This week in the kitchen

Monday/16-Aug-21: Dinner was Creamy Blueberry Chicken Salad (web; CL/aug14). I used chicken from the last roast that I did (via the freezer). Blueberries from our own plants. (Which Ed told me about after I'd defrosted some. Have to make some kind of dish tomorrow to use them up.) That didn't look quite enough, so I made a salad of some roasted beets, a small can of corn, cilantro, and a lime vinaigrette. No dessert.

Tuesday/17-Aug-21: Used some of my roasted beets plus some leftover brick hanging around in the fridge to make, more or less, Beet and Feta Samosas (MadeIndia, p48). We had them as a starter while I was finishing the rest of dinner. Not as good as expected; the filling was better than the baked result. Dinner was West Indian Salmon Patties (web; GD). As before, I made four patties instead of six and two are now in the freezer for another night. Served with All-Purpose Rice and Beans (BigFlav, p262), a regular. Made a quarter recipe and still have some left to tart up for another meal. For after, I used yesterday's defrosted blueberries, plus the remains of some raspberries and strawberries I impulse-bought last week, to make Easy Berry Cobbler (MC; HandyBook). We're full.

Wednesday/18-Aug-21: Pizza out tonight before a concert. Nothing happened in the kitchen.

Thursday/19-Aug-21: Shopping today. Our favorite boulangerie is on holiday till September. 

Dinner was Spicy Grilled Fish (Q&E, p74) with salmon. Good stuff. It surprises me to find a new, good recipe in this book, since I've used it so much. There was a quarter recipe of Rice with Mushrooms and Mustard Seeds (Q&E, p102) for a side and Fresh Tomato Salad (Q&E, p107). Some store-bought riz au laits with caramel for after.

Friday/21-Aug-21: Dinner was a half dose of Pasta Pentimento* (EatingTog, p170) over whole-wheat spaghetti. Good stuff for so easy. For a salad, there was a halfish dose of Favorite Broccoli Salad* (web; GD; GD). This was good, if not something that went especially well with the pasta. Knowing that Ed doesn't like raw broccoli, I cooked it very briefly in the pasta water. (Was just surprised to find this salad on my DoMeAgain list! I wrote then what we said tonight at table, that this would be very good for a bbq.) For dessert there was some Jam Tea Cake (GD) with apricot jam. 

Saturday/21-Aug-21: In the morning I made the sauce for tonight's dinner, and salted the chicken for tomorrow. 

Dinner was a half dose of Pasta in Chilli Tomato Sauce (HomTrav, p222); this would have served three pretty eaisly. Served over linguine; have a bit left for a lunch. Tingly stuff. An Italian tomato sauce with ginger, chilies, and chili oil. Tasty. 

Some Jam Tea Cake for after.

Sunday/22-Aug-21: Dinner was Romertopf Clay-Baked Chicken, Stuffed with Serrano Ham and Olives (MedClay, p76). I cooked the stuffing separately. This was finished in a, to me, unusual way.  The chicken was taken out of the oven and out of the pot. The bottom was then emptied (to make a sauce with the juices), topped with a wire rack, the chicken put on that, and all back in the oven for another 10min. I've never seen this technique before, but it made for a nicely crisp skin, not usual for Romertopf.

Served with Lemon-Roasted Potatoes with Bay Leaves* (VegHarv, p231). This was good, of course, although I could have cut the potatoes into smaller chunks. I used the rest of my roasted beets to make a small version of Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), an old favorite.

More Jam Tea Cake for after; it'sgetting a bit dry now.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/22-Mar-21: Ed had a doctor's appointment at 17.30 this afternoon. We saw the doctor at 19.00; the curfew is 19.00. We didn't get stopped going home, thank goodness. 

Dinner was a repeat of yesterday, the rest of the smoked salmon tart, a big salad, this time with chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Tuesday/23-Mar-21: Dinner was Flat Roasted Chicken with Sweet Carrots, Prosciutto and Olives (Screamingly, p31). This was pretty darn good. The spatchcocked chickie is roasted first skin-down, and then skin up on at mixture of prosciutto (I used lardons), shallots, cubed carrots, garlic, and green olives. Not sure what was gained by not pitting the olives; this made them annoying to eat. I also made Gratin Dauphinois (Pomiane, p201). Usually I make the version in BEFCC, but thought I'd give Pomiane a try tonight. It was very good and easy as far as these things go. 

Wednesday/24-Mar-21: I made a loaf of Authentic French Bread (Magic, 22) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-) in the bread machine. Used all T65 (white bread flour). It's good. 

Ed picked up orders from both Drives today.

Dinner was Baked Tilapia with Spinach-Pecan Pesto (web). I totally didn't notice that this was for two, and carefully cut the pesto ingredients back. Then I added more spinach (frozen bits) and processed those till they were "done"; didn't add anything else extra. The pesto was delicious. Served it on cod. The fish adds nothing, it's the pesto that carries the dish. (What will I do with the extra now?) Served with trio rice and a shredded carrot and radish salad.

Some store-bought vanilla yogurts for after.

Thursday/25-Mar-21: Yogurt on overday.

