What's For Dinner?

[Nickyboy]

A pinch of nutmeg isn't very much. I always use fresh and grate a bunch into a bechamel. Maybe 1/4 tsp for that amount of sauce. Too much nutmeg will overwhelm any dish, so be careful.

 

[Nickyboy]

I missed breakfast and lunch today, so I went to the local diner for an early dinner. Fridays are all-you-can-eat fish and chips. Very good, very fresh, and not greasy. I'm going to get the Captain's Catch (cod, shrimp, scallops, clam strips) plate next time we go there.

 

[Nickyboy]

Sausage and mushroom pasta ragu (no tomatoes!) over pappardelle. Blood orange, black olive, goat cheese, and arugula salad on the side.

 

[Nickyboy]

Falafel on fresh pita with tzatziki and sweet hot sauce, cucumber, lettuce, and red onion. Sides of stuffed grape leaves, feta chunks, Kalamata olives, and hummus. Baklava for dessert with Turkish coffee.

 

[Nickyboy]

Choucroute Alsacienne for dinner tonight. So what am I doing early on a Sunday morning? Smoking pork chops and knackwurst over apple wood, of course!

 

[Nickyboy]

Ants climbing up a tree tonight. The slippery version, not the fried, crispy version.

 

[Nickyboy]

Bulleten with red sour red cabbage last night. It felt like I was in Berlin again.

 

[Nickyboy]

I made a Swiss-style beef stew yesterday to have for dinner tonight. It's flavored with port wine and star anise. Going to have spaetzle with it and haricot vert.

 

[Nickyboy]

Tomato and fennel bulb soup. Completely satisfying. Not as earthy as my other tomato soup recipe, but more tart. Not bad, just different.

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

I made a Swiss-style beef stew yesterday to have for dinner tonight. It's flavored with port wine and star anise. Going to have spaetzle with it and haricot vert.

I like this one. Ants climbing up a tree just didn't have the appeal. Call me shallow.

 

[Nickyboy]

Bracciole with homemade pappardelle tonight.

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

Bracciole with homemade pappardelle tonight.

I had to look this up because I'd never heard of it. So your filling -- parsley, some kind of shredded Italian cheese and garlic?

 

[Nickyboy]

I had to look this up because I'd never heard of it. So your filling -- parsley, some kind of shredded Italian cheese and garlic?

Yup. Pound out the slices of round until they are about 1/8" thick, sprinkle with salt and pepper, chopped parsley, chopped garlic, and freshly grated pecorino romano. Roll up tightly and tie with string to keep them shut. Season the outside, brown in oil on all sides and then add tomato sauce to simmer. We made them yesterday, because they taste better the second day after all the flavors marry.
There is a German version we also make called Rouladen. In that version the meat is spread with bacon fat and mustard, along with carrot, onion, and pickle slivers. It cooks in a brown sauce flavored with crushed ginger snaps.

 

[Nickyboy]

Fresh semolina pasta for dinner tonight, drying on the rack.

 

[Nickyboy]

Chicken breast, butterflied and stuffed with mushroom, shallot, carrot, cabbage, and smoked Gouda cheese. Browned and then braised in chicken stock until done. Reduce the stock to a glaze and pour over chicken. Served with long-grain rice.

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

Pork chops in buttermilk gravy accompanied by diced sweet potatoes tossed with olive oil and sliced garlic, roasted and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar. One of us is clearly a gourmet to the other's utilitarian. Nonetheless, I stand proud of my success at putting a decent meal on the table after years of not doing much of it. And the new-ish girlfriend appreciates it, which is all that really matters.

 

[Nickyboy]

Pork chops in buttermilk gravy accompanied by diced sweet potatoes tossed with olive oil and sliced garlic, roasted and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar. One of us is clearly a gourmet to the other's utilitarian. Nonetheless, I stand proud of my success at putting a decent meal on the table after years of not doing much of it. And the new-ish girlfriend appreciates it, which is all that really matters.

That sounds good. I've been in the mood for pork lately. I think I will try that.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

A neighbor is bringing me a Publix chicken tender sub.

The Country's Best Sandwiches Are Made by This Florida Grocery Chain

Meet the Pub Sub.

www.thrillist.com

 

[Nickyboy]

Tacos on fresh tortillas, filled with shredded, braised pork neck meat.

 

[Nickyboy]

Pork medallions marinated with orange and lemon zest/juice and honey fermented garlic. Going to grill them over apple wood coals. Asparagus and juniper roasted potatoes on the side and a bottle of local white wine.