What's for Dinner?

[C2H5OH]

Well, the consensus on Okra seems to be "Hate the damn snotty stuff", "Love the damn snotty stuff", or "Disguise the damn snotty stuff in Gumbo".

I'm in the "Hate the damn snotty stuff" camp, but I liked Gumbo when I was in New Orleans, so if they sell the damn snotty stuff at the local grocery stores, I'm gonna try the "Disguise the damn snotty stuff" option.

What the hell, it wasn't fatal last time I had it, it probably won't kill me hiding it in Gumbo. And it's a good excuse to try cooking something new, that I've never made before.

[What Exit?]

A good gumbo is the only place okra belongs.

[The Devil's Grandmother]

The Devil's Grandfather and I have been making an experiment with white fish (tilapia, trout, red snapper, whatever) steamed with a spice coating of salt, ginger and "pepper". The "peppers" we've tried have been black pepper, long pepper, cubebs, and grains of paradise. All tasty, but more different than I would have thought for "peppers". I might try white pepper next. Is there another pepper I should try?

[teela brown]

I made some killer flautas, or taquitos, for dinner last night.

The day before I braised some chuck roast in foil very simply with some chile powder, tomato and onion. Then I shredded it and seasoned it well with more chile.

Then yesterday the flauta prep: make a big batch of good guacamole, and shred some lettuce. Soften a lot of corn tortillas by spraying them with Pam, wrapping them in paper towels, and heating them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Roll up the shredded beef in the softened corn tortillas.

And here's the new trick I learned from some good Mexican cooks on youtube: make a paste of flour and water until it's about the consistency of Elmer's glue. When you've almost rolled up the flauta, paint some "glue" on the last bit and then finish rolling. The glue will seal the flauta neatly and it'll stay sealed for a good while, until you're ready to fry.

Then fry 'em all up in hot oil and serve them with guacamole and lettuce (and sour cream and crumbled queso fresco, if you like).

They were brilliant, if I do say so myself. Flautas are my husband's favorite Mexican dish, and he ate five of them.

[JackieLikesVariety]

those do sound excellent, Teela. (Makes me want to invite myself for supper) but can you believe the prices of avocados?

[teela brown]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

. . . but can you believe the prices of avocados?

Sucks, don't it? I try to buy them at my local Hispanic mercado, where they're a bit cheaper.

[Zeener Diode]

I used to buy avocados by the bag, eat them in salads or make guac once they start to turn. Now I only buy a single pod once in a while as a treat.

[C2H5OH]

Avocados regularly come on sale at the local regional-chain store for 10-for-$10. I only have two people to feed, and we can't eat that many. I like the price, but most will go bad before I eat them. Throwing away 8 of them ain't cheap.

I 'nope out' of that, every time. 5 bucks per ain't gonna happen.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by teela brown

Sucks, don't it? I try to buy them at my local Hispanic mercado, where they're a bit cheaper.

I think they are way up even there. it's very sad.

[Jaglavak]

I cheat and go for squeezable guac. It works out to a buck and a quarter per avocado, with never a bruise, and I get to use all of it beause it lasts 2 weeks in the fridge. Then I give my carcass a couple weeks to recover from the massive jolt of oil, because its usually gone in 2 days.

[teela brown]

Even though an avocado delivers a bunch of calorie-rich oil, you're also getting a buttload of nutrients. I was once looking up the vitamin and mineral content of various fruits and vegetables, and avocados were the most nutrient-dense of all.

I keep telling myself this as I slather guacamole on every bite of taquito.

[Jaglavak]

If I was rich, I'd have an avocado tree and an orange tree in a heated greenhouse. With padded andirondacks and a hanging fire ring.
Rich people don't know how to lux worth a damn.

[The Devil's Grandmother]

Thai-style chicken soup. I just need to get out and get the chicken before it starts raining.

[C2H5OH]

Bought a sashimi grade side of salmon the other day. I saved the skin, hoping to make schmaltz and gribbens which you need to make chopped liver. Nope. You need chicken or duck skin. Salmon does NOT have enough fat to get the schmaltz. I got some nice salmon-skin chitlins, though. Tasty, crunchy, and delicious. They're even kosher. And ridiculously high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Nutritious!

[What Exit?]

My wife and I walked to the market and picked up Chili making. Tonight will be chili and baked potatoes.

[Zeener Diode]

I was at a local steakhouse last night, and had not realized how long it's been since I had a baked potato. I ended up taking half of the tenderloin home but finished off the spud there.

[C2H5OH]

Asparagus and Spinach in a nice Havarti cheese sauce, topped with fried Haggis. The haggis is good, but not at 36 bucks for two cans. I'd rather get a nice pound and a half of Prime Rib, at only 22 bucks. I wanted to try haggis. It was good, but not at that price. Will happily eat it again, if someone puts it in front of me, but I won't pay that much, again.

It's expensive, but given what's in it, it shouldn't be. I found a recipe, but can't source the ingredients, locally. The recipe said serve with mashed potatoes, "If you dare". Given what I do have locally, I could make pork, chicken, or turkey haggis, just can't case it in a stomach of the appropriate animal. Beef tripe, or nothing, is all that's available, and that's not even the full stomach.

Maybe I'll put it in the 'natural sausage casing' the meat market carries, i.e. cleaned pig intestine, which the label is careful to only list in the fine-print ingredients, but, hey, I know what it is, and have eaten it all my life. If you eat meals I prepare, you're likely going to be eating stuff that would gross you out if you knew what it was.

Still have one can left. Maybe I'll scramble it with eggs.

[Jaglavak]

Steak n eggs with guac & salsa brava and chili beans and a short stack of crispy fried corn tortillas as shovels.

[Wolf Larsen]

Went to El Pollo Loco and got the family pack. We'll get four person meals out of it, so a pretty good deal.

[Jaglavak]

Broccoli beef stir fry over rice sprinkled liberally with Kikkoman's.

I've become rather partial to parboiled rice. It cooks up fast and even, and there's nothing added. Historical trivia; we not only stole the word 'parboiled' from the French, but we also fucked up while we were at it. In French it means thoroughly boiled, but in American it means partially boiled. No wonder they laugh at us.

[C2H5OH]

They are French. They laugh at EVERYONE who isn't. While everyone else makes jokes about "French Shower", and "smelling like a Parisian Whore".