Dinner was Chile-Lime Pork* (web). Last time we bbq'd this; tonight I cooked in it oven at 450F (10min on one side, 15min on the second side, then another 5min on the first side). Delicious and succulent. Served with roasted asparagus (olive oil, lemon juice, and taco seasoning), polenta, and (home-made) guacamole, plus some corn tortillas to wipe things up. We were full, just two little chocolate easter eggs for after.

Mixed up an Overnight Boule in the evening.

Friday/26-Mar-21: Baked the Overnight Boule. 

Didn't get the chicken picked yesterday or this morning, and didn't feel like doing it this evening, so we had a bit of a shuffle on the menu plan. Dinner was Shrimp with Lemon & Capers (web); this was so-so. Good tastes, but the gnocchi didn't really go with the shrimp. Then a bit salad. Two chocolate easter eggs each for after.

Saturday/27-Mar-21: Got that chicken picked today. Dinner was Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Stir-Fry (web). I used sambal oelek, still working on the huge jar that Bill brought us once. For next to no work, this is really good. It might be nice to sauté a sliced onion before adding the cabbage. Some strawberries and cream for after.

Sunday/28-Mar-21: The ABM made some English Toasting Bread (Magic, p21) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-). Pretty loaf. Last made in December 2002. We'll see tomorrow.

Dinner was Middle Eastern Burgers (web). (Ed bbq'd and we ate outside for the first time this year.) This was supposed to serve seven with tiny burgers. I made eight, intending to have four tonight and four for the freezer. But they were so good, we had one more each and I've saved the last two for lunch one of these days. (I bet these would be even better with ground lamb, all or half of the meat.) Served with a half recipe of Carrot Salad with Cumin, Cinnamon, and Sweet Paprika (Morocco, p78) and store-bought Moroccan couscous. Three chocolate easter eggs each for after.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 3; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 2

This week in the kitchen

Monday/1-Mar-21: Yogurt on overday.

Another dish for the Facebook Cooking Marcella Hazan group, dinner was a Risotto with Red Cabbage and Pancetta (MarCuc, p224). Not the prettiest risotto, but quite tasty. Served with a salad. A pair of chocolated-covered madeleines each for after.

Overnight Boule on overnight.

Tuesday/2-Mar-21: Ed baked off the Overnight Boule while I met with my BookChatters group this morning. 

Dinner was Syrian Lentil-Tomato Soup from the freezer. And Baguette Sandwiches with Asparagus* (web; GD). A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines each for after.

Wednesday/3-Mar-21: Picked up our shopping from both Drives today.

Dinner was a half recipe of Grilled Salmon (web) . I cooked this under the broiler. Pretty good it was for minimal effort. At the market last Thursday, I scored some snijbonen. I turned up three interesting recipes from Allerhande. The one we had tonight was Snijbonen en Cashewnoten uit de Wok (web). Chunks of snijbonen (I boiled them about 4min first), finished in the wok, then warmed in hoisin. With some cashews on top. Pretty tasty. And some plain rice. Some store-bought yogurt with blackberries and blueberries for after.

Thursday/4-Mar-21: Dinner was Chipotle Shrimp Coleslaw* (web; GD). Still good, but would be better in hot weather. Served with avocado slices and corn tortillas. Some store-bought yogurt with salted caramel for after.

Overnight Boule on overnight, bread flour and light whole wheat.

Friday/5-Mar-21: Baked off the overnight Boule this morning. Not knowing the difference, Ed said he preferred this one. I guess I'll use up my rye flour and continue with the light whole wheat. Might try that half and half with regular bread flour.

Dinner was Riso e Fagioi—Rice and Bean Soup (ClassicItal, p102; rice variation, p104). I made the Pasta and Bean Soup variation for Cooking Italy a while ago. I thought I got the same kind of meat, but it wasn't; hard to tell what you're going to get when you order at the Drive. 

Some store-bought yogurt with chestnut cream for after. 

Saturday/6-Mar-21: Dinner was Turkey Cutlets, Lemon-Soy Glaze (web). This was okay. I added a bit too much lemon juice to the marinade/sauce (couldn't let the rest of that half lemon go to waste), but we didn't think that was all. Served over trio rice. Then an old favorite, Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180). Store-bought yogurt with Madagascar vanilla for after.

Sunday/7-Mar-21: I sort of had the idea to make pasta today, but that didn't work. One of these days, maybe. Instead we had whole wheat spaghetti  with Greek Shrimp (PastaMach, p136). Then a big salad. Then some store-bought yogurts with blueberries and blackberries.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 2

This week in the kitchen

Monday/30-Mar-20: Ed picked up an order from Leclerc Drive today. Most of it is sitting in the cool outside. (It snowed today!)

Dinner was an oldie but goodie, Sharon Frye's Pork Tenderloin Diane (MC). Served with "short spaghetti", and steamed carrots and a few oldish haricots plats coco. For desert there was vanilla ice cream with crème de cacao.

Tuesday/31-Mar-20: Today's loaf of bread was a plain white loaf from the Panasonic book: Basic/Rapid/L/d. It smells good and is a lovely, high loaf. I'm going through my T65 flour at a prodigious rate.

