Lunch 2023 (!)

[Presunto (--> Back in Athens - Goat's/Sheep's Yoghurt every day ... [Fleeced Taxpayer :@)) :@)) ])]

Day-aaaam… a whole year flew by just like that. It was an expensive year for me but I got to travel again.
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I’m still in Albania, it’s not warm and “easy” like last year in tourist magnet Madeira (more developed but also costlier).

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Just a tiny pinch of pistachios.

Pistachios are expensive here (imported from 2 biggest producers Iran and Turkey). It’s not even common to see pistachio bakllava due to the cost. Albanian version is often filled with walnuts or other nuts. Bakllava is a treat for Albanians, and also for us. With or without pistachios it’s expensive for Albanians.
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And last of the 3 packages of Lebkuchen I brought with me.

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When I am home again it’ll be zizzzz!

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Happy new year, all! Safe travels and good health!

[Mr_Happy]

I made a batch of Kenji’s black-eyed pea stew with kale and andouille using Rancho Gordo black-eyed peas soaked and brined for a few hours. I would make this again, pretty easy one-pot recipe that came out well.

Also added some avocado.

[ipsedixit]

Triple decker lobster roll with scrambled eggs.

[Nannybakes]

And today we had…lamb chops grilled stove top, farro/barley pilaf with dried fruit and crispy artichoke hearts. Dessert was a chocolate chestnut cake.

[Mr_Happy]

Soondubu jjigae using BCD kit, added bacon, onion, garlic, shrimp, and egg. With rice and kimchi.

[small_h]

BCD is one of my favorite restaurants - is the kit worth a try? I make soondubu from scratch a few times a year at least.

[CCE (Keyrock the unfrozen caveman lawyer; your world frightens & confuses me)]

You people.

You are seriously killing me.

Just wonderful, lovely stuff.

[Mr_Happy]

Yes, definitely worth trying. It’s a package of soft tofu and a soup base concentrate, works great in a pinch. You add 150ml of water to the soup base plus any veg or meat you want, and then spoon the tofu in.

[BarneyGrubble (Fan of Beethoven and Latina singers)]

@Nannybakes

Dessert was a chocolate chestnut cake.

One of my favorites. Where was the recipe from? I use the one from Cocolat.

[Nannybakes]

It was a delicious and very rich Mimi Thorisson recipe, I have Cocolat, I’ll take a look , thank you.

[ipsedixit]

Sloppy Joe’s

Won’t win any beauty contests (certainly not on Instagram), but it all looks the same going down.

[retrospek]

Sloppy Joes aren’t meant to be pretty but they’re sure good!

[Mr_Happy]

Speaking of ugly food, poutine with mushroom gravy for lunch.

[Vai101 (Vai)]

(post deleted by author)

[Vai101 (Vai)]

I had Dal Makhni with rice and Gulab Jamun for dessert today!

[Nannybakes]

May I join the ugly day parade? I managed to flip over my galette while transferring it to the cutting board☹️. Redeemed only partially by the custard😆

[ipsedixit]

@Nannybakes

May I join the ugly day parade?

No, you may not.

Your food does not qualify. It’s way too much like eye-candy!

[Nannybakes]

Hahaha! Well, now it’s not!

[sonomajom]

I just got a tin of chestnut puree as a gift. Does your recipe call for that or fresh chestnuts? If it does would love to get it. Any other ideas for chestnut puree - other than Mont Blanc…

[Nannybakes]

The recipe was from Mimi Thorisson , “Chocolate cake à la crème de marron”, but I didn’t exactly follow it. I increased the sweetened chestnut purée from 435g to 500g as that was the size can I had. I also substituted almond flour for all purpose. The additional purée made the cake a little softer, I think, then the original recipe. Alice Medrich has two, one calling for cup of purée, the other for 1/2 cup. Nigella Lawson also has one without any flour, her recipe is for unsweetened chestnut purée. If you google around, there’s a fair number of recipes with and without chocolate and also sweetened and unsweetened. The cake I made would easily serve 12.