|
Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 17, 2010 12:58:29 GMT
Today we'll have 2 guests at comida. We'll begin with some antipasti, perhaps some hardcoked eggs with tapenade (bottled); then a white bean salad with smoked tuna. (I'm having a hard time settling down on the role of the smoked tuna.); some mixed greens salad, etc.
Then, spaghetti and homemade meatballs (already made, and thawed from our chest freezer.), a no-knead bread, now baking.
Dessert will be some mixed berries (have been previously frozen), honey and optional yoghurt. Our guests are semi-lactose intoerant.
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 18, 2010 11:05:29 GMT
I decided to skip the hardcooked eggs, as there were too many antipasti. The smoked tuna was prepared as a Salpicón, from a recipe given to me by Nora Cris DeCecco, author of the blog, ¿Gusta Usted? Details later. gustausted.blogspot.com/ We had the smple and delicious White Bean Salad, from the Vegetarian Epicure, Book 2. A large mixed salad of letttuces, tomato and sweet red pepper was light and refreshing. We had long toasted slices of a rustic no knead bread. The main course, spaghetti and meatballs, was almost superfluous, but it was good. Dessert were the aforementioned three berry mix, from Costco, topped with whipped tofu cream, in deference to our semi-lactose intolerant guests. details later, on mexkitchen.blogspot.com/
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2010 12:08:20 GMT
Last night for dinner we had Gumbo Z'Herbes,which is a classic gumbo incorporating several different types of "greens",mustard,collard and the like. It is usually a meatless gumbo that's served up during Lent. This version did have sausage in it so, I don't know if that would categorize it as a classic Gumbo Z'Herbes. It was delicious nonetheless. Served over rice of course,and accompanied by a salad and French bread slathered in butter.
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Oct 18, 2010 15:18:03 GMT
casimira - Does the herb mix File` Gumbo ever expire? Mine looks the same as the day I bought it at Grandad's General Store in New Orleans, 1981.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2010 16:30:03 GMT
casimira - Does the herb mix File` Gumbo ever expire? Mine looks the same as the day I bought it at Grandad's General Store in New Orleans, 1981. File powder is made from dried and ground sassafras leaves. As with any dried herb, it's shelf life after exposure to light and heat compromises the taste. I buy mine fresh from the Farmer's Market here. 1981...? I would not expect for it to be any good anymore.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2010 18:22:22 GMT
I think my filé must be just about as old as tod's! But I have always been told that it is used more for the texture that it gives to the gumbo rather than the actual taste.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2010 18:32:47 GMT
Tonight I was clueless as usual about what to eat for dinner. I didn't want to eat the leftover stuffed tomatoes yet, so I took inventory of what was on hand and decided on a totally improvised salad with fried prawns. For the salad part, I grabbed some Belgian endive, radishes, chives, mint leaves, cilantro. As for the prawns, I just dipped them in a beaten egg and rolled them in flour, corn starch, Cayenne pepper, salt, turmeric and sesame seeds before frying them. Oh, and I added a sliced kiwi as a private joke. It was quite tasty, actually.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2010 21:44:27 GMT
I think my filé must be just about as old as tod's! But I have always been told that it is used more for the texture that it gives to the gumbo rather than the actual taste. File powder is used as a thickening agent yes,(and, should never be allowed to cook,it's added at the end of the cooking process,otherwise, it gets stringy,yucky)),but,it also has a distinctive woodsy like taste,and a hint of root beer flavor,(the sarsaparilla like taste derived from the sassafras). I don't know that I would even keep flour or corn starch from 1981 in my pantry and still use it,but,here,the moisture and bugs takes care of that problem anyway...)
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Oct 19, 2010 7:36:45 GMT
Thanks for that answer - maybe it is still OK because it has lived in a cool dark grocery cupboard - and totally sealed. I guess the only way to find out is to use some! Casimira, I have to keep all flours, pastas, couscous, etc., in my refrigerator. Leaving them in the cupboard for any length of time only surprises me with weavels when I take it out to use I guess it has everything to do with the hot climate ? I often wonder where the little weavels come from??
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 19, 2010 9:37:26 GMT
Often the weevil eggs are in the product when you buy it. I almost always put my newly purchased grains and cereals in a double heavy plastic bag and freeze it for 36 hours. (Easier now with our large capacity chest freezer.) This kills the eggs so the weevils don't appear. Of course, you are still eating them in egg form, but they don't crawl or wiggle.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2010 16:18:27 GMT
I do really try and put these things in the freezer,but,don't have a particularly large freezer,so many items do end up succumbing to the elements of pestilence that my environs provide them.
