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Post by tod2 on Oct 26, 2010 16:21:46 GMT
It's left-overs at our house too! We call it 'picnic supper' because it consists of a little bit of this and that. Tonight we will have some sliced cold barbeque fillet, a simple salad of lettuce, tomato & onion. A number of pickles are near at hand - pickled onions, gerkins, green mango pickle, and olives. To finish instead of desert is a ripe brie cheese with mixed fruit chutney. And of course - a baguette! Not the real deal that you can buy in Paris, but it will have to do.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2010 20:13:51 GMT
I was inspired the other day when I went to Carrefour and bought a few of their microwaveable dishes. I almost never do that, but it was great to have a gratin dauphinois to heat up in 5 minutes after coming back from the clinic tonight. I just don't feel like cooking at the moment. I don't feel like doing much of anything. But I still get hungry.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2010 20:15:41 GMT
Here's what a real one would have looked like...
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 26, 2010 23:49:33 GMT
I know the phrase "comfort food" has been overused, but a gratin dauphinois seems exactly what you need right now, Kerouac.
My meal was an elegant repast of cheap baloney on not terribly stale commercial whole-wheat bread. One slice was slathered with yellow mustard mixed with salsa macha, then tiled with sliced white onions before the baloney was laid on. Sliced gouda went atop the meat, then was finished off with another slice of bread spread with chipotle mayonnaise. Pretty good, although I need some of Tod's pickles. And I always need brie!
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Post by lagatta on Oct 27, 2010 2:34:06 GMT
Real gratin dauphinois (similar to scalloped potatoes, but less gloppy) takes relatively little money, but a fair bit of time. Kerouac, some purists would decry such a cheesy version. (not me).
Bixa, you need some of that Argie Malbec with that ... or a good beer. Is there any good beer in México?
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Post by imec on Oct 27, 2010 2:43:46 GMT
Mmmmmmm! Too right lagatta! The Malbecs of Argentina are almost always reliable and usually terrific!
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 27, 2010 4:47:59 GMT
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 27, 2010 9:52:47 GMT
I'm not sure if I posted this before, but i can't find it: Yesterday, October 26, 2010, comida was homemade Italian style fennel sausage with sweet peppers and tomatoes, served over crusty slabs of toasted telera bread. Also 2-bean salad, that is, leftover green beans mixed with white bean salad. I'd made some Pan de Muertos and we sampled it much later on. The "bones" needed better shaping, but other than that, it was quite successful. EDIT/UPDATE: I made more Pan de Muertos yesterday October 30, 2010, and they appears to be much better. I still need more practice shaping the "bones". There will be three new photos, starting here: lh3.ggpht.com/_Dp8GJpYQxRg/TM09hr0L_yI/AAAAAAAAlT0/N9woH-pukRk/s912/IMG_9265.JPG(I'm having a hard time this morning posting photos and links exactly as I want them. I think I'm just tired. So, I'll leave it at that for now.)
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Post by tod2 on Oct 27, 2010 15:21:54 GMT
Don, I love the way you shaped those little turtles on top of the Pan de Muertos! How clever
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 27, 2010 16:24:56 GMT
That looks so good.
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Post by onlymark on Oct 27, 2010 17:38:44 GMT
Tonight was mashed potato, baked beans and fish fingers.
Admit it, you're jealous.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 27, 2010 18:29:20 GMT
And what did the adults eat, Mark? You made your own pan de muertos, DonC?! Yum. I'll bet they were better than anything available commercially. Can you get the faces for the bread where you are?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2010 18:42:11 GMT
Looks like too much salt on them for me.
