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Month: September 2006

Food rambling – you know the drill

food I have
Produce
Collard Greens
5 large potatoes
1 very very ripe tomato
1 zucchini
carrots
onions
5 bell peppers

Meat
roast pork leftovers
lamb shank leftovers
london broil marinated in garlic black pepper chinese sauce

bread products
none
but I now have a bread machine

dairy
a little bit of 2% milk that’s just not going to last
a little bit of heavy cream that’s totally going in tea

food I can make from that
Wednesday, September 13 *done*
collard greens & tomato cooked down with seasonings and some bouillon, served over rice Maybe the lamb leftovers on the side

Thursday, September 14 *done*
grill zucchini & onions. Add Pork. then what? how should I season this one? Cajun-ish with rice and a can of beans?

put pork roast scraps & bone in a pot with the lamb bone. Add water & maybe some carrots – I’ve never heard of pork stock, so not so much a proper stock with veggies as a concentrated yummy liquid in which to cook beans later.

Friday, September 15
taking my mother out to dinner

Saturday, September 16
Freaks & Geeks (dinner out?)

Sunday, September 17
dinner with my parents because they’ll be in the city for a conference
cut up stuff for tomorrow

Monday, September 18
london broil, bell pepper, onion, carrots, garlic -> stir fry
see if I can work a potato into this dish

Tuesday, September 19
pork leftovers with potatoes and bell peppers to make hash.

Put beans to soak

Wednesday, September 20
cook beans in pork broth

make mashed potatoes for dinner
collard greens

Thursday, September 21
beans & rice
collard greens

Friday, September 22
If going to New York, don’t buy any more perishables!
If staying home, head over to the evening farmers market

Not food, but still nourishing

One of my friends is a licensed and certified massage therapist, and he has just hung his shingle out for business.

So if you are in the vague vicinity of northern New Jersey, you should know that I think he is trustworthy, capable, and safe. I’ve been dying for one of his massages since he was still in school, but he’s just too far away to drive for a massage and then have to drive back afterward.

But you, if you are closer, should definitely give him a try.

Webpage is here —> Tact Isle <---

If you ask, I have a whole bunch of other wonderful things to say about the man, but they aren’t directly related to his massage-giving capabilities. (No, not like that. They are related to his card playing and cooking skills.)

farmers’ markets

Wow! The weekday farmers’ market is way different from the weekend one.

There was nowhere to get eggs, but there were different produce vendors than usual, and they were all willing to haggle to get rid of their produce!

I got a quart of peach seconds – so now I need to layer them with sugar and set them to ferment.

I got 7 rolls for $2 – so now I need to eat massive quantities of bread – I did my part by eating 3 with garlic butter and pot roast – Mmmmm.

Two wee little baby melons for half price!

a bunch of bell peppers for a dollar!

and some yummy cheeses – not discounted. Often farmers’ market cheddars taste a bit bitter to me, but not these – so great find.

*rolls about in the glory of good food*

Miscellany – Pot Roast

Who recommended Garth Nix to me? Who ever you were – brilliant suggestion. I bought the first book, read it through, was excited and interested the whole way through, and am now going to buy the next book. By the time I finish the fourth book, I shall be cursing your name because the series isn’t finished.

The weather could be like this all the time, and I could be happy.

I have a pot roast on the stove waiting for me to eat it for dinner tonight.

How I made it:
I cut up 3 slices of bacon and cooked them in a soup pot.

In a bowl, I mixed black pepper, paprika, a little bit of cinnamon, and ground thyme with 2-3 tablespoons of flour. I put a small london broil in the flour, flipped it, and then jabbed it repeatedly with a fork. Then I turned it over and jabbed it some more. Repeat – until it dangled limply and was fully floured.

Then I put the floured meat into the soup pot to brown in the bacon fat.

I cut up a bunch of onions, and added them to the pot as well. Oooo, and garlic, too. And I threw in a few baby carrots.

Then it was time for some liquid. I started with three capfulls of Manischewitz wine. You know that whole thing about not cooking with wine you wouldn’t drink? Forget it – this wine is the best cooking wine ever! Food just tastes incredibly rich, if you add Manischewitz. Then I dumped in the chicken stock I had hanging out in my refrigerator.

Then I browned the rest of the flour in the bowl and made a roux – and then pulled some of the liquid from the pot until is was thin enough to pour into the pot without making lumps. I probably should have just put the flour in right after I added the meat, but I forgot.

And it should be tender and ready to eat my tonight. I’ll put it over rice and maybe cooks some greens on the side.

I joined a gym. It’s right on my way home from work. There’s a gym bag under my desk at work with shoes and socks and pants and everything – And now I have no idea how to schedule time to go. For example, tonight I need to leave right after work to get to the farmers’ market in time to get veggies. There is no excuse for it being way early september and me only having winter vegetables in the house.