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Oct 19, 2010 16:54:45 GMT
Putting them in the freezer.......well that makes sense! If parents should put their off-springs smelly footwear in the freezer to kill the 'smelly germ' it makes sense it would kill weavils too ;D
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Oct 19, 2010 16:56:07 GMT
And one more thing - Kerouac your prawns look 'to die for'! I bet they were scrumptious
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2010 18:11:48 GMT
My husband is making a pot of vegetable beef soup. It's not really quite chilly outside for hot soup,but,I won't turn my nose up at it either. He uses every conceivable fresh vegetable that's in season at the moment,turnips,potatoes,carrots,cabbage,mustard and collard greens,onions...with big chunks of beef.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2010 22:24:17 GMT
Leftovers. Round something-or-others with meat inside in the microwave.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Oct 20, 2010 2:10:07 GMT
Okay, those prawns look perfect! Kerouac, what proportion of flour/cornstarch do you use to get that ideal Chinese restaurant finish?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2010 4:56:36 GMT
It was about half and half.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Oct 20, 2010 5:08:44 GMT
Thanks. You really got them nice & golden.
My supper was some just-okay tamales. I had been running around all day & never ate anything. When I was leaving downtown I passed a woman selling a kind of tamales I like, which turned out to be skimpy on filling. That's okay, because I was hungry when I saw her, I bought three, so Ginger & I both enjoyed them.
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 20, 2010 10:33:49 GMT
Yesterday afternoon: Tues., Sept 19: Leftover spaghetti heated in a bit of olive oil in a skillet, covered with leftover tomato sauce, meatball remnants, and topped with mozz cheese at the end. Also a red cabbage salad with various other raw vegs, in a sweet-sour dressing.
|
|
|
Post by mickthecactus on Oct 20, 2010 12:11:57 GMT
Yesterday afternoon: Tues., Sept 19: Leftover spaghetti heated in a bit of olive oil in a skillet, covered with leftover tomato sauce, meatball remnants, and topped with mozz cheese at the end. Also a red cabbage salad with various other raw vegs, in a sweet-sour dressing. I did something like that for my grandsons last night (not the salad though - not sure if they would have eaten it).
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 21, 2010 8:50:06 GMT
Yesterday, October 20 (yes, I should have written October in my previous reply): No dinner, except a couple of tostadas de maíz topped with salpicón de atún ahumado. Reheated apple pan dowdy for dessert.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2010 11:25:46 GMT
I'm stumped for tonight. Maybe I'll go get something at the Chinese deli across the street. I only go there perhaps once a year, but some of the stuff they have is not bad.
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on Oct 21, 2010 16:56:27 GMT
It can start a quandary Kerouac. Last night we enjoyed a night out for dinner. I started with a garden salad covered in grated cheese, my husband had Cesar salad and we both enjoyed together warm bread and butter. I felt like some pasta, so ordered the Chicken Tettrazini Linguine. Mr. Mich had back ribs and fries. We then shared a delicious dessert I can only explain as someone squeezing donut batter out of a cake icing dispenser into a deep fryer, plating it on top of half a plate of strawberry puree and the other warm caramel, topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and whip cream. Mmmmm. Not how can "I" compete with that, I have NO idea what to make for our meal tonight. It will probably be grilled cheese sandwiches and soup.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2010 17:13:37 GMT
Actually, I have a package of fried Vietnamese spring rolls in the refrigerator, so I think that's what it's going to be. I'll eat them with Belgium endive and mint (because I don't have normal lettuce to fold around them).
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Oct 22, 2010 4:44:27 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 22, 2010 9:18:37 GMT
Last night, a cruchy peanut butter, tomato and onion sandwich on cheddar black pepper bread. Lunch was misc leftovers.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2010 19:47:41 GMT
I had a wonderful shrimp boil tonight, even though I discovered that I was out of the magic potion from New Orleans (Zatarain's). So I bravely put Old Bay spice in the water, curry leaves, Cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, Thai crab paste, Chinese ginger-garlic sauce, cloves, and god knows what all.
My dipping sauce was simpler: French chili ketchup mixed with Tabasco and ginger-garlic sauce (already used above).
Anyway, it was all really excellent and I am happy to have a second bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer already.
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on Oct 23, 2010 19:55:48 GMT
Tonight I am making a roast of beef, parsnips, parmasean noodles, garden salad and apple crumble pie. Hmmm, cannot wait for Mark to come home from work!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2010 20:44:31 GMT
Tod2, it's amazing how similar your pictures are to the ones that I often take -- including the items depicted. I think we even have the same Tupperware and dishes.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Oct 23, 2010 22:10:44 GMT
I think you mean Corning ware, not Tupperware. ;D
I am looking in this thread like a Victorian orphan into a bakery window. I've disconnected my stove and am reduced to eating sub-standard cold cuts.
|
|