Lunch 2023 (!)

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!

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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.

image

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Triple decker lobster roll with scrambled eggs.

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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.


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

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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.

You people.

You are seriously killing me.

Just wonderful, lovely stuff.

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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.

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

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

Sloppy Joe’s

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

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

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

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

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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😆



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No, you may not.

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

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Hahaha! Well, now it’s not!

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…

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.

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