I always have an ongoing wish list too! Sometimes things stay on it for months …
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I’m planning for two adults and a semi-picky 6-year old in Asheville, NC. We’re looking at:
Mon: Seared tuna sushi bowls with cucumber, avocado (if I can find a ripe one before tonight), and pickled ginger, topped with furikake and Sriracha mayo dressing. Kiddo will have rice, avo, cukes, and probably chicken nuggets or tuna salad on the side. Steamed, salted edamame
Tue: pulled chicken tacos (for kiddo) and cauliflower soyrizo tacos
Wed: date night out
Thurs: BLTs and maybe Alison Roman’s garlicky dill zucchini on the grill pan
Fri: probably food truck or maybe I’ll pick up subs for a picnic at a brewery
Sat: Greek stuffed tomatoes
Sun: TJ’s Japanese fried rice with fried egg and kimchi, probably also pork dumplings for kiddo
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Have you tried the zucchini recipe? We have lots of CSA zucchini to work through, and the dill is trying to bolt
Very curious: you transported fresh ravioli from TJ’s to Mumbai?
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Yep, frozen for travel.
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In my case, sometimes years…
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Not yet!
We’ve got the Canadian wildfire smoke all the way down here in North Carolina. You can see it in the air. Of course we always have to have the windows closed (a/c on) In July, but it’s still weird.
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The birria meat - with chuck roast - worked well. I cut the 2.8 lb roast into about 8-10 chunks and marinated overnight. I cut waaaay back on the chiles in the marinade, using about half of a dried guajillo and one chipotle, as well as the tablespoon or so of adobo sauce in the can of chipotles. DS said it was still noticeably spicy, though - “noticeable and annoying.” I’d call it more black pepper level of spicy than cayenne. So, for anyone who doesn’t like heat, I would suggest cutting back or even omitting both kinds of chiles - but maybe add more of the crushed tomatoes, vinegar, and smoked paprika to get enough flavor.
The tacos were terribly messy but so tasty…
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Laughing at “noticeable and annoying”.
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Recalling many years back when you told us about Lulu parroting a friend’s “I don’t like spicy food,” so you and LLD carefully stopped describing food as spicy and Lulu kept happily eating spicy food.
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Yes! And we had a guest to dinner once who apparently found the meal spicy. He turned to Lulu and said “so, you like spicy food.” She took a big bite and said “no.”
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I don’t know about guajillo, but I find canned chipotles more smoky than spicy, and chipotle powder (which I bought to carry to India for mexican cooking as an easier ingredient than the cans) even less spicy. (It’s a different smokiness and flavor to my palate than spanish smoked paprika, though.)
Glad the tacos were a success!
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Spicy is so subjective! DS can tolerate green chiles (one can in a batch of chili) as well as regular chili powder, but not much with higher Scoville units - at least as far as we’ve figured out. I like chipotle hot sauce but am iffy on actual chipotle peppers… Maybe next time I will try this with some ancho chile powder.
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Greetings, People.
For the third year running, our county has banned outdoor grilling on anything but propane during fire season. We complied the first two years by not cooking outdoors during those months, but this year purchased a new gas grill to back up our much used, charcoal burning, Big Green Eggs. Just in time, it would seem, as the annual ban went into effect last Wednesday. We chose a model rated “best value” by the Wirecutter in a recent issue of the New York Times. The UPS lady who delivered it said she had three of the exact same grills on her truck that day. I guess a lot of people in our little corner of the world read the New York Times.
Neither of us has much experience cooking on a gas grill. After trying it a few times, I have decided I much prefer cooking over charcoal, and DH has taken on the task of becoming proficient here, starting with steaks and veg on the barbie to kick-off this weekend. I wish him Buena Suerte and hope he found some good info on the internet – the steaks were not inexpensive.
Cooking for two adults and still working on those freezer inventories in the summery PNW:
FRI: Prime ribeye steaks and zucchini on the (gas) grill.
SAT: Cashew chicken and veggie stir-fry. Rice.
SUN: Roasted halibut on potato rafts. Green beans (the last of the last of last year’s garden produce from the freezer – hurrah!)
MON: Pizza Margherita-ish. Cucumber salad.
TUE: Garlicky shrimp something-or-other. Scampi maybe? Grilled over a Caesar salad?
WED: Lamb kofte meatballs. Pita. Greek salad.
THUR: Pan roasted chicken thighs. Sophia Loren’s tomato and bay leaf spaghetti (courtesy of The Guardian). Sophia Loren, people! Zucchini on the grill pan.
