What's For Dinner #86 - the Apples, & Cider, & DONUTS, Oh MY! Edition - October 2022

It’s one of the first things I learned how to make; it was a recipe on the back of whatever chile oil my mom used to buy when I was young. Peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile oil, and enough hot water (I used the pasta cooking water) to bring it all together. Lots of childhood comfort food vibes off this for me!

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Another autumn meal, patterned after a recipe in Nigel Slater’s cookbook “EAT”:

A small center cut pork loin seasoned with olive oil and Vermont Trade Winds’ “Vermont Maple Rub” (lots of pepper in this blend; I love it!) with rough-cut apples, onions, and red and orange bell peppers in the roasting pan, tossed with olive oil. Trader Joe’s Robust Dark maple syrup drizzled over all halfway through, with a bit of white wine added to the pan as the syrup began to caramelize for a “sauce”.

Orzo cooked in pork stock and water, and roasted Brussels sprouts tossed with olive oil, s/p, and drizzled with a balsamic glaze near the end.

Wine.

And more of last night’s gingerbread cake for dessert.

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Quickie tonight: American goulash (Italian sausage-beef ragu from the freezer) and buttered broccoli.

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Pizza night!

Pepperoni and black olive pan-pizza, with plenty extra for leftovers. On the side: cucumbers, shallots and scallions marinated in vinaigrette.

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Paccheri ai ragú di agnello. I had a late epiphany of adding a dash of 5 spice – I was looking for cinnamon, but this caught my eye sooner, and a tiny shake of nutmeg. Perfect flavors for a chilly October eve :blush:

I realize pecorino would’ve been a better fit, but I didn’t think ahead, and so parm had to suffice.

2 helpings and one extra pacchero & sawce :pig_nose: :pig_nose: :pig_nose:

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We enjoyed a feast at our favorite Sichuan restaurant. We enjoyed a new dish of hot and spicy blue crab, as well as our favorites of hot and spicy lobster and jumbo prawns, eggplant with garlic sauce, cumin lamb, three pepper chicken, ants climbing a tree and spicy baby wontons with chili oil. There were enough leftovers for 2 more dinners.











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That looks really delicious!!! :yum:

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Bellissima

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Ropa Vieja - with flank steak cooked in the pressure cooker with onions, garlic, green and red peppers, oregano, cumin, olives and vinegar. Served over rice

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Rinse the brown rice if necessary. Pour it into a pot of salted, boiling water. Let it boil, slowly, for 30 minutes. Drain the rice, put it back into the pot, cover, and let it stand, off the flame, for 10 minutes.

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Thank you - it was! :yum:

I need to try the pasta method - I generally use the simmer/absorb method and I never, ever get it right with brown rice. Will make some fresh rice for leftovers and report back! :slight_smile:

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Dinner last night (Saturday) - beef filet, tiny lobster tail, garden beans and yellow squash. Lemon and melted butter on the side. Filet was cooked to a perfect rare, with warm center. Sorry, but no money shot, unfortunately.

ETA: thin pan sauce for the filet, minced shallots, BTB - beef flavor, homegrown tarragon, rosemary and garlic, Barolo wine, butter. Delicious, tasted like a spa version of a Bernaise sauce. Lol

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It seemed the weather played a part in a lot of meals tonight. Same for us.

We FINALLY had Sunday Sauce on a SUNDAY. And what a perfect day for it being cold, rainy, and nasty out. BF did most of it as usual, per his published recipe in one of the local magazines. I only contributed the brascioles and garlic bread and stayed the hell out of the way. Amazing as always. Leftovers for days. Half of the meatballs and three of the four brascioles practically disintegrated. This leftover sauce is gonna be out of this world.

There were also prosciutto wrapped breadsticks, semolina bread (yes, garlic bread AND plain bread), and various dips.

I had literally a sip’s worth of wine poured into a fancy glass to have while cooking. A rather boring Sangiovese I haphazardly picked up for the meal because it was eye-talian. I’m not a wine guy. Terrible credit to my nationality. Thankfully between him and my mom who joined us, they drank most of it. I had a Bombay martini.

Dessert was a biscotti (or “bish-cawt”) from Costco, meaning there’s like 40 more in the box.

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Wow. Have not seen those before thought those got tossed back in.

Still looks delish

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Nice! I’d love a link if you have one!

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Everything looks fantastic, but you reminded me that it has been far too long since I ate the delicious mess that is Ants Climbing a Tree!

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Thanks! It was all tasty, but yes the lobster tail was small and provided just a few bites - enough to assuage my craving until the Costco seafood road show comes to a store near me! The little tails were on sale over the 4th or Labor Day, IIRC. We don’t live in lobster territory, sadly, so have to make do. Surf and turf, retro and OG, but so good.

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Drool worthy!

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