The What's For Dinner Tonight Chat

[love2travel]

I never would have thought to try that

I do love maple syrup on my pork sausage so it sounds like something I would enjoy

It's awesome! Oh, yes. Also good brushed with melted guava or plum jelly. If you try it, report back!

[Marilyn R]

I am a chili pepper FANATIC. Whenever friends travel to the US or Mexico they know without asking to bring back whatever they can find. It is almost like a collection! Some of my favourites are mulato, chipotle (dried jalapeno), ancho (dried poblano), cascabel, guajillo, aleppo... I toast them on dry heat, grind in my M&P or grinder and use in rubs, seasoning blends, chili pastes and so on. If our climate was better I would grow tons and tons but alas...Zone 1a is not exactly conducive to pepper production!

Have you tried the hottest pepper on the planet, the esteemed Bhut Jolokia or Ghost Pepper? Almost nearly impossible to find (I haven't yet but don't know whether I would want to - I love heat but I love to taste my food!).

Nope. The hottest I've had is habenero. Funny story about habeneros. My ex know-it-all British husband picked some habeneros out of my garden and I suggested that he use gloves. He pish-poshed that. Later he told me that not only did he have stinging fingers, he had taken a pee and ... well, the resin from the pepeper on his fingers burnt him other places. That's probably the hottest pepper I need.

[mushroom]

We ate rijsttafel (Indonesian rice table - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijsttafel) whilst on honeymoon in Amsterdam. This is a collection of many dishes arranged in tiers with those on the top tiers being the smallest and spiciest. And we were warned about how hot the ones on top were. I didn't go beyond the first two or three tiers. Hub tried a taste of one of the top ones T'was not a very romantic night. We were staying in a canal hotel, with no loo on our floor (had to go up or down) and it was pretty hilarious for me, but not for him However, I was struck the next day while on the docks where hub was explaining Henry Hudson set sail for the Americas - suddenly he noticed I was gone, hightailing it for the railway station and the loo. I don't do hot at all well.

[love2travel]

Nope. The hottest I've had is habenero. Funny story about habeneros. My ex know-it-all British husband picked some habeneros out of my garden and I suggested that he use gloves. He pish-poshed that. Later he told me that not only did he have stinging fingers, he had taken a pee and ... well, the resin from the pepeper on his fingers burnt him other places. That's probably the hottest pepper I need.

I bet your ex has not made the same mistake since!

Once when I was home from work from lunch (I was young and thought I was invincible - my, how times have changed! ) I decided to skip wearing gloves and chopped habaneros for a salsa I would be making that evening. Well, that was not the smartest decision I've made. For some unknown reason (blame it on the celiac! hee hee) I rubbed my eyes. I had to call my employer and tell them I could not make the 1:00 meeting because I could not see to drive back. How embarassing - I was to chair a meeting and could not even make it because of a really foolish decision. It was a standing work joke for ages...

[love2travel]

We ate rijsttafel (Indonesian rice table - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijsttafel) whilst on honeymoon in Amsterdam. This is a collection of many dishes arranged in tiers with those on the top tiers being the smallest and spiciest. And we were warned about how hot the ones on top were. I didn't go beyond the first two or three tiers. Hub tried a taste of one of the top ones T'was not a very romantic night. We were staying in a canal hotel, with no loo on our floor (had to go up or down) and it was pretty hilarious for me, but not for him However, I was struck the next day while on the docks where hub was explaining Henry Hudson set sail for the Americas - suddenly he noticed I was gone, hightailing it for the railway station and the loo. I don't do hot at all well.

Sorry to laugh at that but I secretly am inside. ( ) On your honeymoon? Oh, dear.

I have never had proper authentic rijsttafel. Were you actually able to taste food or did you mainly feel the heat?

[mushroom]

Sorry to laugh at that but I secretly am inside. ( ) On your honeymoon? Oh, dear.

I have never had proper authentic rijsttafel. Were you actually able to taste food or did you mainly feel the heat?

That's okay, you were meant to laugh

The lower tiers were quite tasty but the higher you went the less taste, the more heat

[sb2178]

As I was somewhat remiss in the vegetable area towards the end of last week, I'm starting this week off on a green note:

Fresh Pea and Artichoke Soup

Collards, nuked in the microwave

Coconut Flour Waffle with Plum Preserves

... rather a lot of snow peas while stringing them for tomorrow ...

And perhaps a bit of chocolate or some blueberries in a bit.

