I like buns with a texture like ciabatta. It has a “bite” to it and grips the meat better.
Yea this was crap white bread soft and limp. Gave nothing to the dish. Filler at best
I made a monster stir fry last night of scallops and chicken. Ever not make a monster stir fry? Flavors were great- used up a lot of veggies from the fridge. The scallops were stellar- nice, big, juicy ones. I cooked them separately and then added them in last. Served the stir fry over some jasmine rice done in the instant pot. The rice was perfect!
Needless to say, lots of leftovers for tonight!
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Did some outside work and got home late. Wife is a away so after a cigar and a couple rum agricoles a grilled cheese using some nice French cheeses on marbled rye hit the spot
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It was a completely out-of-sorts day. Not even a sale at a local antique mall helped. I continue to be disappointed in people and don’t know why I make an effort to be friends when they’re not friends back.
Ended up with leftover lamb from the freezer made into a jury-rigged tagine. It was comprised of chopped lamb, onions, red wine, tomato paste, honey, halved dried apricots, minced garlic, grated ginger, a small cinnamon stick, ground cumin, a pinch of saffron, chicken stock, salt and pepper.
Lemon Israeli couscous and sauteed spinach with Aleppo pepper, ground sumac, and toasted pine nuts alongside. And wine.
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Burning pine nuts is my forte!
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I always giggle when dad says “it’s cold tonight!” and the actual temperature is above 40F…
i’ve always been a fan of the fireplace, regardless of how necessary the fire is. I use regular glasses for my red wine because I can’t be trusted with the delicate stems near the pale colored couches…
Our kimchi is ready! We put it in containers and chopped it up some to make easier to get back out. My nephew was thrilled and really loved it 
!
There was a costco trip today, so the parents had some rotisserie chicken, i made the dry fried green beans mom loves as a side and there were teeny tiny potatoes from trader joe’s i just roasted with some salt/olive oil and thyme. I baked some tofu with the potatoes and just gave it a sprinkle of sesame oil and soy sauce. More wine a la carte.
There are little chocolate eggs from see’s candies that will likely be dessert with some hot tea.
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I like super crappy white bread for my pulled pork sandwiches when I smoke a pork shoulder. Or I get the cheapest buns. Put a little slaw and sauce on
the sandwich. The bread is just a vehicle for the meat.
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Cooked some corned beef brisket that I’d been brining for the past week. 90 minutes in the pressure cooker in beer and ginger beer with pickling spices and onion. Served with boiled potatoes, boiled cabbage, and horseradish cream sauce 
.
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I am living my dream through you.
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Decided to come out of hibernation
Yesterday, to celebrate my son’s birthday, I had 6 guests over. Started at 3:00PM, thru the night ending after 4:00AM, with one guest still here.
Menu:
Johnston’s reserved Mangalitsa 15.4 pound ham ( HEATH PUTNAM’S FARM) served with crusty french bread, roasted garlic in EVOO, juice /pulp of campari tomatoes, and for some guest who prefers to top it with Old Amsterdam dutch cheese.
Side dish:
Home made spring rolls, pan fried as guests arrived ( did not want to fry ahead of time to maintain crispy cover, served with garlic, soy sauce, cider vinegar , tabasco and splash of date put’s spiced. coconut vinegar . Picture shows one set of spring rolls, guacamole, crab imperial ( for one vegetarian ), roasted butternut squash and beets with apples, and arugula. This was served with vinaigrette and on the side, pine nuts , feta / parmesan cheese as guest prefers ( one is allergic to buts, and my son does not eat feta)
Fried calamari (no picture) served at 3:00AM, eaten as it comes out of the frying pan.
tres leche flan ( store bought) Wine ( Voliero Brenello di Montalino 2012-EXCELLENT sent from guest from Amsterdam who visited 2 weeks ago), Pedroncelli 2007 from Dry Creek Valley- BLOCK 007 ESTATE -disappointed, mediocre after saving them for 11 years even when I let it breath and decant as suggested), Piper Heicksick Rose, and Maker’s Mark Bourbon
Ballons were attached to small whirlwind ( BIG WHIRLWIND IN GARDEN) on ceiling when we woke up.
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So glad to have you back! Wishing your son a wonderful birthday and a healthy happy upcoming year.
As always, your party sounds absolutely delicious!
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thanks, I never left, read all your blogs while hibernating
Had a house guest from Amsterdam for 8 days!
My dogs had the sniffles, and I was busy on another project? ( do not know if it will come about)
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Finger food today. I’ve got pancakes and duck but nothing Peking about it.
SV and seared duck breasts. Flesh looks pink but still tender.
I deglazed the pan with port, a Bovril cube, ketcap manis (Indonesian sweet soya sauce), some liquid smoke and tamari to make the dipping sauce. The Chilean 2013 pinot noir grand reserva is so good with this food. The colour looks a bit light but the bitterness of vegs makes the wine taste a lot fuller. And liquid smoke really does elevate the sauce. A few grinds of smoked garlic takes it further.
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I’m a day late (and a dollar short). Corned beef with the works is on tap tonight. Happened upon some at 2.59/lb. yesterday which is .75 to $1 less/lb. than I had seen elsewhere. Soaked for 24 hours with several changes of water. It’s on the stove for 2 hours then removed from the liquid, covered in a mustard glaze and baked for an hour. The house smells good!
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Finally a dry day with sunshine here, but still stayed in the 50s, went on a great bike ride with my sister along the rolling hills of the backroads and canyon where she lives. There’s a little vineyard and winery back there! She’s the spot of pink on the road
Then we all went to watch my nephew ‘s last flag football game of the season, and by special request i made us a big pot of (vegan!) lentil veggie soup as an early dinner. Lots of extras for the parents freezer. Photo is of soup in progress, includes my “secret” ingredients - a splash of soy sauce, entire small can of tomato paste, a gob of dijon, as well as the green lentils, green beans, carrots, potato, celery, can of tomatoes… mom and dad has theirs with some parm on top, i added nutritional yeast. Wine on the side
Mom works on mondays so i made her a little waldorf salad (a favorite of hers yet she rarely makes herself) to take for lunch since there was extra celery around and a honeycrisp apple
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Made some corned beef hash with leftover corned beef, leftover boiled potatoes, onion, bell pepper, green onions, and some Cajun seasoning, with a couple of eggs cracked on top and put under the broiler. Next time I will fry the eggs a little first as the whites were still a little runny on the bottom.
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Zuppa Toscana in the IP, with potatoes, sausage, and kale, and I added Rancho Gordo beans. apparently it’s a copy from an Olive Garden recipe, but this was easy and delicious. Hearty!
Also made probably the easiest bread to bake, Irish soda bread…
In anticipation of Corned Beef. Two days late! Regular cheater corned beef (came with spice packet) nonetheless turned out delish, very tender. Glazed the beef with a mix of horseradish, mustard and honey. Simmered cabbage and carrots in the broth, then put in the oven dotted with butter and foil-topped for about 40 minutes. Super sweet cabbage! also made Colcannon, but with kale, because i had a lot leftover from the Zuppa. Tons of Kerrygold made it all worthwhile.
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Looks so good, MariaC.
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