and just did sides of rice, pan roasted brussel sprouts and rosemary garlic roadted potatoes.  Finished with homemade chocolate bouchon with fresh whipped cream and raspberries.  Pretty tasty and convenient to be able to cook the chicken while out if the apt running around with the kids.  Husband is highly suspicious of the sudden domestic turn.  Hee hee.