What's For Dinner #77 - the "Let's Start Anew" Edition - January 2022

Yowza!! that is quite the showing! You’re prepared for anything!

and re dust - as long as you didn’t mind mine! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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Agree with @gcaggiano, and @BeefeaterRocks about the gins, but will add that Tanqueray never disappoints, (me) anyway. Also, maybe a year or so ago, the subject of New Amsterdam Stratosphere Gin came up, and I think both Gregg and @mariacarmen recommended it, especially at it’s price point. I did pick up a bottle a few months back and I was actually amazed how acceptable it was. Gordon’s works in a pinch too. Hendricks I like but think it needs a little more juniper, could be something else.

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How could I forget Tanqueray? Of course, that’s up there in my rotation as well.

And you are correct about New Amsterdam Stratosphere Gin. It’s no London Dry and quite citrusy, but for $11 a bottle it’s not bad if you can find a cocktail for it.

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Me three!

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Finally made the rest of my Indian dinner, to go with the sarson ka saag paneer @small_h turned me on to. To go with, today I made butter chicken, coconut red dal with spinach, roasted spiced cauli, raita, cilantro chutney, and basmati. Had to veto the BF making his wonderful puris, it was just going to be too much food. The chicken and the dal were both made in the IP, but just about everything had spices that had to be toasted/ground up, and a ton of ginger mincing/grating happened too. My friend’s mom had gifted me the spiced groundnuts a couple of years ago (they were in the freezer) so I got to use those too. The dal turned too mushy in the instant pot, but other than that, I was really pleased all of it. Ghee in the basmati was fab! Leftovers for the week and beyond.

@small_h - the saag paneer was phenomenal! still my favorite dish!

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Wow, looks like a feast!

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i don’t think it was me, i’ve never tried Amsterdam. Will have to look for it.

Tanqueray was my go-to for about 15 years - i, too, was addicted to the juniper! until i discovered the Hendricks series. Followed shortly by St. George Botanivore, and i’ve been trying all different kinds since. I really love Bluecoat but haven’t found it near me lately.

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The Gray Whale has a citrusy/briny thing going on, which I love. very fresh tasting. and yes, it goes well in both those applications.

I love Tanqueray and have been buying their Sevilla gin during the pandemic. I love Bluecoat but can’t get a hold of it anymore!

too bad about the Stonecutter! I recently bought a vermouth - Drink Me 93 - that I ended up hating - first time that’s happened! it’s made with rhubarb but tastes cherry cough syrupy to me. i can’t bring myself to pour it out, though…

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Why not. I’ll try again to cook fried chicken. I have messed this dish up so many times . Lol.
I tossed all recipes. Dry brined the chicken legs with salt and pepper. Looked in the cupboard. Why not toss in t)hese dried ingredients. Mixed with flour . Matzo meal. And looked over at the bag of cheese flavored sun chips. It went Into the breading after crushing.
Fantastic with leftover beans . And sauteed yellow squash. Mae Ploy for dipping. Cheers . Was it good .Yes . Tonight l will be on Amazon looking for one of those small counter top grease fryers. I might use it 4 times a year. I have a lot of tools I use which are the same.

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Biryani with lamb (marinated overnight in yoghurt and several spices) and okra with tomatoes (recipe from Indian muslims in Uganda)

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Pork crépinette from a local butcher shop, flageolet beans from freezer, and broccolini.

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I don’t know about the Stratosphere but New Amsterdam gin is one of the worst I have ever tasted. I am pretty sure I poured it down the drain. I also drank a lot of Tanqueray back in my three martini lunch days.

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Tonight was my turn to play around with dough. I am NOT a dough guy. Never have been. But I wanted to make vegetable samosas from scratch. Right on cue, had difficulty shaping the dough which is why they do not look like samosas :laughing:. But the interior? Damn, it was spot on. Much to BF’s chagrin, I also chose to bake rather than deep fry. While I do not regret that decision, these would have been incredible fried. Overall, a solid B+.

Main course was coconut curry shrimp over Basmati.

Johnnie Walker Red photo bomb in corner of pic.

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WOW! My bar looks a lot like yours. We inherited it from Mr Bean’s uncle many years ago. It was painted turquoise at the time but we decided to bring it back to its natural woods.

We also have the liquor cabinet. It came from Mr Bean’s grandmother.

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Jumping in to recommend the Botanist gin, if I haven’t previously done so. It is extremely smooth and subtle - my absolute favorite in a gin and soda or a dry martini - any cocktail where you really taste the gin. For G&T or any other cocktail involving an assertive mixer/other ingredient, I prefer Bombay Sapphire. It’s half the price of the Botanist and stands up better among strong flavors.

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Very nice!

Gin and tonic is my go-to warm weather drink…I alternate between Hendricks with cucumber spears and Tanqueray Rangpur with….with… lime slices. Lol

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Thanks! We have a few other bottles scattered around the house and the garage. You get a peek of the wine rack in the first picture. None of those are picture worthy though.

The ouzos are a late Xmas present for a friend.

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“A little lasagna” which now concludes the Sunday gravy I made on Friday for the snow storm !! Since I finished my Sunday gravy by Monday it really feels like Thursday for me and I’m going to Florida on Friday!!! Wooooohoooooooo

But sadly it’s still just Monday and not Thursday so let me just put on 90 Day Fiancé (@gcaggiano thanks for the suggestion Greg!!!) and call it a night. Peace!

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When you’re in Florida, watch out for frozen iguanas falling from the palm trees!

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