Dinner was Nigel Slater's Spring Cabbage, Cream, and Bacon (web). This was okay. I see now I added too much of the green peppercorns, which was our only criticism on the dish. Some vanilla ice cream with pineau after. Can't say that worked especially well.

Wednesday/1-Apr-20: Dinner was a half recipe of Red Curry Shrimp Cakes (CL/apr18, web). This wasn't bad at all, but the half recipe should have been four patties rather than two. Served with some store-bought nems (spring rolls) from the freezer, plain basmati rice, and (more or less) Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts (web). This was not much more difficult than the easy recipe I usually use, but much more tasty. Some chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Yogurt on overnight.

Thursday/2-Apr-20: Dinner was Lemon-Almond Pork Chops (MC), easy and nice. Served with sautéed zucchini, mushroom, and onion. Didn't much like the Italian spice mix I used on it. And some smashed potatoes. For dessert, there was Far aux Pruneaux (VPG; web), which was easy and very good.

Friday/3-Apr-20: Dinner was Pasta with Courgettes (web), followed by a salad made from one sucrine (two to go). We finished the far for dessert. That was good stuff.

Made a loaf of 100% Whole Wheat Bread (MC), a really nice whole wheat bread, a bit crumbly but very tasty. WW/Rapid/M/-.

Saturday/4-Apr-20: Ed picked up an order from Intermarché Drive today. No broccoli, but lots of asparagus. This order was more fresh stuff, veggies, fish, and meat, than canned goods.

Dinner was Herb Butter Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs (web); this was good, but the asparagus weren't quite done. Served with short-grain brown rice. Then some Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180). This is an old favorite; I usually serve it as a starter, but that didn't work tonight. For dessert, some strawberries (gariguettes) and vanilla ice cream.

The latest bit of Italian herbs I have is not very good to my mind. I'm not sure where this came from. Like the French "Italian herbs", it has an odd taste, a taste of Provence perhaps, but not Italian. For the herb butter, I made up an Italian herb mix. This was easy: equal amounts of dried herbs basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Good enough to do again.

Sunday/5-Apr-20: Dinner was Cod Kebabs with Aztec Salsa (Ainsley3, p82; cookbooker). This was ok, but doesn't need to be made again. Made a salad, but we were full of veggies, so didn't eat it. Some chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Made a loaf of Za'atar Bread (BigGerman, p239); Basic/Rapid/M/d.

Yogurt on overnight.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 BACKLOG: no
This month: #3 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #4 SHORT: no; #5 LONG: no
On-going: #6 READ; #7 RECYCLE; #8 NEW

This week in the kitchen

Monday/18-Mar-19: Dinner was a half recipe of Caramelized Onion Frittata with Artichoke Hearts, Zucchini and Goat Cheese (web). This fit in my bigger cast iron skillet and was quite good. The frittata is first cooked on the top of the stove and then finished under the broiler. It worked really well. Then a salad. Then some chocolate-covered madeleines.

Tuesday/19-Mar-19: Tamale dinner tonight courtesy of Chris and Amy. With Mama's Spanish rice and guacamole. And some ice cream after, a mini-cup for me and a mini-bar for Ed. We enjoyed it.

Wednesday/20-Mar-19: Shopping today.

Dinner was a half dose of Foil-Baked Fish Filets (Mustard, p175; cookbooker). Not very good. Served with tiny boiled potatoes. Those were good. Got a cheesecakey thing for dessert (new, on sale). It was so good we ate it all. Oink, oink.

Thursday/21-Mar-19: Started a batch of Pickled Broccoli Stems (VeryBest, p36). To be finished tomorrow.

For an afternoon snack I cleared out some leftovers, topping small tortillas with goat cheese, artichoke hearts from a jar, and roasted red bell peppers strips from a jar. Pretty tasty.

Loosely based on Parsley Chicken en Croûte (MC), I used some frozen squares of pâte feuilettée and stuffed with kip filets, topped with some jarred chestnut-mushroom mixture that's been hanging around in the pantry cabinet for way too long, some parsley, and a dab of crème fraîche that needed to be used. It was pretty good. With trio rice and steamed rice. Chocolate-covered madeleines for dessert.

Friday/22-Mar-19: Finished the Pickled Broccoli Stems today. We'll see how they are tomorrow.

Our afternoon snack turned out bigger than I expected. I boiled up a bit of whole wheat pasta. While that was happening, I sautéed some red onion, then added minced garlic, a bit of zucchini, and some leftover chickpeas and canned corn. It was pretty good, but more than we needed really.

For dinner, there were Easy Salmon Patties (Mustard, p171). These were good, bland salmon patties. Got better with Fiery Habañero Hot Sauce, but that's what this sauce is good for. As a side, some snijbonen chunks. Then we finished the chaource. I'm full.

Saturday/23-Mar-19: Cath came for a meal this afternoon before we went to a movie. We ate outside and started with Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), an old favorite, plus Mushroom Salad—Salade de Champignons à la Crème (BEFCC, p31), a new dish from a favorite book which was pretty good. Our main was Garlic, Mushroom and Olive Chicken Thighs (web). This was easy and tasty. Have lots of juice and veg left, which I'll buzz up for a potage in the next days. Served with teeny potatoes boiled, buttered, and parsleyed. We had ice cream bars at the cinema for dessert.

