Have a friend coming over today. When someone says “I’m not picky, I eat everything”, I usually play it safe. Went simple with shrimp stir fry, the same type of puff pastry from a few days ago, and a salad.
Carrot cake, oatmeal chocolate chip walnut cookies, and pear tart for dessert. (No pic yet, sorry.)
You can invite me over anytime!
But hey, when I say this, I mean it! (except insects of course 
)
same here - so good!
I hope we can meet some of you guys in real life one day. Even if you “online hate” me, I’d love to meet you. You could tell me my roux is lumpy and I am everything that’s wrong about HO, I would still be happy to meet you. We’re not good at talking about other topics – maybe a little about sports – so we’ve mastered steering conversations towards food. If someone starts a discussion on Trump’s economic policy, in 5 minutes I’ll have everyone talking about cheesecake. 20 minutes later someone will ask, “Wait, what were we talking about again?” It would be fun to have serious in person discussion and debate about food. Or just to sit and listen to someone super knowledgeable about a topic. Some topic I could think about for a couple years. I still remember my first serious food debate: What does “authentic” mean?
Of course, HOs and Chowhounds are outliers. I eat insects, too, but I don’t seek them out. Not sure if they are halal, but until I hear otherwise…
Here is a pic of tonight’s sweets (carrot cake, oatmeal choc chip walnut cookies, pear tart):
I want to dive into that bowl headfirst - looks delicious 
Wow, that’s a talent. I guess I will have to try this to gear away future political or religious talk, especially those xmas family meals ended with everybody getting upset.
I do feel food conversation, even with someone not particularly fond of food, do bring people closer.
It used to be many conversations in my family will end up with everyone upset, even if it was about food, haha. Because it was family, we had to get over it quick. I miss those days, to be honest. I miss the intensity. It takes a lot of energy that we don’t have anymore, so maybe we’ll have one such conversation a year. Also, as we got older, we appreciate each other’s bluntness. It’s very efficient to immediately know where everyone stands, especially about food. But don’t ever try that with a general audience, no no.
Husband spilt pizza on his down jacket. Washed it in the machine and the label said no dryer! A horror out from the washer. So spent hours shaking the thing, hoping it would return to life!
Endive salad with pomegranate and seaweed salt
Roasted chicken with cauliflower, both with Old Bay Seasoning. The spice was recommended by someone here in HO for the crab cakes a while ago. Couldn’t find it easily. I finally get hold of it from the French Amazon. Surprised that it is salty and with celery.
Ravioli with cured ham, cured pork tenderloin and spinach.
Pork ribs with aligot - smashed potato, garlic, cream and cheese from Aubrac. As you can see, I was stingy with cheese.
Bream filet with mozzarella, tomato and caper
Chicken part II
Risotto with bell pepper and onion, cooked on stove and leftover chicken tossed on the top and off in the oven for ten minutes.
What a food parade!
Thank you 
The babe was not impressed 
That looks a lot like tuna!
Thanks, that was nearly 1 week of dinner.
Our family has an argument jar. If you need to argue, you have to put $5 in the jar. Hoping to go to Italy next summer:blush:
…
Venting is fine, arguing takes hard cold cash. Doesn’t matter what topic, I have zero ambition to argue. Many have tried to engage me, that jar has served me well
Now, a well orchestrated food fight… I am happy to lift a plate and fling. 
Too complex and rich for kids, I guess. They don’t know what they’re missing.
Mmmm, 
I think you are right, should be trout and tuna! 
Haha, if we had one of those jars ten years back, you could’ve traveled the whole world.
Never too late!
True! Can eat out in itinerary restaurants with those money! The older people get, the more they like to fight! (At least for people around me.)
