Dinner was this entire jar with a spoon, because 2020.
Kidding, of course.
We had Chinese takeout. Having recently picked this up from the Asian market, the heat wasn’t as strong as I was looking for but it really acted as a flavor enhancer. Like, seriously made a difference. This on beef and broccoli in garlic sauce was 
.
Last night following our pizza, we had a craving for Munchies Party Mix. But we had a friend over to do some Tarot readings (I’m part of a paranormal investigating group) and I couldn’t have orange fingers. I discovered chopsticks were the perfect remedy.
I am a fan of HP sauce . Always on hand
I keep chopsticks around for the partner who prefers to use them when eating noodles, but I only use them for eating crisps.
How I do it: bag in horizontal position, use a pair of scissors to cut a rectangular opening (I cut a big one) and now you have a “bowl” or “container”. One less bowl to wash. Chopsticks keep the finger clean for playing cards.
Also try (hot) mustard. Standard condiment to eat alongside sausage rolls around my parts (and AU, NZ etc).
I mix hot mustard with freshly grated horseradish. Love the sharp kicks.
Thanks for reminding me. I need more red pepper powder - from Korea. Which market do you go to?
That’s Korean “gochujaru” and is typically not very spicy. Added to a clear soup, it makes for a fiery appearance but not as spicy as one might expect. Same goes for its paste counterpart, gochujang.
That was from H-Mart but we also go to the smaller market in Middletown by Crown Palace which is like two minutes away from where we live.
I had a feeling you were going to say H Mart. I don’t think I’ve seen the Korean pepper at the more Chinese-centric local stores. I usually go to the market in Marlboro. I thought the one attached to Crown Palace closed when it opened.
Is there a market next to the Crown Palace in Marlboro too? I’ve never gone to that one (market or restaurant). Not a fan of the restaurant in Middletown, but the market is decent enough when we don’t feel like making the trek to Edison. I also picked up a bag of Manzu pork and zucchini dumplings that were quite good.
No, the market is about 1 mile up 79 from Crown Palace, toward Freehold. It’s real name is Asian Food Market. It’s part of a chain and is much bigger than the store in Middletown. But for some reason I have it in my head that the one in Middletown used to be related.
http://www.asianfoodmarkets.com/
I usually hit the Marlboro store if I’m not heading to Edison.
Got my Thanksgiving food shopping done today with minimal fuss. BJs Wholesale Club was surprisingly civil at 11:15 a.m. although I’m sure after noontime it would have been much more frustrating. Even got paper towels, which I was almost out of. Not my choice of Bounty, but the store brand will do and is way less expensive.
Dinner was a pan-seared boneless pork chop, finished in the oven with some plum-ginger liquid from the last time I made Eating Well’s Plum Ketchup. There was too much liquid for the ketchup, so I spooned off some of it and froze it. Perfect for a pork chop.
Sides were leftover mashed sweets and fresh steamed asparagus. And TPSTOW, of course. 
I wanted tacos but didn’t want to deal with making the tacos. Rice bowls instead! Brown rice with dry rub chicken thighs, guacamole, cilantro and onion, a yogurt lime thing and queso fresco. Delicious!!!
We had another excellent dinner at Cafe Panache. We enjoyed poached lobster with pumpkin agnolotti; excellent wild boar bolognese with a ton of meat; creamy lobster bisque with steamed mussels; warm shrimp salad, and coconut cake with cinnamon ice cream for dessert. It all went great with an excellent 2013 Malbec.
Since 2/3 is more favorable odds than 1/2, this weekend while my husband is away taking care of his parents (yep, we’re in that part of our life now), my little little and I made a 2 squash lasagna. Zuke and some type of orange flesh. Like a hubbard or kabocha. Layered with mozz, garlic/parm ricotta, and a parm-onion bechamel. It was delicious!
I came home to discover the BF was busy decorating the back patio. And while Nov. 21 is still too early for Christmas lights in my book, it was not too early for a drink in their glow.
Dinner: We both worked on this Tuscan Chicken over polenta. A rich sauce of heavy cream, tomato paste, Parmesan, chicken stock, dry vermouth, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, onion, and garlic. We put the remainder of the sauce in a bowl so we could soak our bread in it.
A lazy, gray, cold(er) day. So comfort food was in order. My mac and ham and cheese fit the bill. And some liquid grapes alongside.