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Post by onlymark on Oct 27, 2010 18:59:02 GMT
Bixa, it depends if you class me as an adult.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 27, 2010 19:14:42 GMT
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 27, 2010 21:43:18 GMT
Don, I love the way you shaped those little turtles on top of the Pan de Muertos! How clever Thanks, Tod2, but they're not supposed to be turtles. They represent a cross bones on a skull. I need practice shaping such stuff. K2, that's sugar, not salt! Bixa, never seen those amazing faces around here. I can imagine making a collection of them. EDIT: October 28, 2010 3:26 AM
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 28, 2010 4:45:00 GMT
Bixa, it depends if you class me as an adult. You have your moments, Mark! ;D Don Cuevas, you missed the dumb comment misconception about the "salt" on the bread. Beautiful food, Tod. Is the curry one of your own recipes? I unpacked another carload in the dark, then walked my grubby self up the road in my new neighborhood for some tasajo tacos. It's a nice little night-time eatery, extremely clean and the tacos are good.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2010 5:01:51 GMT
Now that's a curry I could have put to good use last night, tod!
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Post by tod2 on Oct 28, 2010 8:30:18 GMT
Yes, you would have liked it for sure Kerouac, because when I make any curry I use the same curry powder called "Mother-in-Laws Tongue" which describes the heat that radiates from it Bixa - I add whatever I have on hand in the way of spices. This time some cardamom pods crushed, jeera, bay leaves, curry leaves, turmeric powder, and some crushed garlic(actually a lot!) and some tablespoons of store bought tomato chutney - this gives a sweeter tomato to the mix. I only use chicken thighs and XXL raw peeled prawns. I was going to make a Thai green curry because it is perfect for chicken & prawns but discovered I had no coconut milk
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Post by tod2 on Oct 29, 2010 9:24:28 GMT
Last night we had a guest to dinner. He is going through a bad patch as he is at the bedside daily/nightly of his ex-wife. She has pancreatic cancer. He took a break to come and enjoy my style of Steak & kidney casserole with parsley dumplings. Accompanied by garlic green beans, gems, peas & cabbage. For desert I made the same thing I gave him last time as he loved it - flambe` bananas in Frangelica liqeur with vanilla icecream. When he left I gave him the other half of the Zucchini loaf I made earlier. He was on night duty.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 30, 2010 2:55:47 GMT
Parsley dumplings?! *pricks up ears* I would so much like to know how to make those, please.
That was a wonderful mini-vacation you gave your friend -- super menu!
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 30, 2010 9:30:50 GMT
Yesterday, I joined friends in Pátzcuaro Centro at Foda Mamá Lupe's. It's a sweet little, family operated restaurant, serving a relatively expensive comida corrida. ($50 pesos, or USD$4.05, Euro 2.91). However, it's a very complete meal, and the quality is higher than average. THere are many choices, althought meals always begin with a small salad. this time, it was Ensalada de Nopalitos. picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vv5eWVuGnzMA915yubh6jg?feat=directlinkThere were two wet soups of the day: Sopa de Verduras and Sopa Tarasca. We all chose the Sopa Tarasca, and it was served without florishes, but it was one of the better examples I've had of this often abused soup. picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t96NSjKYnCZh79_re_Lw1A?feat=directlinkThere were two many main course choices to post here, but we decided on Chile Relleno de Queso... picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PGDmisUcKxb42Q_I-7YZUw?feat=directlink, Puerco con Rajas... picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q4NpZvau8sxEaS69b_hXyQ?feat=directlink, Carne de Res en Salsa Negra (beef in dark chile sauce)... picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4yQENF4bCyAPLyIZKsdMjA?feat=directlink, and our vegetarian friend was pleased with a modified Enchiladas Suizas made with potato, instead of chicken... picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AAEt1N0fYsX0H-YEhtsquQ?feat=directlinkAll came with so-so, tepid frijoles and better than average rice, accompanied by a medium pitcher of pleasant Agua Fresca de Piña (Pineapple drink). Dessert was a small slice of bakery cake, but I skipped that. It's remarkable to me that the kitchen is located upstairs, overlooking the dining room. All food orders must be carried down these stairs. picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xL6Wx4TFu780FdIICDOlhw?feat=directlink
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Post by tod2 on Oct 30, 2010 11:29:21 GMT
Bixa - Will post the recipe in The Galley for you!