Sunday/24-Mar-19: I'm enjoying munching on the pickled broccoli stems. Haven't offered them to Ed yet.

Good dinner tonight. Halfish verions of all. Lots of leftovers. We had Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate-Eggplant Relish (License, p144). The barbecued lamb chops, with a rub of ground coriander, ground cumin, S&P, were delicious. The relish (why isn't this just a veggie side dish?) was delicious. Served with Potato Salad with Arugula & Dijon Vinaigrette (web), which was good. And Mesquite Grilled Broccoli with Preserved Lemons and Greek Yogurt. This is, I think, from a cookbook that I've recently recycled. Our broccoli wasn't mesquite-grilled, but grilled on a grill pan; it could have been parboiled a bit longer. But it was tasty anyhow. We ate well and enjoyed a lovely bottle of Haut Medoc.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 BACKLOG: no; #2 VEG/FISH: 3; #3 COOKBOOK: yes
Cookbooks of the month: The Incredible Secrets of Mustard
This month: #4 PASTA: no; #5 BREAD: no; #6 GUESTS: yes
This year: #7 PROJECT: no

This week in the kitchen

Monday/4-Jun-18: Day wasted dealing with a Mac problem when Calendar data was destroyed when I tried to sync the Mini with MacBair. The Apple guy couldn't figure out how to get the Calendar to accept the restored file of data, so I had to go back to a manual backup I made last Friday. Lost several days of writing, plus all my old Travel calendars. Very unhappy, totally wasted day.

Our meal was Broccoli Rice Casserole from Scratch (web), made with brown rice. This is kind of mac-and-cheese with broccoli and rice instead of macaroni. Pretty good. Strawberries and the rest of our buttermilk ice cream for dessert.

Tuesday/5-Jun-18: Indian for dinner. I made Oven-Roasted Chicken Tikka (MadeIndia, p36; cookbooker), using turkey oysters (that nice little muscle at the back of the pelvis on both sides) instead of skinless, boneless chicken thighs, of which there were none at the shop last week. I made the suggested side, Chaat Salad (MadeIndia, p192; cookbooker), which we both loved. And some plain basmati rice and some Yoghurt with Cucumber and Mint (MJ1, p162), the best raita recipe. For dessert, store-bought rice puddings topped with a sprinkle of cardamon, almost, but not quite, kheer.

Bit of a gully-washer this evening. It flooded the entry and under the stereo. Water dripping from the ceiling on the other end of the room.

Wednesday/6-Jun-18: Late meal today. I made Lighter Chicken Enchiladas, a recipe I collected from EAT-L in 2013. Made it up as a casserole, which is much easier than rolling enchiladas. Used up my tortillas. Used more turkey oysters instead of chicken. Used mimolette for the cheese, and much more than asked. So-so. Served with Mama's Spanish Rice and guacamole. We're stuffed.

Yogurt on overnight.

Thursday/7-Jun-18: Shopping today. Another set of people on Thursdays. Funny.

Our meal was Sicilian Swordfish Stew (Braises, p85; cookbooker). The recipe was a bit off, but the result was delicious. For dessert, a nectarine and some strawberries, topped with a bit of cream.

Our raspberries are going crazy. Need to pick some tomorrow morning.

Friday/8-Jun-18: Ed finished Cath's tiling today, while I did a mountain of ironing.

Leftover broccoli-rice casserole for dinner, and a salad, followed by two store-bought rice puddings.

Saturday/9-Jun-18: Made up some Strawberry Rhubarb Quick Jam (GrainAM, p71; HandyBook) with rhubarb from the potager and strawberries from shopping that look like they won't get eaten.

Leftover strange enchiladas, Spanish rice, and guacamole for dinner. Ice cream bars for dessert.

Yogurt on overnight. Power blip shut it off, but it seems to have cooked long enough nevertheless.

Sunday/10-Jun-18: Ed had a concert today, and I no had way to get there so stayed home and did Stuff.

Dinner was Pork Chop with Rhubarb (Pomiane, p129; cookbooker). This is just pork chops with rhubarabsauce instead of applesauce. Good, though. (Rhubarb from the potager.) Served with orzo (with lemon juice and parsley) and Asparagus with Chive Blossom and Sesame (web). The asparagus with okay, but wasn't the best veggie choice with the rhubarb&pork.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 BACKLOG: no; #2 VEG/FISH: 3; #3 COOKBOOK: bye for June
Cookbooks of the month: bye for June
This month: #4 PASTA: bye for June; #5 BREAD: bye for June; #6 GUESTS: bye for June

This week in the kitchen

Monday/25-Sep-17: Early meal today, an halfish recipe of Avocado Tuna Salad (web) served on a bed of lettuce. Pretty good stuff. A bit of spicy (cayenne in the dressing?) would be nice, and maybe lime juice instead of lemon.

