Leftover pork tenderloin, Bob’s ‘famous’ mushrooms and steamed spinach. Boring but easy and good. I think tonight will be Spam musubi 
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Tonight it’s going to be a roasted bone-in chicken breast, w/ roasted cauliflower, parsnip, and carrot. Pan gravy. The sudden falling temps are giving my oven a workout after being used about 4X this past summer.
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Chicken and Tomato Stew with orzo - Rick Stein Venice to Istanbul 
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In October in Italy there are loads and loads of deep purple/black grapes in the stores, some of them variants of uva fragola or uva Americana (the “strawberry/American grape” that is typically a Concord-type grape). Some bunches are better than others.
Last week we got stuck with a bunch that wasn’t all that good for eating, and it had been languishing in the frigorifico, so this morning I marched off to the macelleria to buy fresh fat sausages, and tonight seared them on the stove-top grill along with the all the grapes and some long sprigs of fresh rosemary. Then I poured in a couple of glasses of red wine, and let it finish cooking.
In the meantime, I had found all the makings for soup stock earlier today in the fridge, including a dying heel of coppa, so the stock was ready by dinnertime, whereupon I tossed in yesterday’s left over cooked Tuscan kale, and also yesterdays cooked but un-sauced malfadine pasta, cut down to bite-sized pieces.
So soup for primo, followed by the sausage, where the exploded grapes, cooked in fat and wine, were now nicely reduced to a syrupy tartness. We had fresh apples and dried prunes for dessert.
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Hello again! It’s so good to be back!
Steamed mussels with celery leaves (and stalks) were all I had energy for. Washed down with a Spanish Albariño.
Finally arrived home today after almost a month in Albania and northern Greece, a day later than I had expected. We were just about to enter the runway to take off, but I noticed we remained in the same position for a long time. Then came frustrating news from the flight deck… there were technical problems, serious enough that we had to taxi all the way back, we were to get off the aircraft along with all our belongings. After hours of anxiety we were told another plane was coming to take us home. Took them “only” 8 hours. Am just glad we turned back before takeoff rather than falling from the sky!
When I landed, which was in the middle of the night, the trains stopped running and it was raining. By the time I checked into a hotel it was 1:30 a.m…
Anyway, I’m home and loving it, albeit very tired. Missed my home cooked foods so much. I always do, wherever I go.
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Lawdy, what an odyssey! Welcome back, P.
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Ja. Thanks. I’m opening a beer…
Zum Wohl! (<-- “to your well-being”, is one of the most beautiful phrases in German. 
) 
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I just found the recipe at BBC Food. A perfect recipe for us, and I have all the ingredients! Many thanks for mentioning it. BTW: Love Rick Stein.
Oh my goodness! An odyssey, indeed, and I bet kind of scary too. I’m happy you’re home safe and sound.
WFD: WOKWED for the for the FB group: Hong-Kong-Style Stir-Fried Minced (Beef) Pork found in Grace Young’s “Stir-Frying To the Sky’s Edge”. Although the recipe specifically states beef I’m going to use organic pork. Since G cannot eat beef I choose to join him; it’s easier that way.
The other ingredients are varied: garlic; soy, dark soy, and oyster sauces, cornstarch, rice wine, sesame oil, chicken broth, 3 eggs, onions, peas, scallions, S & P, peanut oil. The eggs are added at the very end, allowed to set for minute, then quickly stir-fried to combine. One of the recipes in the book I haven’t yet tried, I’m excited to taste it. All we’ll need with this is some steaming hot Jasmine rice.
ETA: Scratch the stir-fry for tonight. I’m sick. It happens periodically from all the meds I have to take. I thought I could do it but decided to resked. I wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway.
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Gio, I had a bit of a nightmare with the orzo. I was using a large le creuset and simmering orzo in such a thick sauce was a nightmare- it was a battle against it sticking to the base. The recipe is very similar to another family favourite which I will stick with for future. It’s from his Mediterranean book…
There were angry people, especially those who had connecting flights. KLM flew an emply plane with a technician and whole new cabin crew there. Captain and his co-pilot apologised profusely.
Can’t wait til I get my hot little hands on mushrooms, flat fish and maatjes this weekend!
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Thanks for the heads up KA! With such a simple recipe it had to be too good to be true. It’s now in my Pepperplate file for future reference. .Your linked to recipe sounds good too.
Crispy hot chicken tenders. Chicken tenderloins are marinating in Secret Aardvark’s Jamaican Jerk marinade, which has a really nice punch to it. They’ll be floured, egg-washed, panko-ed & pan-fried in a mix of peanut oil & butter till golden brown and crunchy.
Side is iceberg, radishes, cauli & English cuke with ranchy dill-buttermilk dressing – one of my man’s favorites 
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Tonight there is a chill in the air. Time for SOUP! I made Harira soup, trying to replicate a version I had this past Spring in Cordoba at a Moroccan restaurant. For the meat, I used two of the merquez sausage I made last weekend which was almost the same as using a pre-season starter, but better. It was delicious and warm.
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This was good! Nice kick from the marinade & crunchy to boot. Stuffed now.
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My version of pork piccata, thanks kattyeyes, roasted carrots & parsnips and a salad of red butterhead, romaine, fennel, red onion & avocado with Italian dressing. Please note that the parsley made it to the dish. 
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peanut noodles with bamboo and mustard greens. I need to get a better hang of my wok but it came ok except for the sorta burned fried tofu not pictured (apparently coating in panko not a good idea). I was impressed that the peanut sauce did not stick to the wok though so the seasoning is good at least.
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Those sounded good and look even better. I love panko
Tonight was a fridge clear out before I go out of town. Chicken breast, last of the mujadara and eggplant.
Made a chicken vegetable soup to bring to the job. Stock from the rotisserie carcass, tomato, cannelloni beans. shallot, garlic, zucchini, mushroom. Corn, green beans and left over chicken will be added when reheated.
More leftover chicken for tomorrows lunch added to a mixed greens salad with pickled beets, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes and blue cheese dressing.
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