This is heaven on a plate! That skirt steak is perfectly done, and the taters and beans…yum!
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CCE, after the stellar and considerate job you did on the kebabs, who would rat on you?
CBC Marketplace, a consumer advocate investigative show, ran an episode called Sodium Shock. In it, they showed the extremely high levels in healthy sounding dishes at chain restaurants.
Near the end, CBC spoke with a chef couple who gave some great alternatives to take it down a notch at home.
- Substitute salt with lemons. While sauteeing onions, she added zest.
- Add texture. Toasted seeds or nuts, breadcrumbs, etc to excite your mouth.
- Herbs and spices, especially the spices you blend yourself.
- Pump up the flavour with heat. Chilis and such.
Here’s the episode in case you want to see the report on restaurants.
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Like ‘traveling’ through PBS’ travel programs, I’d say that I can ‘dine’ through your pictorial essays. Yum! If only ‘smell-a-vision’ was available… Thank you for the ‘excursions’!
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Another lovely dining experience for me through the media. I gotta find a ‘smell-a-vision’ app.
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Thank you for the compliment! I try to do the chef justice with my pictures.
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" Shanghai Frozen Dim Sum, 2549 Warden Avenue ( South of Finch ), Scarborough "
’ Northern style shredded turnip and diced preserved salted pork turnover ’
Amazing!! One of the most enjoyable, delightful and tasty frozen Dim Sum creations I have come across in the GTA!! Flaky & crusty shell packed generously with super-delicious, juicy, crunchy, salty and savoury filling! Nothing similar even come close in town!
( BTW, their Shanghai Sheng Jian Bao (生煎包, pan-fried pork buns) are pretty darn good too! IMHO, better than most restaurant products! Smooth, spongy and light, the minced pork filling was nicely seasoned with rice wine. The cocoon oozes with umami rich chicken broth when bitten into! Slow heat and patience will yield a crispy bottom. Yummm! )
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I’m on the Zuppe Toscana train. Made a lightened-up version, still plenty rich and hearty.
My DH had three servings.
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Gingery shrimp and silken tofu over jasmine rice, with braised bok choy with sesame and garlic.
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Nice quiet day. Although Finny was following me upstairs or into the kitchen or bathroom every time I got up. So we had some good cuddly-buddly time together.
We both had duck for dinner as well. 
Although mine took a bit more preparation than his did.
Cross-hatched the skin on a D’Artagnan magret duck breast, seasoned with s/p, and started in a cold stainless steel pan at medium heat until the fat wasrendered and the skin was browned and cooked through, about 8-9 minutes. Turned over for a minute, then into another baking pan into a 350° oven for about 7 more minutes until it reached 120° on the Thermapen. Set it aside to rest.
Poured all but 1 Tbsp of the duck fat out into a small dish, saving it for home fries. Added minced shallots, red grapes and grated fresh ginger root, as called for by Chef Sara Moulton on the D’Artagnan’s website (recipe link below). Didn’t use the vinegar, and used Lingonberry jam in place of the currant jelly, but otherwise the sauce was the same. Sides were steamed asparagus and Israeli couscous with minced onion, dried thyme, and s/p.
There was wine.
Dessert was something posted by a member of a FB food group a few weeks back (she’s also on HO and I’m blanking on her HO handle!) that was intriguing and I figured I’d make a go at it: Wisconsin Blueberry Batter Cake from a lost American recipes site. The cookbook it came from was “Be Milwaukee’s Guest - the Junior League of Milwaukee, 1959”.
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical with pouring a cup of boiling water over the layers as instructed, but it was good! The batter gets a bit crunchy, and it’s not cloying sweet, although it IS sweet. I can see using fresh wild Maine blueberries in season for some added tartness.
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Extremely super duper duck Linda. Fabulous.
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Beef Lo Mein, cooked in a heavy aluminium hard anodized instead of the wok this time (I still tilt the pan toward the burner and readily get the vaporized oils flaming inside the pan - sort of “wok hei”, if you will). Recipe generally followed was Cooking With Lau. Sorry I didn’t think to get photo until we’d already dug in!
I have 2 of these Calphalon hard anodized, heavy aluminum 14 inch skillets. One I’ve been using and has a nice seasoning on, I can skate eggs around it or what not, the other still basically unused. But I also have nicely seasoned CS (Matfer) that I use for steaks (but it has less bottom surface area) and also cast iron (also slightly less bottom surface area). So right now I’m using the HA aluminum when I have to have more bottom space, the CS otherwise.
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Tonight’s dinner was a spring roll bowl. Shrimp, avocado and red pepper strips served over rice noodles. Dressing included rice wine vinegar, fish sauce garlic, jalapeno and lime juice.
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We enjoyed another outstanding dinner at Bistro D’Azur in South Orange, NJ, including ribeye steak; whole black bass with tahini sauce; perfectly poached lobster crepe; jambon salad with roasted figs and goat cheese; Spanish chips. It all went great with an excellent Malbec and Shiraz.
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Photo taken from completely the wrong angle, but dinner was good.
Prime ribeye on the grill. Potato gratin. Romaine in Caesar dressing. Horseradish sauce.
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One of my favorite shrooms 
Been called out for serving meat to my vegetarian kid with these several times. a favorite, also shiitakes.
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last night at my sister’s we made Chupe de Camarones - an old favorite Peruvian dish we’ve had at many restaurants over the years but never tried making at home. Turned out great. Made with home-made shrimp stock from the shells, evaporated milk, two kinds of Peruvian chili paste (aji panca and aji amarillo), sauteed onions/garlic, peas, potatoes, and corn. Corn isn’t sweet right now, which is like Bolivian corn, so it tasted just right to us. Queso fresco got mixed in and as garnish, and freeze-dried cilantro subbed for fresh. a TON of shrimp, too. Very homey and delicious.
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I could literally eat king oyster and lions mane mushrooms all day, everyday
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