Today is National Fried Chicken Day. i had chicken defrosted, but fried wasn’t the way I wanted to go (nor did I have time for after a late departure from work).
So I went with pan-searing in butter and oil after sprinkling with Penzeys Tuscan Sunset and salt/pepper. Then added some chicken stock and white wine, and reduced under cover. Mounted with an admitted LOT of butter for a sauce. Slightly salty, but pretty damn good.
Sides were roasted potatoes tossed in olive oil and (non-imaginative) Tuscan Sunset seasoning and salt and pepper. And steamed green beans.
Dessert was a strawberry shortcake. There was wine. Fortification needed for the weekend.
At least the humidity and heat are temporarily gone, and the temps are absolutely lovely right now and will be for several days.
The other half of bmorecupcake is “stuck” in America right now and sent me a picture of this baked ziti. (Although we never actually use ziti --because nothing clings to ziti – we still call it baked ziti.)
What’s that saying… absence makes the heart grow bitter?
simples taco salad with freezer-pulled carnitas over iceberg, sliced radishes, tomatoes, cukes, cilantro, jalapenos, avocado, scallions, queso freso, and a little dressing made of crema and Pato sauce… Fried tortilla chips went on after the pic. It was light. as light as fatty delicious carnitas can be.
My local Ralph’s and Sprouts both sell cabbage wedges. Convenient when I just need a bit of red cabbage for slaw, or need a bit of green for fish tacos.
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
106
I saw the photo and couldn’t imagine what it could be in China! Started thinking your AirBnB hosts really went above and beyond.
Randomness for dinner , i had a big late lunch at Nish Nush (the falafel pita as a plate so i could mix it with the extra side of israeli salad)
Dinner random included the veggie chips that i totally love from the bulk bins- the beets and green beans are the best!
So glad to have my workhorse sous vide device, especially when it’s senseless to turn on a heat source in this weather. Made salmon mi-cuit for dinner today, with a crunchy salad and butter poached potatoes (also SV) alongside. No time for photos today, unfortunately. It’s a simple meal, last time it looks like this.
Yesterday’s dinner was not complicated but I still had to cook some grain and quickly wilted the chard and beetroot tops.
Last week at the vegetable stall the seller and I were talking about beetroots and tops, suddenly a customer next to me announced she hated beetroots and that they taste like dirt. We both stopped talking but not looking at the other woman. The stallholder broke the silence saying “it tastes sweet. I like it.”
When in season I always buy it with tops. Love beetroots but the tops are the best part for me. FYI, the tops have a lot more nutrient value than the roots (light reading).
I’m going to use the sous vide on the octopus this week. I’m excited! Hopefully no more $16 plates of octopus, they’re like $2.50/lb at the Chinese market.
Actually, there are three rooms rented out at this place. The host is only here a couple hours a day, so it’s the other housemates who are feeding us. Bless their hearts, everyone is trying their hardest to make it easier for us. Well, I should say for me. The kid is having a ball with all the different guests.
I never used AirBnB before this trip. The first one was fine, although shockingly small. I lived in a smaller city (Zhengzhou) last summer so I thought I didn’t have unrealistic expectations. I guess Beijing is so much more expensive that the standard of living is lower, kind of like how an apartment in Baltimore is nicer than one in Manhattan. The next couple places were not okay (we’ll just leave it at that), so once I found this place, I figured I’d stay even though it’s shared. Fortunately(?), my parents “trained” me in Pakistan during summer vacations, so I’ve been in far worse situations.
I’ve definitely met interesting people, though. Our first host had actually been to Baltimore! And our current host speaks perfect Russian. She went to college in Russia and worked as a Russian interpreter when she returned to China. Also, she loves tea. I showed her @Chemicalkinetics tea manifesto and she’s going to bring one of those teas for me to try!
Octopus has always been my white whale of cooking.
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meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
120
One of the weekly specials at my fish market was porgy. I’d never tried it before. Reading about porgy I learned it is a big family of fish which includes sheepshead which I love. Decided to give it a go!
Based on photos I think this may have been a scup. It was a very mild flavored, soft textured fish - softer than catfish. It was ok but I prefer a firmer textured fish. I roasted it. I’d try it again to prepare in a pan.
Luckily the vegetable portion of the meal had no surprises! Live and learn.
last night, smoked salmon and another with bacon with burrata. Belgium beats Brazil, a surprise in this World Cup, next round match with France.