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 30, 2010 11:55:29 GMT
Thank you, Tod! I just had a look at it. What a great, flexible dumpling that is. It's been added to the Recipe Index under "Breads", which is now called "Breads and Dumplings". ;D
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Post by lagatta on Oct 30, 2010 13:54:51 GMT
Tod, that looks lovely, and how kind of you to give some respite to your friend. I'm being taken out for a modest supper (probably squid) after enduring a friend's rather maniacal and obsessive instructions about how to care for her cat and her home as she heads of to Cuba, just in time - there will be a bit of f-ing SNOW tonight (I hate snow and cold).
Thanks for reminding me about parsley as I'm planning to make a Portuguese cod, potato and onion stew - it is really comfort food, but can be dull if it doesn't have the parsley, good olive oil, some garlic...
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Post by tod2 on Oct 30, 2010 15:20:04 GMT
Lagatta - Would you believe I actually looked at some Portugese Salt Cod today whilst I was shopping! I think it was a bit old as the supermarket has changed hands from Portugese owners to locals - there was always an abundance of those little custard tarts (forget the name) but now only a few on the cake counter. Is it also salt cod you use?
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Post by tod2 on Oct 30, 2010 15:27:20 GMT
Don - That looks a delightful restaurant you went to - but those steps........the waitresses must have thighs to kickstart a Boeing ;D I bet tight buns too The food looks a little like our Indian cuisine - what is that white stuff that is squeezed in a zig-zag pattern on a lot of the food?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2010 17:56:50 GMT
I have not yet dared try to use dried salt cod, but I am itching to do so. I confess that it is a more expensive item than I would expect. Perhaps because of the rarification of cod?
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 30, 2010 19:02:03 GMT
I don't know about where you live, Kerouac, but here the trick is to wait until after Christmas to buy salt cod.
Bacalao is a traditional Christmastime food here in Mexico for those aware of & proud of their Spanish heritage. Christmastime brings out the turrón, too, which will also plummet in price after the holidays.
I don't know why it's so horribly expensive. It certainly doesn't swell up a bunch after soaking.
Try a plain recipe with cod and potatoes or rice. Your imagination will bloom!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2010 22:11:03 GMT
Tonight, I tried once again to improvise a favorite recipe from my grandmother. I know that first you have to marinate cubed meat in white wine. I am almost sure that it is supposed to be a mixture of pork and veal, but all I had was pork. I used both ordinary pork and some thinly sliced country bacon. I was certain that the main spices were cloves, bay leaves and garlic, but I had to invent the rest: coarse salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, lime juice... I'm sure that I have forgotten some items. I put it all in a bowl last night and let it soak with a complete bottle of white wine for almost 24 hours. The aroma is divine to me, but I can understand that some people would find it disgusting ("what is that foul odor of fermentation?"). I bought a ready made pie crust to use as the base. They sell that in every supermarket here, because people are lazy. I lined my baking dish with 'sulferized paper' for baking, because I did not want it to stick. Then I put down my lining of pie crust, trimmed to fit. Meanwhile, I added chopped celery, chives and parsley to my marinading mix and stirred it all together. I scooped the stuff into the baking dish -- mostly solid ingredients and not much wine juice for a start. I tamped it all down and then I spooned in some wine marinade to make sure it would not be dry. Unfortunately, there was not enough pie crust left to completely cover the dish, but I stretched it and managed to cover about 90% of the surface. Then I put it in the oven for two hours at a relatively moderate temperature. I saw that the top was browning pretty quickly anyway, so I covered it with some aluminum foil for protection. So, what happened? My grandmother would probably be mortified by how it looked, but I felt that the taste was excellent and close to authentic. But there was definitely not enough "crust," the taste of which is very important to the dish. I'll try to rectify my mistakes next time. (I have never managed to find a recipe for this dish on the internet.) I ate it with a mâche salad with shallots, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. If there had been enough crust, it normally should have been possible to take out a properly "encrusted" serving.
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