What's For Dinner #122 - the Autumn Leaves of Red and Gold Edition - October 2025

This is one reason why I pay cash. (But mostly because it’s easier for me to budget my money.) I also refuse to order delivery using Door Dash, Skip etc. since they charge the restaurants a commission. I will either order from a restaurant with their own driver or I will walk to the restaurant to pick up my dinner. I will do anything to make sure 100% of my money goes to the restaurant.

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Nibbles featuring chicken liver parfait with cider gelée from the posh butcher, goat Gouda and accoutrements. A perfect end to a decidedly lazy weekend.

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Had some small sirloin steaks that were too tough to eat as steaks, so cut them into cubes and made beef/lentil/vegetable soup in my new baby IP.

I think Im going to be happy with the IP…makes enough for a couple of days and a frozen quart for later.

Still in the 80s and I worked outside all day, but still nice to have dinner sorted when Im ready for a break.

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The now 'year round tourist ‘visitors’ drive our eaterie businesses, pricing out the residents. This does not count those with ‘second homes’ that count themselves as ‘residents’ now.

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Did you really eat the whole meal with chopsticks?

My friend and I hosted the final potluck for my local cooking group this year.

It was a smaller affair than previous dates, and the food was fairly uninteresting — save for two fabulous Black Forest cakes and a chocolate cake with cherries the 80+ yr old mom of one of our favorite bartenders baked.

My contribution, the NYT cheesy tomato white bean bake

however, was pretty much destroyed,

and several peeps asked for the recipe.

*NTY gift links are wonky for me today :woman_shrugging:

I’d added crushed rosemary and thyme we dried ourselves to the olive oil before adding twice as much garlic and twice as much tomato paste asked for, even after doubling the recipe. I also used TJ’s quattro formaggio for most of the cheese, and just a little mozzarella. If I were to make this for casa lingua, I’d be inclined to add pancetta, or 'nduja, or hot Italian sausage to give the dish more heat/flavor/oomph. As it is, it’s pretty basic, but easy to improve / riff on.

A new member brought nice fried rice & soba noodles in sesame sauce,

there was a farro salad with and w/out onion (my cohost can’t abide them),

and an angel hair pasta with clam sauce that would’ve been So Much Better with a proper pasta like spaghetti or linguine or tagliatelle or fettuccine… really — anything but that flimsy BS excuse for pasta :roll_eyes: At least the clam sauce was nice n garlicky :face_savoring_food:

There was also a pan of scalloped potatoes with apples (!). The potatoes were half-raw, so I didn’t get seconds.

We got home before 8pm, and I’m totes ok with that :blush:

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Home again, home again, jiggity jig. End of road-trip was Friday at 1:30. Took time to rectify some things and some time to veg and eat Jack in the Box. Today back on the straight and narrow as promised. Dr appointment Dec 3. Let’s do this!!



Turkey burger, Swiss cheese, over easy egg, Beaver Honey Mustard on a toasted brioche bun.

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I spent the afternoon at a craft fair for the first time since before the pandemic. There were a lot of jewelry and skin care vendors there. I found a few food stalls and managed to score some local chèvre, honey, shortbread cookies and toffee. After spending the better part of the afternoon sampling products, I had a scallop salad.

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The stir fry I did, the dregs of the slaw needed a fork.

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Rana Lobster ravioli with lemon butter sauce and dill. Caesar salad, homemade croutons and dressing. Didn’t taste any lobster but the lemon butter sauce was very nice.

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Petite filet mignon (Manager’s Special – half off). Potato, leek, and gruyere gratin. What is most likely the last of the garden zucchini, roasted. More of that delicious casino butter.

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Nadan Khozi - Kerala-Style Chicken Curry based on a Milk Street recipe - boldly flavored curry with chicken thighs marinated in a mix of coriander, garam masala, turmeric and sirarakhong chili and afterwards cooked with red onions, serrano chili, garlic and ginger in chicken broth and coconut milk. Later you add potatoes and cherry tomatoes and finish with some cilantro and lime juice. Served over rice

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