[Poppi]

Since there are some bacon fans here, has anyone tried brushing bacon with something sweet such as maple syrup and roasting in the oven? Lovely - sort of like bacon candy. Also good sprinkled with black pepper and pomegranate molasses.

So, cook it first or brush it when raw and then roast it?

Dinner wound up being bacon and pancakes made with Pamela's mix. Man do I love that stuff for pancakes.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I'm up late cooking rotisserie chicken for my husband to take to work tommorrow. I had a killer headache earlier today and took a LONG afternoon nap from 3-8. Oops. Now I can't sleep. My husband didn't cook dinner while I slept-- he just sort of grazed on snacks for dinner. So I don't have any leftovers to send. He will eat out sometimes when that happens but I figured since I'm up I might as well do something useful.

[Poppi]

Tonight is our Vietnamese girls' last night at home before they head back to Vietnam for a 2 month holiday with family. We are going to make sushi, tempura and chicken kaarage. (I bought a deep fryer yesterday!).

Can't wait!!

[love2travel]

That's okay, you were meant to laugh

Yes, but maybe I shouldn't have laughed THAT much!

[love2travel]

So, cook it first or brush it when raw and then roast it?

You brush it on raw then broil. I like maple syrup best as it remains ooey gooey and sticky.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I'm starting a pot of African ground nut stew.

[love2travel]

I'm starting a pot of African ground nut stew.

Oh, man. I LOVE that stuff! Haven't made it for ages.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Oh, man. I LOVE that stuff! Haven't made it for ages.

Me too! I never make it exactly the same twice though. The only ingredients that stay the same for me is peanut butter, tomatoes and chicken. ANd most of my spices are the same I guess (tumeric, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cininimon, pepper, and kosher salt). But I love to mix it up and do different veggies. Today I'm just throwing a bunch of stuff in the pot. I have leftover roasted sweet potatoes and leftover chicken, green beans, carrots, onions, some celerey that was getting wilty in my fridge and whole crushed garlic cloves. I'll make some rice and serve it over that. I usually make it in the slow cooker but since my chicken is already cooked I decided to make in on the stove and slow simmer it until dinner time.

[love2travel]

Me too! I never make it exactly the same twice though. The only ingredients that stay the same for me is peanut butter, tomatoes and chicken. ANd most of my spices are the same I guess (tumeric, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cininimon, pepper, and kosher salt). But I love to mix it up and do different veggies. Today I'm just throwing a bunch of stuff in the pot. I have leftover roasted sweet potatoes and leftover chicken, green beans, carrots, onions, some celerey that was getting wilty in my fridge and whole crushed garlic cloves. I'll make some rice and serve it over that. I usually make it in the slow cooker but since my chicken is already cooked I decided to make in on the stove and slow simmer it until dinner time.

Yum. Sounds like you're in for a treat!

[CarolinaKip]

Avocado and grilled shrimp salad over dark green leafy lettuce. Add some Pinot Grigio! Been meaning to try the watermelon salad with avocado minus the tomatos. Anyone try it yet?

[love2travel]

Weird combo of leftovers tonight:

Leftover roast loin of pork with guava glaze

Roasted potato salad with herbed oil

Grilled corn on the cob with maple chipotle butter

Roasted Strawberries with Balsamic

[ElseB]

Too lazy to cook real food tonight, so its teff porridge. With leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.

[cahill]

Grilled cheese sandwich!!!!!! ( on gluten free bread of course )OMG It was sooooooooooo good

[sb2178]

Also kinda grazed:

raw snow peas

raw romano beans (purple green beans!)

baked beans

blueberries

chocolate chips

maybe a piece of toast or a muffin at some point...

[domesticactivist]

Tonight we had salad with homemade ranch, fauxtatos (mashed cauliflower chock-full of butter), baked asparagus, and baked salmon with dill. I should have taken a picture.

[love2travel]

As we have a lobe of gorgeous duck foie gras we are having:

Pate de Foie Gras with Cucumber Gelee (takes hours so I'd better get moving!)

Black Truffled Pureed Potatoes

Micro Greens (from the garden) including tiny beet leaves, radicchio, sorrel, arugula, radish leaves, mustard, frisee with Citrus Honey Thyme Vinaigrette

Preserved Lemon Granita (as a palate cleanser to cut the rich fatiness of the foie gras)

[sb2178]

http://www.elanaspantry.com/lemon-rosemary-mini-muffins/

blueberries

(weird summer eating-- tend to eat major meal at lunch and large snack around 4, so not much for supper)

[Jestgar]

White fish sauteed in olive oil, sprinkled with rice wine vinegar. Beet cole slaw.