What's for Dinner #16 - 12/2016 - the (sometimes) Crazy Holiday Yule Edition

[VikingKaj (Retired !)]

I duck!!!

Or goose…

[Presunto (--> Back in Athens - Goat's/Sheep's Yoghurt every day ... [Fleeced Taxpayer :@)) :@)) ])]

Me, too. We shall try again tomorrow. Need to be early to avoid the live music.

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)]

@Presunto

when the partner is away I still make my “normal food” and present it nicely as always

Me too. Or, at least, I did before my partner retired from a job that required frequent trips round Europe. I always looked on it as an opportunity to eat the things I particularly enjoyed.

[emglow101]

Baby it’s cold outside . Have a nice fire going in the fireplace . What’s better than a couple eggs over easy , hash browns , ham steak , and a bottle of Pinot Noir .

[biondanonima]

Quick dinner tonight - pork tenderloin cutlets in a bacon-sage vinaigrette. Raw snap peas with boursin on the side as a nod to vegetables. WINE. It’s been that kind of week!

[Scubadoo97]

A burrata app followed by seared scallops and grilled corn cut from the cob

[emglow101]

Just another great Scooby meal . Looks fantastic . Bravo .

[LindaWhit]

@MaryC

while I wholeheartedly am aware of the sensibility of treating oneself well, sadly I can’t convince myself to feel that way about myself. You guys all are a source of inspiration for me (especially emglow101 and LindaW) to try to treat myself better.

:::Bowing my head in thanks:::: @MaryC, food nourishes the body. But good food helps nourish the soul. We deserve it just as much as anyone else.

[LindaWhit]

@biondanonima

WINE. It’s been that kind of week!

Ain’t THAT the truth!

[Scubadoo97]

Thanks em

[mariacarmen (maria ascarrunz)]

boursin on veggies! why have i never thought of this? i only recently re-discovered boursin, making a Ludo Fevbre omelet this weekend. He calls it the French Velveeta.

[mariacarmen (maria ascarrunz)]

Welcome MaryC - happy to have you here! as Linda H said, you must treat yourself well! besides, it’s a lot of fun cooking for one, i did it for many years. you don’t have to worry about what other people’s finicky tastes!

[mariacarmen (maria ascarrunz)]

Out last two nights, BF made TJs pork belly, very simply seasoned with smoked salt, pepper, cumin. little taters steamed. sauteed endive, tomatoes, browned onions, garlic - all made a little sauce. and a roasted tomato i’d started a couple days ago but didn’t use. salad was cukes-about-to turn with shallots, toasted pine nuts, and leftover gorgonzola/ranch dressing i made.

office party tomorrow, so no cooking again for me, just lots of imbibing. thank god we’re off until Tuesday.

[Bookwich]

I’ve had a very large CSA cauliflower sitting in my refrigerator for a week, so I finally decided to roast it tonight (I need the space).

I’ve never prepared cauliflower this way. The edges got a little black and it wasn’t soft enough for my taste. So I cut off the blackened bits and simmered it with milk and broth, but it still wasn’t getting soft. Maybe the roasting prevented it?

I finally just added some butter, cream and yellow curry paste and let it simmer down. The taste was there, but I still didn’t like the al dente texture.

Try as I might, I do not enjoy roasted vegetables other than potatoes.

[Scubadoo97]

The times I’ve roasted one whole the center was a little less done than I would have liked. The remedy would be to microwave it a little first then roast it. I usually cut off the florets and roast them

[MaryC]

Thank you so much LindaW. You have no idea how much these words help me. Really - I wish I could say it more forcefully, but a huge thank you.

Presunto, if I push myself I may pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket and/or some premade items from the salad bar (surimi salad, spinach, pasta salad, shelled edamame, piece of pre cut fruit) for dinner.

Maria, Yes eating alone indeed allows a person to indulge in whatever your mood dictates. I admire your positivity.

As I’m not posting any meals like you all, I wonder if I’m violating any rules about this dinner thread? I like feeling like I’m a part of you all’s dinner routines but I certainly don’t want to break any rules.

[meatn3 (equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)]

You are fine. I comment on the meals of others more frequently than I post about my own!
And when I’m in a cooking slump I’ll come across someones dinner post and be inspired!

[VikingKaj (Retired !)]

The trick with cauliflower is to steam the whole head first, whether on the stove or in microwave, dry it off, and then roast. (Usually I roast with gruyere cheese, bread crumbs, possibly bacon, and always a little nutmeg on top, but you could do it plain too.)

This is also useful for other cruciforms where you are looking to get a little browning/ maillard going. For example, I always steam my shaved brussel sprouts before frying.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Or you could just break it up into florets. Works like a charm.

[biondanonima]

@LindaWhit

:::Bowing my head in thanks:::: @MaryC, food nourishes the body. But good food helps nourish the soul. We deserve it just as much as anyone else.

Beautifully said! Cooking for one also affords you the opportunity to improve your cooking skills without ever worrying about someone else’s schedule or palate, or serving them a disappointing meal when a new recipe doesn’t come out right. I lived alone for many years before I met DH and learned more about cooking during that time than I have since!