Back from a short holiday in Seattle and Vancouver, BC, where a good time was had by all. WFD tonight was an easy pasta with garlicky, oil-roasted tomatoes, Lotsa parm. Marinated artichokes. Salad greens in vinaigrette.
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I also made salmon for dinner, although yours looks better. Long Grain & Wild rice with green beans were the sides.
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There’s that coaster🐈!
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Mrs. P made some awesome surf and turf with a Dartagnan double cut pork chop stuffed with bacon, apples, blue cheese, garlic, and shallots, and steamed Dungeness crab. She made roasted delicata squash drizzled with hot honey as a side dish. It all went great with an excellent cabernet.
I am including some gratuitous photos of Matisse modeling his Christmas present 
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Shrimp, andouille and okra gumbo. Warm French bread and butter. Salad of oakleaf and radicchio, yellow baby bell, muffaletta dressing. A beer to cool the palate.
There was gin!!
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That’s the spirit!!
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BF made Coq Au Vin tonight. Not sure if he used Julia Child’s recipe or not, but there was an entire bottle of wine.
Said he had not cooked anything extensive lately and wanted a project (I did make the mashed potatoes). We bought the smallest whole chicken the store had and there was still a ton leftover. We have the next few nights figured out so he will be bringing the rest to his father. Nothing going to waste. The gravy was to die for.
There was a crusty baguette. There was a martini.
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That’s a mouthwatering plate of food. Your dinnerware is very unusual and distinctive - I always recognize it.
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Got the dinner set at Target, actually. Their Threshold brand.
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Yours looks delicious!
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Mixed into the pork chop stuffing or eaten separately?
Our final morning in Philly was spent picking up a few more sundry items (read FESTIVE FOOD) at the Italian market - including a fantastic sandwich from Paesano’s, the Statiooch (cold roasted turkey, sharp provolone, garlic mayo, roasted tomatoes, arugula) for our drive home.
We got back to a VERY happy & excited cat mid afternoon. Despite having just spent 3 days eating and drinking our way through the city, we’d agreed to meet friends for yet another dinner out - an Asian fusion place that leans heavy towards Malaysian.
Between the four of us we split gai lan with salt fish
the chow kueh teow with shrimp and squid
mapo tofu
and some fried chicken dish.
We’d not been to this place in over a decade, and will likely not return. The noodles were over-fried, the chicken under-fried, the mapo soupy and weak. The ‘best’ dish was the gai lan, but that’s honestly not saying very much.
While it would be swell to stay in tonight and c-h-i-l-l for a change, there’s no rest for the wicked 
We’re invited to a friend’s annual Festivus shindig, for which I’ll be making the salmon mousse @GretchenS recommended.
We’re also spontaneously hosting another couple tomorrow for xmas eve, which is traditionally our solo night. My PIC’s making his fabulous yuvetsi, I’ll contribute a maroulosalata or some such.
I think xmas day we’re finally on our own 
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Eaten separately (it was the surf part of the surf and turf). I know the original description was a bit confusing when I look back at it 
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I’m relieved 
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When I first started cooking freezer meals for my Mom, I gave her a coupon for her choice of freezer meals…anything from Mac & Cheese to beef stew to pork stew to meat sauce (so all she had to do was cook some spaghetti). She loved it, as I’m sure your Mom would love a coupon book of meals out at places she’d like to try. It’s a fun way to try new restaurants!
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Solo dinner while BF visits with family: crispy fish with ginger, chives, and soy sauce, white rice out of shot. Adapted from Simple Chinese Cooking, by Kylie Kwong.
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Several Cajun shrimp and sausage meals posted in the last couple of days prompted me to do a fridge/freezer clean out.
Campanelle pasta was cooked and drained.
From the freezer, Argentinian red shrimp and a large cut up link of sweet Italian sausage was sautéed separately in olive oil and removed from the pan.
Pieces of red bell pepper and onion was sauteed, some garlic added, then tomato paste and a spice blend of Aleppo pepper, oregano, paprika, and garlic and onion powders was mixed in.
Chicken stock added, simmered and reduced, then some half-and-half and simmered again.
The last of some baby spinach was added, cooked down, and the sausage, shrimp, and pasta added to coat with the sauce. Added some grated Parm-Reg added at the end.
Wine.
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That looks really good - Campanelle is my favorite all purpose pasta. I always have it in my pantry.
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A white, BC King salmon, oven roasted in olive oil and lemon. Served with a little herb butter we picked up at the Granville market in Vancouver. Salad greens in vinaigrette.
A light dinner tonight in anticipation of a few days of gnoshing and feasting, but if anyone needs dessert, there are freshly baked chocolate-hazelnut-raspberry rugelach for the taking.
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