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My husband claims that cooking steaks on our gas grill requires turning the setting to low/medium low after the initial warm up - i.e., before putting the steaks on the grates, and then frequent flipping - every 2 minutes or so - as they cook.
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Wrong thread
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I would best describe using a gas grill as using a gas cooktop without the pan. Generally fast and hot, but each grill has its own hot/cool spots and responsiveness. Our gas Weber “Fireball” is old enough to vote and is on its way out as things are falling apart but we are low on funds after the house reno so it survives a week at a time.
My general rule is if it will be cooked in 20 minutes or less, it can go on the gas grill. Longer than that, pick a different method. I like how fast if can heat up with minimal clean up for burgers, chicken breasts, fish, brats/hot dogs, pork chops. There are some who have mastered low and slow on gas, but that’s not me. I will wrap my cast iron in foil and roast veggies on the grill when it’s super hot and I don’t want the heat in the house.
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Hello Everyone from the Twin Cities of MN where the rain repelling force fields the remodelers must have installed remain very effective. Watching almost certain rain/storms evaporate before it gets here or split with us right in the dry zone is impressive. Last week we were severe thunderstorm warned and got a whole 0.1 inch of precipitation. It’s been awhile since I posted- life keeps moving on and the kids’ activities over dinner times don’t provide for the most exciting menus- and trying to keep up with CSA veggies keeps us busy- cooking for 2 adults and 2 growing girls who are skating and swim lessening and I have one stupid fly in the kitchen I just can kill- actuals and a few plans. . .
Thurs 13: Big batch of curried red lentils with coconut milk in the slow cooker for eating in shifts with long evening of skating. Froze individual portions for easy lunch meals going forwards
Fri 14: My parents here delivering another reconstructed book case which was removed during the reno process. Grilled burgers. side salads CSA, sautéed zucchini CSA and a few things I forget
Sat 15: Home made pizza and Stromboli (sally’s baking addiction) for the first time in the new ovens (parents here) side salads CSA
Sun 16: Taco bowls with ground beef, black beans, etc fritos after my parents went home
Mon 17: Stubbed my baby toe right before bed previous night and very immobile. Mr Autumm took the girls to skating after my car had a flat at day program pick up. Mr Autumm strained his achilles on a run so bad “feet” all around here. Assorted leftovers/clear out the fridge
Tues 18: Leftover tacos and fixings in shifts as big kiddo skated and CSA pick up. Holy cucumbers batman!
Weds 19: Both kiddos swimming lessons. Some intense looking storms led us to practice severe weather basement drill and we got a whole 1/4 inch of rain. TJ’s frozen gnocchi and tomato sauce, frozen chicken strips, CSA corn on the cob
Thurs 20: Tonight! The long skating night (530-845) Mr Autumm covered for me due to my foot that still can’t fit in a shoe. Purchased meatballs and sauce with noodles delivered to those a the rink when I picked up little one. Also hot tea. Worked out really well as one of his college buddies was there so they had a nice visit while the girls skated
Fri 21: Going to do a big grocery shop as I’m getting my mobility back. I should wander downstairs and take a pork tenderloin out of the freezer and think about CSA pea pods, home grown green beans, and a whole lot of cucumbers
Thanks for being such an amazing community my internet food friends!
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Fun! How are you enjoying the new appliances? And the new everything else?!
I have to add this to my bowl rotation - thanks for the reminder!
Ouch, I can’t tell you how many times this happens to me with baby toe, 2nd toe, third toe, big toe. Ugh, so painful!
Best done in summer, because sandals / flip flops are the only viable footwear 
Worst ever was deep winter in Boston, when I was rushing down stairs on my way out to take the train home after Christmas, I slipped, went flying straight down into the back door with my… big toe 
jammed my foot into my shoes while swallowing a scream, and when I got home and finally saw a doctor, it was a hairline fracture that nothing could be done about, hurt like crazy for months, and was tender for even longer (no pedicures).
Last little toe stub was two years back just after I picked up my nephews from the airport for a visit. We went grocery shopping for things they wanted, and as I turned the corner into the kitchen to put away things, toe stubbed on the corner in a very not good way: I looked down, and baby toe had actually turned, so I knew it wasn’t minor. Turned it back (yep), went to the urgent care next door with the freshly arrived children (and their devices) in tow, and a painful X-ray ((stupid technician bent my foot and toe) later, hairline fracture: nothing to be done again but wait.
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