Tuesday/26Sep-17: My, a yummy meal today, scratching the Indian itch. Made "Hamburger" Kebabs (Q&E, p27; cookbooker). Really simple to make and extra delicious. We wrapped those in store-bought (Lebanese?) flatbreads along with Fresh Red Chutney with Almonds (Q&E, p114; cookbooker). Delicious chutney, especially for something with a raw bell pepper. Served with Green Peas in a Creamy Sauce (Q&E, p87), just so we had some veggie matter.

Yogurt on overnight.

Wednesday/27-Sep-17: Shopping today, and lots of errands, so we were home late so dinner was late too.

Dinner was Kingklip Stroganoff, from an old print-out, which might be in MC 2BTried. Used lieu noir for the fish. Added some chopped parsley and garlic to the mushroom (oesterzwammen). These baked in individual casseroles in the toaster oven while I cooked some pasta (graminge) and Haricots Verts in Walnut Oil (HandyBook; Lunch, p216). At the table we dumped the pasta onto the individual casseroles for eating. Some new store-bought brownies (too sweet) for dessert.

Thursday/28-Sep-17: Busy morning, off to the préfecture to pick up my new driver's license, then to Intermarché for so grocery bits and bread, then to the pharmacy for Ed's prescriptions.

Lunch started with an old favorite, Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180). Then there was Shrimp with Spinach, Garlic and Smoked Paprika (EAT-L; web) served over rice. This was yummy, fast, and easy. I used rucola instead of spinach. Then we ate a bit of a local goat cheese I bought at the shop. Then a small bit of Double-Boiler Bread Pudding (MC; HandyBook) made to finish off a loaf a bread. We were full.

Friday/29-Sep-17: Meant to start a big batch of tomato purée today, but I dillied-dallied too long and most of the tomatoes were not good, also the ones in the potager. In the end, there was only 1-1/2 cups of tomato purée to freeze.

For our main meal today there was fresh pasta, Fettucini alle Erbe e Panna Rosa (ClassPasta, p90). Instead of peeling and seeding plum tomatoes, I used one cups of frozen purée. The herbs were basil, rosemary, and sage from the garden. Pretty good stuff,really. Then a salad using the rest of the dressing from yesterday's beet salad. Then the rest of the goat cheese. Then more of the bread pudding.

Saturday/30-Sep-17: With a late start and other things happening, our early meal today didn't happen till about 6:30p. But it was good. We had a halfish recipe of Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons (web) made with four thighs, and a dose of the Moroccan couscous from a storebought mix, and some Carrot and Pistachio Salad (web; cookbooker). Then we finished off the bread pudding. We are happily stuffed.

Started a salad for Ed to take to Cantique tomorrow morning, but cut the s*** out of my finger, so only got the cauliflower cooked. If I don't bleed to death in the night, I'll finish it in the morning.

Put chickpeas on to soak first thing this morning; cooked them this evening. Then into the fridge, since I couldn't deal with them.

Sunday/1-Oct-17: Got up early to finish off La Rinforzata (Neapolitan Cauliflower Salad) (MC). I've made this several times. Didn't record where I got the recipe, but there's an on-line version here. I use the anchovies, cutting them up really fine and adding to the vinaigrette. Also just noticed a note, that I didn't do today, to steep a crushed garlic clove in the oil.

I buzzed up the leftover sauce from last night's dinner and had that over whole wheat couscous for lunch.

Further, nothing happened in the kitchen.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 BACKLOG: no; #2 VEG/FISH: 4
This month: #3 PASTA: yes for September, no for October; #4 BREAD: no for September, no for October

This week in the kitchen

Monday/14-Nov-16: Dinner was One-Pot Chicken with Orzo and Dill (web). (That isn't the recipe I followed, which was sized for two, but it's the same one sized for one; I can't find the one I used and no URL on the printout.) Instead of using skinless, boneless chicken thighs, I used a 200g packet of chicken "oysters" that I bought last week. It was good, and so easy. Then a salad. Some chocolate squares for after.

Tuesday/15-Nov-16: Lunch out for Ed's birthday today; nothing happened in the kitchen. After lunch we did a bunch of errands. Stopped by Audilab to have my malfunctioning hearing aid fixed. Went by the jeweler to pick up Ed's ring; the guy had fixed the break but reassembled the pieces incorrectly so it couldn't be put together. Did our grocery shopping. Stopped by the vet to pick up worming pills for the cats. Stopped by the butcher's to order our Thanksgiving turkey. Whew. Put all the groceries up.

Wednesday/16-Nov-16: Thought about thanksgiving meal today. Think it's mostly going to be a boring same-old. same-old menu.

Make Cranberry-Port Relish (MC) and Kaye's Pickled Green Beans (MC) for the day.

Dinner was Feta and Herb Crusted Salmon (web), which turned out to be really easy and tasty. Accompanied by some buckwheat crozets and Simple Oven-Rosated Corn on the Cob (web). Turned out to be a pretty good way to cook corn on the cob.

Thursday/17-Nov-16: Defrosted the big freezer today. Found a missing chicken, and found lots of things I'd neglected to mark off the freezer list. And then OpenOffice got in one of its "moods" and refused to save the file. Grr... This is a problem that's been on-going in multiple versions for more than five years and it's still not fixed. Major pain. Maybe it's time to invest in Microsoft Office???

