What are you eating?

[jlaurson]

well..here are some examples from over the years: 1 2 3
I keep thinking I'm getting better at pizza, but the holy grail of crispy/chewy is still elusive.

That grail is elusive, indeed. I tried to learn it from my boss when I was working at an Italian Restaurant in D.C. -- but the results were too pitiful for him to let me continue.  

Although... no self-respecting pizza outside of New York (the only place that can pull it off) would have "pepperoni" on it. The ideal result will smell a little like strawberries. It's the mixture of fresh parmigiano and fresh tomato sauce. Made the mistake of ordering Pizza from an otherwise lovely Greek place (mustn't think of American Greek restaurants... there are two types here: glorified Gyros/Kebab stands and decent-enough Mediterranean places that are Greek because they have Tsatsiki and more fish than usual on the menu.... This is the latter type). Dreadful, sad, nasty. Canned-everything... premade, frozen dough... grease swimming about from the dried pseudo-Mozarella... something that would have made any Papa Johns or Dominos Pizza taste gourmet. Sorry sod asked me whether I liked it, too... So I tried to be diplomatic while still conveying the message. "Not really..." [Look of surprise] "...perhaps Pizza is not the thing to get here... you must know.... but I'm sure there are other things you make well, which I'll have to try next time."

No way they don't know themselves that their pizza is an gustatory offense to all but the hungriest among the vulgarians.

[toledobass]

Here's the bread I ended up baking..it just came out of the oven.  I forgot to slash the top.

[Brünnhilde ewig]

Smells beautifully! Question: What does it look inside? Is this a white bread, same dough as the pizza? Or did you construct one with cracked wheat, sunflower seeds, caraway seeds and other such good stuff?

No, I did not bake this one, but your artwork reminded me of the bread I buy at a local bakery; it does have all those nibbly things in it.

Advantage of round loafs: More than two delicious heels! 

[toledobass]

Popovers!!!!!!

[Mozart]

Anyone here ever make falafel?

[ChamberNut]

Sushi

Scallop, salmon and tuna Bakudan

YUM! 

[toledobass]

I'm making 2 things that really don't go together but I'm in the mood for anyway.  First, since it's reainy cold and damp here is balulo.  It's a beef and bone marrow soup from the Philippines.  It's a simple unadorned broth that many different things in the way of vegetables can be added.  I'll add spinach, thinly sliced onion and maybe some carrot.  Also sometimes accompanying the soup is what is called a sawsawan.  These are typically dipping sauces.  Also, you make these to your liking.  I like a combination of fish sauce, lime and chile for this soup. For eggrolls or pork and rice I might make one of filipino vinegar, chile and soy. 

The other thing I'm making is bread pudding with bannana.  I threw some lemon zest in there too.  The boule I made was starting to dry out so I made up some custard threw in some bannana between layers of bread and voila.....easy desert in a few minutes!!!!


Allan

[Brünnhilde ewig]

Truly Northwest Basic Dinner:

Pan-fried Koho Salmon, Quincy mashed potatoes, and Quincy asparagus with a big dollop of Tillamook sour cream.

Quincy is a farming community 20 miles south of here and Tillamook is a bit further south in northern Oregon.

Quincy does have more than spuds and asparagus: Microsoft and Yahoo data centers!

[SonicMan46]

Truly Northwest Basic Dinner:

Pan-fried Koho Salmon, Quincy mashed potatoes, and Quincy asparagus with a big dollop of Tillamook sour cream.

Quincy is a farming community 20 miles south of here and Tillamook is a bit further south in northern Oregon.

Quincy does have more than spuds and asparagus: Microsoft and Yahoo data centers!

Truly Northwest Basic Dinner:

Pan-fried Koho Salmon, Quincy mashed potatoes, and Quincy asparagus with a big dollop of Tillamook sour cream.

Quincy is a farming community 20 miles south of here and Tillamook is a bit further south in northern Oregon.

Quincy does have more than spuds and asparagus: Microsoft and Yahoo data centers!

Lis - that dish looks just delicious! Of course, an Oregon Pinot Noir would be perfect (at least for me) as a wine choice! 

Tonight, Susan ran her car into a tree in a parking spot - she's fine, but we'll have to get some 'body work' done to the front left - just an inconvenience, so she put together a 'purchased' boxed dinner w/ some thin-baked potatoes & veggies.

This was a pre-packaged dinner of New Zealand Lamb Shanks from Cuisine Solutions purchased locally - the meat was absolutely delicious & tender - would have been quite pleased if served in a gourmet restaurant - we won't do this too often, but will give their other offerings a try!

Wine for the evening was a Pinot Noir from Oregon - Ayoub "Memoirs" & Estate, 2007 purchased from my Oregon wine club recently!

[Brünnhilde ewig]

Dave, I hope this yummy looking lamb shank has soothed Susan's nerves - if they were frazzled, mine would be just a tad! - How's the tree? 

