I have tamarind concentrate, it’s like molasses. I’ll have to look at some of his recipes.
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I use it as a drizzle on hummus or in tabouli, or anywhere I might use pomegranate molasses. I’ve used it in vinaigrettes, butternut squash soup, okra masala and other Indian dishes. I like having it on hand.
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Spinach salad with spicy rotisserie chicken, julienne carrot, tomatoes and cucumber. Red wine vinaigrette.
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Had 1/2 bag of veggie slaw, the last of a mini head of red cabbage, and some radishes to use up. This easy stir fry to the rescue.
I’ve made it with ground turkey (only fair) and ground beef and lamb (both very good). Still need to try ground pork, but tonight I used about 2/3 lb of ground lamb.
Augmented the veggies by grating a small carrot and 4 large radishes, and made 1.5x the sauce.
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Sausage and Brussels sprouts pasta, inspired by Bon Appetit. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/brussels-sprout-pasta
I used walnuts instead of pecans and played with the quantities - less pasta, more sprouts, lots more garlic and extra red wine vinegar and cheese. This was DELICIOUS - way more than the sum of its parts. La Molisana mezze maniche for the pasta didn’t hurt - they were super toothsome and caught the chunks of sausage and veg perfectly.
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Was time to make a Sprouts run, amd there is a Mandolas restaurant across the parking lot.
Their Tuesday special is linguine con vongole and I’m pleasantly surprised. Not enough sauce, but fresh pasta with baby clams (in the shells no less) with three big slabs of focaccia. Clams were tender and not rubbery, pasta was fresh and still a little al dente, and the sauce was well balanced, with more heat than I would have expected from a chain. Not hot, but definitely had a kickm
Focaccia was good, but a little too oily and not enough flavor. I didnt eat the last 2 pieces.
All ready in 10 minutes for a princely sum of $20.
I’d try them again!
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in the last couple of years, mezze maniche became a favorite pasta shape at our house. I haven’t a clue why I didn’t encounter it sooner.
ATK’s Hot Honey Glazed Salmon (gift link). I usually don’t tinker much with a good piece of salmon, but I couldn’t resist this dish given its reliance on some of our pantry favorites. Here a nice filet of BC king salmon – broiled and glazed – and served with an avo-cuke salad and steamed rice.
EZ-peasy, and delicious. I would make it again next time I needed a break from our normal salmon-prep routine.
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It’s 38 degrees, supposed to freeze tonight, maybe snow. I rescued my 3 Meyer lemons. Celebrating Lunar New Year with an Asian soup of bits and bobs. Ginger, garlic, kom, carrot, snap peas, bok choy and pot stickers in a dashi/miso broth, finished with a splash of fish sauce, Fresno chile and cilantro.
.
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Sunshine is having a girl’s night at a friend’s house (I made my same old Chocolate Cake for her to take over - no pic), Neighbor #2 was served some leftover potato soup and I played college student…
I’m enjoying a night off from cooking - YEA!!
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I invited friends over for Lunar New Year. The menu was:
Elderflower and ginger gin & tonics with Roku gin and lime
Lychee gimlets
Spicy Sichuan peanuts
Fried broad beans
Shrimp chips
Clementines
Egg roll halves + duck sauce
Cucumbers with sesame and chili-lime salt
Edamame
Jasmine rice
Pork and chive dumplings + Woks of Life dipping sauce
David Chang’s roasted and grilled pork belly + lettuce + steamed buns
Momofuku ginger scallion sauce
Momofuku pickled mustard aioli
Hoisin sauce, sweet bean paste, Japanese BBQ sauce, kimchi, pickled red onions, sriracha, chili garlic sauce, chili crisp
Fuchsia Dunlop’s “fish-fragrant” garlic and chili bean eggplant
Cantonese yu choi
Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer
Oolong tea, decaf lattes
My friend brought 7-layer bars.
No one went hungry, whatever their preferences.
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some dinners in the past few days…
Sister and I made what was supposed to be air-fried cod with a salsa verde but we forgot to turn the oven to air fry! so it was just lightly baked cod. White on white - rice on the side, with some seared cherry tomatoes. The salsa was killer, though, and the fish very tender.
Monday night’s dinner ala the BF was very sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic, boiled potatoes with olive oil and parsley, a beet salad for me, and TJ’s pork belly with the leftover salsa verde. @LindaWhit - you’re right, the TJ’s pork belly was mostly fat, and i LOVE ME SOME PORK FAT, but it was too rich even for me, even with the salsa verde and bitter broccoli rabe to cut it. I hadn’t bought any in years, and probably won’t get it again. Need SOME meat with that fat.
Tonight the BF made cheeseburgers - on the side, another boiled potato for him, another big beet salad for me.
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nice spread!
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Thank you! Probably a few too many things that needed to be finished a la minute. But it was tasty.
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What a gorgeous feast! Looks so delicious! You must be exhausted.
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Thank you! I’m glad I prepped a lot yesterday, and that I didn’t try to make everything from scratch. 
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It’s not a go-to for me either, mostly because Mr. Bionda doesn’t care for ziti/rigatoni and it’s in that family, so I haven’t experimented much with it. That’s changing after tonight - the mezze maniche are the perfect circumference for a chunky sauce.
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Very good dinner at Callie https://www.calliesd.com in San Diego. Mediterranean influenced cooking with excellent dishes throughout the night. Normally chicken tend to be often boring in restaurants but their Aleppo chicken is quite exceptional. Definitely worth a revisit at our next trip to San Diego
24-Month Parma ham, house cultured butter, marinated olives, toasted baguette
Pappardelle, duck & duroc sausage ragu, wild fennel, pecorino romano
Aleppo Chicken, sumac pickles, yogurt, coriander honey
Setas con Migas, mushrooms, olive oil breadcrumbs, confit egg yolk
Meyer Lemon Pavlova, rose meringue, honey labneh, pistachio halva
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