What's for Dinner #68 - the Spring has Sprung Edition - April 2021

I can’t express how sad those make me. And I’m relieved that I’m not the only one. But I’m glad that you had a nice meal out.

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I know, I hate them too, the to go box was styrofoam as well @digga, although we do have a robust recycling program. Most places do use greener containers, this place is a throwback to an earlier era for sure. But I do hope they get on board soon.

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Looks like a scrumptious birthday! Happy happy!

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It wasn’t an indictment about that restaurant in particular. In the stoopid pandemic era, all the restaurants/pubs we’ve eaten at in-person (outdoors) or gotten take out from have used those little plastic containers to cut down on contact. It’s been a bummer for me, personally-speaking.

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Yes, I get you, and have noticed the same. I’ve heard also that currently we have as a country, a glut of plastic for recycling that we can’t off load to other countries. So, it seems we should precycle, and just use reusable. But, getting OT here. Fingers crossed for better practices in restaurants.

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Happy happy!

And thanks for shepherding cuisine of the quarter!

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That’s something restaurant depot is good for on a residential level. Something you really like that will freeze well for future use.

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@naf what do you serve it with? Syrup? Jam? Something else?

My mom made it with sugar sprinkled on in the pan, which resulted in a caramelized crust, so no need for syrup - plus custardy and crunchy at the same time. I love it that way, so I never order this dish outside.

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BF made a gigantor meatloaf, with ground beef and Italian sausage, glazed with hoisin/ketchup/Worcestershire. Really moist, loved the texture. Mashed potatoes with TPSTOB and a few sliced mushrooms, and carrots sauteed with dried basil and tarragon. I’m seeing a meatloaf sandwich in my near future…

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Quick curry-rice for dinner tonight

We ate prawn curry a while back, and I froze the extra curry.

Made a few quick additions and adjustments to that to increase quantity, simmered to meld flavors, then added mahi mahi that had been marinated with spices.

Same curry base with mixed vegetables for the vegetarian.

Also sautéed spinach on the side for some green for the fish eaters.

When I was growing up, curry-rice would have been the whole meal, because nutrition was balanced over the day rather than in every single meal. My mom gets annoyed when I insist on ”balancing” meals like this, because, honestly, it really doesn’t “go” together. She’s the healthiest and most balanced eater I’ll ever know, so I don’t blame her either. Maybe I shoulda done a salad before. Oh well.

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I finally watered some of the surviving plants today - the most snow peas I’ve had so far, and and some persian/mexican limes. Snow pea and arugula salad this weekend!


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Kabocha simmered in dashi, penne with shrimp in tomato sauce. Sometimes my courses wander from region to region.

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White asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

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I love meatloaf . Been thinking about wfd . In the very near future.

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With so many notable as well as Michelin Starred Restaurants closed and / or just doing deliveries in Italy,
France and parts of Spain; luxury prima materia (products) and eel is not as common as it was prior to Covid.

We have a friend in the business, and whenever he is able to source eel, he contacts us.

I love !! It is a marvel.

I enjoy it as Japanese Nigriri the most.

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Like your mom, I usually add honey or maple syrup on the bread or brioche when heating up with butter in the pan. Since it is already caramelized and sweet, I rarely add jam or syrup after the cooking. It’s also very good to serve with fruits or with ice cream.

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While it’s Spring, didn’t feel much like it in New England. So I stuck with comfort food. The 1/2 turkey breast from Thanksgiving had me thinking of the lamb pot pie I made a little while ago. So a reprise…

Some turkey breast from Thanksgiving was defrosted and chopped up and added to sauteed onions, garlic, frozen peas and corn, steamed potatoes and carrots, and some roast chicken gravy “thinned” with heavy cream. S/P and dried thyme added to the mixture before covering with a Pillsbury pie crust and baked for 30 minutes.

It was very good, but it didn’t hold a candle to the Shepherdish lamb pot pie previously made.

There was wine. Like, duh. :wink:

And an Alfie contemplation pic from this morning. Because he’s just too damn cute when he does this.

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Your pie looks great @LindaWhit, but yes, hard to beat the flavor punch of lamb IMO. Looks like you did a great job of rolling the crust into a rectangle!
Great product, the Pillsbury crusts. Happy weekend!

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Ohhh, you’re giving me WAY too much credit, @Lambchop! I just pinched the round crust around the rectangle pan and cut off the rest. LOL

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Hard to tell from the photo - looked like the pan was bigger! So probably a toaster oven sized pan more or less? In any case, it looks so good, and I’m hungry. But it’s wine time for me…

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Yeah, it was actually a foil pan I had purchased a batch of awhile ago for Mom meals (or better yet, sister/BIL meals as they would have been too large for Mom).

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