Dinner was Greek Pasta (Desperation, p162; cookbooker). The recipe says it serves four, maybe as a side; two of us ate more-or-less the whole thing. Good stuff. That was all.

Friday/18-Nov-16: Dinner was, sort of, Beef Kofta (web). Didn't have any Penzey's Turkish Seasoning, so google and I made something up. Good, although the cooking time was a bit off. It said 15-20 minutes under the grill; after 15 minutes, the tops with closer to charcoal than we like. Served with some pita breads and a little sauce made of yogurt, minced garlic, and salt; also Herby Cucumber Salad (CL/jun12; web). Pretty good salad. No dessert needed.

Saturday/19-Nov-16: More cleaning today. And flu shot. Roasted the beet I bought on Tuesday.

Dinner was some pumpkin soup from the freezer.

Sunday/20-Nov-16: Ed went to a mens' only choir practice today, then I picked Bill up at the train station. Came home and started Nigel Slater's Slow-Roast Lamb (Diaries, p62); such a nice, easy recipe. Went off to pick Ed up and have a cup of tea at Cath and Doug's. As go-withs, we had Clothilde Dusoulier's Perfect Roasted Potatoes (web, although this is new and I've been using this recipe for years), which we really good, and used the beet I roasted yesterday to make Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), always good. For dessert we had some chocolate-raspberry tarts from the boulanger; the filling was yummy, the pastry less so.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 BACKLOG: no; #2 VEG/FISH: 3
This month: #3 PASTA: no; #4 BREAD: no; #5 FotW: yes for October/November, no for November/December

This week in the kitchen

Monday/10-Oct-16: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Moroccan Missile (Wraps, p87; cookbooker). Used lavash, rather than flour tortillas for the first round. Don't think the coucous was really needed. After two round, we were full.

Tuesday/11-Oct-16: Chicken for dinner, plus garlic mashed potatoes and a big salad. That was all.

Wednesday/12-Oct-16: Shopping today. Fish and orzo for dinner, along with steamed broccoli. That was all.

Thursday/13-Oct-16: Chicken for dinner again. Served with Baked Eggplant Slices (TooMany, p114), which is a very old favorite, and the last bit of some multi-colored pasta shells, tossed with shallot, garlic, the rest of the mushrooms I bought for yesterday's orzo, and chopped parsley. For a salad, we had Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), another old favorite. That's all there was.

Yogurt on overninght.

Friday/15-Oct-16: Dinner was Baked Beef Curry (MJ@Home, p139), which was pretty easy to put together, and tasty to eat. Served with rice, and then some Pan-Grilled Zucchini (MJ@Home, p173) again. This time I sprayed my zucchini slices with olive oil before cooking them under the broiler. This worked super well. That was all.

Saturday/15-Oct-16: Lunch out today for our anniversary. Nothing further happened in the kitchen, but I did get a lot of ironing done.

Sunday/16-Oct-16: Salmon pasta for dinner, followed by a big salad. It was good and I was full. Ed had a mini magnum after, I had nothing extra.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 BACKLOG:  no; #2 VEG/FISH: 3
This month: #3 PASTA: no; #4 BREAD: no; #5 FotW: no for Oct/Nov

This week in the kitchen

Monday/6-Oct-14: We had lunch out today with friends. In the evening there was only popcorn.

Tuesday/7-Oct-14: Yogurt on overday.

VIsited a health food store and Grand Frais after my quarterly visit to the ENT today. Result: impulse buys, meaning replanning of next week's menus.

Dinner with Easy Marinated Griddled Chicken (web), which was good enough, if nothing spectacular. Served with some butternut squash gnocchi from the freezer with sage butter sauce and steamed broccoli. That was all.

Wednesday/8-Oct-14: Shopping today.

The first of my impulse buys appeared as dinner tonight as Pappardelle with Zucchini Blossom Sauce (web), interesting but nothing special. Then an old favorite Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane , p180). For dessert, I had a small third of a magnum classic and Ed had the rest.

Thursday/9-Oct-14: The last time I made jam a couple of months ago, I re-used Albert Heijn jars. At least one of them sealed! It could have happened before, but we happened to be sitting in the room and heard it pop. Just remembered that this morning. Why?

So, IHCC being through with Nigel Slater, I've put my books back on the shelf. And they don't fit. I got one new book just before this challenge started and I guess that's the odd one out now. But I've got three more on order, waiting for the paperback editions due out later this year. Where are they going to go?

For a munchy while dinner was finishing up, I made Spicy Cucumber Wedges (MJ1, p172). The main was Fish FIllet in an Indian Way (30MinCook, p124), which was tasty, but a bit odd. The fish weren't really fried as described, but simmered in the sauce resulting from the yogurt and the cilantro sauce. As sides there were a half dose of Stir-Fried Green Cabbage with Fennel Seeds (Q&E, p88) and Turmeric Rice (Q&E, p100). We didn't think we wanted some for afters, but later decided that a bit of brie would be nice. Seems odd after an Indian-ish meal, but it worked.

In last week's shopping, I bought a cabbage. We've had three meals from it and there's still a chunk to use. I miss our Dutch greengrocer who would sell us a half cabbage or whatever.

