it's good....all good

I am happy to say that we have been really good about eating out of the big freezer.  While I was in the basement doing laundry, I could hear from the shelf the wok calling out to me "use me, use me please".  I need to make curry, I have everything I need to make Masaman Curry.   Chicken from the freezer, check.  Frozen shrimp, check.  Potatoes, check.  Everything else that is needed is a staple, all is good. 

Of all the curry dishes, this is probably my absolute favorite.  Could it be the shrimp?  The creaminess of the potatoes?  Masaman curry, yeah, my favorite.

Saturday evening Gabriella wanted to make Banana Bread.  I was all for it because we have a few bananas that are getting too ripe.  A few weeks ago, I finally found the bread maker.  It was hiding in plain site.  Now all I have to do is find my parafin wax thing.  I am happy to say the bread maker worked, the loaf looked pretty til I tried to get it out of the pan, but no matter how bad it looked Gabriella made a tasty loaf.

We are going to try it again today.



Yes, we are open

semi-open

Dinner for the last couple of weeks has been quick affair, nothing major has been made.  The truth is that the grill has been used a lot.  The only time the oven has been on is to make oven fries.  I have big major issues with turning on the oven with the AC on.   I should use the "summer kitchen" but it would not be an easy task to do so.   I was thinking about the outside grill trying to remember when the last time it was used, then my mind wonders to the Weber and I go to Thanksgiving turkey.  Oh how moist and delicious it is.  It is my favorite way to have turkey.

It is time to eat out of the big freezer.  I have more than a few meals that have to be eaten.  Eating out of the freezer makes me very happy, not only does it clean out the freezer, I get all my "tupperware" back.   But of course this makes a problem, the container cupboard gets too full and it overflows.  Yeah, this should be my worst problem......

I did make a mean spinach and chicken sausage risotto, the other day and it was good, really good.  I would make it again.   Wegman's had a sale on the Swanson Stock and Broth, it is the best of all the stocks and that is not just my opinion, according to Cook's Illustrated, they agree.  I used stock instead of broth, I don't know if the stock made any difference in the taste.

While I was making the risotto, I was thinking about one of my favorites, Sausage, artichoke hearts, and Broccoli Rabe over Orecchiette.  I three times love this dish.  I think I need to make it next week.

I am going start our "cleaning of the freezer" today, I wonder what we are going to begin with?
  

a milisecond late

and thwarted again.....

Grrrrrr.......  hehehehe

little pleasures

My Mom and Mor always used a cast iron pan to cook everything, I can always remember them being on the stove.  I don't remember anyone else ever having them in their kitchen.  I can remember thinking that they were so old fashioned.  I did not always like what came out of them, namely liver....yuck I hate liver, I really hate liver, but we had to eat it cause that is what Mommy said.  I can't forget the caterpillars with the Kitchen cut green beans.  I don't remember what the dish was exactly but it looked like caterpillars (I skeeve them) and I don't like fat green beans, so it was a double yuck. 

Those cast iron pans also brought my favorites:  Danish Pancakes and sauteed onions....  Not together.  My Mom and Mor make the most delicious sauteed onions....phew the most delicious.
We called the "black onions" because they were slighty, mostly over sauteed and crunchy and fabulous.  The stuff that makes your stomach growl just thinking of them, oh oh oh.  After they were overcooked to perfection then drained, spread on brown paper bags, then finally put into brown bags and shaken.  You have to get all the grease off of them so they can be crunchy.  Heaven plain and simple, just heaven.

Now that I am older and slightly past grown but by no stretch wiser, I don't think that cast iron is outdated, I marvel at how it helps develop flavors and the flexibility of it's use.  I do tend to borrow Andrew's 15" perfectly seasoned Lodge skillet more often than I use my Staub 11" skillet.  I especially love it for large quantities.

This is my nod to the my Mom and Mor (you have to use fat), wonderfully over sauteed onions.....low and slow to somewhat burnt heaven.

oh my just imagine them on a burger or a perfectly rare NY strip with blackened char fat...now that is perfection.

thistle this thistle that

I am craving artichokes.  Artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs would be ideal, stuffed with cheese and garlic would not be turned down.  I love artichoke seasons, but I especially like when the giant Globe artichokes are available with their magnificent stems.  It is heaven on earth.  They would be on our table every night of the week.  I think they even taste better when the are made for me.  I don't mean go out for them, I am talking about Andrew making them for me.  The Man makes a mean artichoke.  His artichokes are the best I have ever had and I have had my fair share.  When Luna on Mulberry Street was open, they had the best stuffed artichoke by far.  The old lady that cooked had magic in her fingers.  Mrs. Gallo also made a mean artichoke, her's were stuffed with egg, cheese, and garlic.  They were always tender and perfectly perfect.  Artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs rock my world.

 I could really, really, really go for one about now.......


There is another thistle you can't forget cardoon, I could really go for some too.  The cardoon is definitely much more work, oh but so, so, so good.  We have been very lucky the past 4 cardoon seasons, they have had bumper crops.   Wegman's has had really good looking produce and the grocer down almost to Red Bank has been spot on.  Each time we have had it in the cart, we invariably meet either an older man or woman, who comments on it, and says the very same thing, "it's a lot of work to make cardone" and then asks how we make it.  Cardoon preparation is a lot more because first you have to wash it, then derib it to get all the chokey strings off, cut it into smaller pieces, and then steam or boil til tender.  That is where I loose steam.  Usually I put it in the fridge for the next day.  I make both a sweet batter and a savory batter, I dip the cardoon in it, and pan fry it til the batter is golden.  I have even breaded and fried the cardoon.  The best part of the cardoon is that it is all edible, well most of it.  It is like a giant artichoke heart, it is awesome. 

Just looking at these wonderful veggies........yummy, yummy....