There are a number of empty stalls in my wine collection needing filling. On my next shopping trip I shall look for the offerings from Oregon, especially the ones you mentioned, already on my list. 

[SonicMan46]

Dave, I hope this yummy looking lamb shank has soothed Susan's nerves - if they were frazzled, mine would be just a tad! - How's the tree? 

Lis - well, I think the tree 'won out' on this accident - believe she just missed the brake pedal & hit the accelerator - the car was the VICTIM!  Of course, to our expense - 

But, that lamb was delicious - gave her my bones w/ some extra meat (she loves to chew on bones!) - Dave 

[toledobass]

Having some chocolate chip cookies I made for dessert with a tall glass of milk.  I've actually never made chocolate chip cookies before...so easy and delicious.


Allan

[SonicMan46]

Having some chocolate chip cookies I made for dessert with a tall glass of milk.  I've actually never made chocolate chip cookies before...so easy and delicious.

Allan - hey, that brings back memories for me! 

My son as a young boy LOVED NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cookies (probably still would!) - but every couple of months or so on a weekend, he & I would bake up a LARGE batch using the original recipe - took an afternoon, and we ate a few (hee hee) after a little cooling right out of the oven - but those cookies were great for days - 'thanks for the memories' -    Dave

[Brünnhilde ewig]

Nice picture, Dave, but I bet you a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, that's not how Allan's looked like. Those chips did not melt enough! They are supposed to string like hot Swiss cheese!

[DavidRoss]

My son as a young boy LOVED NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cookies (probably still would!) - but every couple of months or so on a weekend, he & I would bake up a LARGE batch using the original recipe - took an afternoon, and we ate a few (hee hee) after a little cooling right out of the oven - but those cookies were great for days - 'thanks for the memories' -    Dave

One of the first things I learned to cook...er, bake.  Still love 'em, with or without walnuts or pecans, together with a tall glass of cold milk.  Tonight, however, we're enjoying a healthier dessert:  white peaches and nectarines from the farmers' market.  Fresh, ripe, and juicy!  Yum!

[SonicMan46]

Nice picture, Dave, but I bet you a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, that's not how Allan's looked like. Those chips did not melt enough! They are supposed to string like hot Swiss cheese!

Lis & David - well, I just found that pic on the web - my cookies were BIGGER, plus I used extra walnuts and the chocolate chips were more gooey - boy, he was a 'happy camper' w/ the smell of those cookies baking.

Back in those days (now talking late '70s into the 80s), I had a 'small handful' of meals that he did love me to make - kind of a 'man's thing' I guess - I did a good grilled cheese sandwich w/ Kosher pickles (and some chips), a favorite lunch of his; then for breakfast, pancakes w/ a good maple syrup & some bacon (now, I don't dare eat that stuff any more - I guess the memories persist); and finally I did a great 'cherries jubilee' - nice bing cherries w/ plenty of the usual ingredients + Grand Mariner, then finished w/ Cognac (he love me to light the flame!) - one of my 'mucho' additives was a lot of cinnamon, then over some GOOD vanilla ice cream (again, don't do that anymore also - really a BITCH to get older!) - Dave 

[toledobass]

Allan - hey, that brings back memories for me! 

My son as a young boy LOVED NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cookies (probably still would!) - but every couple of months or so on a weekend, he & I would bake up a LARGE batch using the original recipe - took an afternoon, and we ate a few (hee hee) after a little cooling right out of the oven - but those cookies were great for days - 'thanks for the memories' -    Dave

Those cookies just had a massive recall on them due to ecoli.

Allan

[Wanderer]

Having some chocolate chip cookies I made for dessert with a tall glass of milk.

What's with Americans and this "cookie & milk" thing? Is the milk really necessary? This particular combination always seemed incomprehensible to me.

...something that would have made any Papa Johns or Dominos Pizza taste gourmet.
No way they don't know themselves that their pizza is an gustatory offense to all but the hungriest among the vulgarians.

Really awful-sounding. Pizza was probably an afterthought to their menu (in the interests of ill-advised all-inclusiveness). 

[DavidRoss]

What's with Americans and this "cookie & milk" thing? Is the milk really necessary? This particular combination always seemed incomprehensible to me.

It's not "cookies" in general, but certain types of cookies, particularly those with chocolate.  Rich chocolate cakes or brownies are better with milk, too.  Try it and see.

The following ad spot will explain everything:

http://www.youtube.com/v/Dh6098zpxWY

  Mwaa-ha-haaah!

[jlaurson]

What's with Americans and this "cookie & milk" thing? Is the milk really necessary? This particular combination always seemed incomprehensible to me.

First: You have to consider and imagine Milk as calcium enriched water.... roughly of the same texture and taste. The most it has in common with actual milk is its name.
Secondly: Yes. It's totally necessary, even if the milk were real. (Especially then, perhaps.)