Friday/10-Oct-14: Another impulse buy from Tuesday, a half recipe of Leek and Chanterelle Tart (Sunset, p298). The chanterelles we know in English are called girolles in French. I bought chanterelles jaunes, which have orange-yellow stems and brown caps. These were cheaper than the girolles, but still good. A nice tart, easy to assemble. Then a big salad. No dessert.

Saturday/11-Oct-14: Nothing in the kitchen today. We went to Poitiers for a concert and an overnight.

Sunday/12-Oct-14: We'd intended to go to another concert this afternoon and a pizza afterwards, but neither of us slept well last night, and we didn't feel like going out. So we ate from the freezer.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 COOKBOOKS: yes/; #2 VEG/FISH: 3
This month: #3 PASTA: no; #4 FotW: no; #5 BREAD: 0

This week in the kitchen

Monday/30-Sep-13: Yogurt on overday.

For dinner there was a half recipe of Indian-Spiced Eggplant & Cauliflower Stew (web) which #1 took ages to get done, much more than advertised time, and #2 was fairly boring taste-wise. Served with rice. For dessert, I used plums to make Dusoulier's Peach, Almond, and Cardamom Clafoutis (Dusoulier2, p93). I used only half the fruit asked, which was much nicer than before, everything fit in the pan, and cooked it much longer. Very tasty.

IHCC is moving on to Donna Hay for the next period. I don't really know her, but have heard good things. Nevertheless, I'm not going to participate. Instead I'll concentrate on posting for Cook Your Books, using some of my seldom-used cookbooks.

Have done really poorly on goals in the last couple of months. Hope I can get back on track in October.

Tuesday/1-Oct-13: We had our main meal at midday today in anticipation of going to a movie in the evening. It was a half recipe of Filet Mignon, Purée de Chou-fleur et Épinards (VPQ), that's a pork tenderloin (I think it is in English, varkenshaas in Dutch) with a purée of cauliflower and potato, with a dab on spinach on the side. Pretty good. The smashed cauliflower was pretty good, and served as a bed for the meat. The meat was glazed with a honey-soy sauce mixture that could have been a bit zingier. Then a salad with the first of our San Marzano tomatoes. And a bit of plum clafoutis.

After the movie (Blue Jasmine) we finished off the clafoutis.

Wednesday/2-Oct-13: Shopping today. Dinner was a half recipe of Grilled Swordfish with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Olives (License, p170; cookbooker). There was no swordfish today, so it was shark instead. The fish is simply cooked, rubbed with olive oil, S&P'd, and grilled. The salady bit on the side is what makes this special. The artichoke is boiled, then grilled, and finally tossed with tomato (San Marzano from the garden), black olives, parsley, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice. Served with orzo cooked in the artichoke boiling water. (Hmm...guess I should have taken a photo of this and done a post for my seldom used books. It was quite pretty on the plate, too.) For dessert we had half a classic Magnum. Since they don't want to carry the mini Magnum classics, we'll just cut it in half ourselves. (Mini classics were on sale recently at one grocery, but they had none in stock.)

Thursday/3-Oct-13: Yogurt on overday.

Roasted the beets that I bought yesterday. They don't usually have fresh beets, so I took advantage.

Dinner was Zucchini and Feta Gratin (MC). Yes, still working on zucchini backlog; thank goodness production seems to have shut down. I keep forgetting how good this is. Since I expect it would be good with any veg, I'm going to try this again before too long with broccoli. For a starter there was Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180).

Friday/4-Oct-13: Busy day today, my drawing group in the morning, and a haircut in the afternoon. The haircut doesn't sound like that much, but they've now moved 1.5hr from here; drive back was miserable in driving rain with Tomtom insisting that I needed to go cross-country rather than travelling on the highway. Grr... Between my two outings we had lunch out. For dinner there was popcorn, a plate of fruit, and the first episode of New Tricks season 9.

Saturday/5-Oct-13: Picked the chicken carcass today and made Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (web) in the crockpot. Pretty good it was, too. Also made chicken stock, which I'll finish off tomorrow. Also made apple butter. Also made up ground roasted cumin for my Indian dishes.

Sunday/6-Oct-13: We had the rest of the Zucchini and Feta Gratin for dinner, preceded by one of our favorites, Lamb's Lettuce and Beetroot salad (BEFCC, p32). And some Afrikas for dessert.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 IHCC/COOKBOOKS: no, #2 VEG/FISH: 4
This month: #3 PASTA: no for September, no for October, #4 BREAD: no for September, no for October

This week in the kitchen

Monday/15-Jul-13: Clean-out-the-fridge day. Corn on the cob that I got at Intermarché last Friday. Sautéed shallot, garlic, red bell pepper, zucchini (the last of the broccoli was moldy). Provence herbs. Served over brown rice. A bit blah in taste, but the last of the Fourme d'Ambert helped. Double chocolate mini magnums for a dog walk, looking for Sophie.

Tuesday/16-Jul-13: Yogurt on overday.

Off to Roc de Boeuf for lovely dinner this evening. Now I need to try to find recipes for the terrine of beef tongue that Ed had as a starter and the pastilla d'agneau that I had as a main.

Wednesday/17-Jul-13: We met Jody and Steve for dinner at a restaurant in Chabanais this evening, them coming from Barcelona and we coming from home. After a nice meal we lead them home.

Buchwheat Bread (BigGerman, p38) on overnight.

Thursday/18-Jul-13: Yogurt on overday.

Shopped today.

Dinner: Started with melon, some of the Serrano ham Jody and Steve brought from Spain, and a slog of pineau. At the store, got some saumon crepinettes for our evening meal, what turned out to be a fish pâté topped with salmon, wrapped in crepin, caul fat, to hold it together. Barbecuing didn't seem to work, so I put them in a hot skillet to cook. Only to discover they really were cooked, just no browning or grill marks. Turned out to be pretty good. We grilled a bunch of veg as a go-with (yellow and red bell peppers, big shroom, eggplant quartered lengthwise). For after, we ate lots of bits of cheese.

Friday/19-Jul-13: Jody did most of the work, and I finished up some of Fatima's Apricot Jam. 6-1/2 AH jars worth of what looks to be a bit runny jam. Tastes good though.

Dinner started with Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), an old favorite. Then there was Roast Easter Lam with White Wine (ClassItal, p408), a tasty way to do a lamb's shoulder. This was accompanied by Golden Potato and Porcini Gratin (web), a not bad substitute for Sliced Potatoes Baked with Porcini and Fresh Cultivated Mushrooms, Riviera Style (ClassItal, p522), which I'd have made if I'd had any fresh mushrooms. We finished up quickly and went to try to see badgers emerging from their sett in a nearby wood. No luck there.

Yogurt on overnight.

Saturday/20-Jul-13: Walked 8k at a randonnée nocturne this evening, so not much happened in the kitchen.

Sunday/21-Jul-13: Started ice cream for tomorrow. Started chicken marinating for tomorrow.

For dinner Ed bbq'd the brochettes and sausage we bought earlier in the week. I made some Broccoli e Zucchini in Insalata (VegCarluccio, p53) again. Steve sautéed some chanterelles we found at the grocery store. Boiled up the corn on the cob we got earlier in the week.

After dinner, we put together an apricot tart for tomorrow. Have finally used up all the apricots; quite a few were already spoiled.

Yogurt on overnight.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 IHCC/COOKBOOKS: no, #2 VEG/FISH: 1
This month: #3 PASTA: no, #4 BREAD: no

This week in the kitchen

Monday/15-Oct-12: Lunch out today. Started Pickled Green Chiles (WofE, p367) to replace the smashed jar of pickle and for the upcoming Jaffrey theme on pickles and chutneys. Set the jar in the sun ... what sun?

For dinner, I defrosted some Gingery Cauliflower Soup. We had that, with some store-bought naan, then a bit of goat cheese, then the rest of the kulfi. A no-effort dinner, not too bad.

Tuesday/16-Oct-12: Shopping today.

Dinner started with Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), always a favorite. Then there was Oven-Steamed Salmon with Lentils and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (VeryBest, p309). This was definitely so-so. The lentils were pretty blah and the salmon was nowhere as good as last week's, which was cooked by the same method. Maybe it was slightly overcooked, maybe the fish itself wasn't as good (it was on special today), don't know. Then some roquefort smashed with unsalted butter. Then some chocolate tarts from the shop.

Yogurt on overnight.

Wednesday/17-Oct-12: Off to Poitiers for an overnight, prior to a day at Futuroscope. Left Bill with some soup from the freezer.

Thursday/18-Oct-12: Spent the day at Futuroscope, then back home and off to La Bellone for dinner.

Friday/19-Oct-12: We'd intended to eat at a food fair in Limoges today, but it's been raining raining raining, so we decided to stay home. I defrosted some chicken thighs and made Chicken Drumsticks, Ethiopian Style (web), which was quite good. Put some Potatoes Baked with Garlic (MJFamily, p106) in the oven, but too late to eat with the chicken, so made some rice. And a salad. And some mixed berries over a waffle with the last of the vanilla ice milk for after.

Saturday/20-Oct-12: Made Apple-Plum Butter (MC) this morning, and with plums this time. Put the chicken on to marinate for Buttermilk Roast Chicken (Essential, p493). Rain rain rain cancelled the Fête du Vin at St Sornin, but it did start to clear a bit in the afternoon, so we went to La Roche for the Marché du Goût and bought a sackful of goodies. Then we took ourselves out for fish and chips.

Sunday/21-Oct-12: Yogurt on overday. Brought the green chili pickle in. Quick taste shows it to be seriously hot, but not much else in the way of flavor. It will wait to be tried with some food.

For lunch, before going off to an early concert, I roasted the chicken, warmed the potatoes, and steamed some broccoli. A pretty good meal, topped off with some of the cake Bill bought at the Marché du Goût yesterday. That was good, but it turned out to be chocolate with a orange flavors added, which surprised us all.

When we got back from the concert we had some cheese and some cookies from the Marché du Goût.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 COOKBOOKS:  yes, #2 BREAD:  no, #3 SOUP: yes, #4 MIDDAY: yes, #5 VEG/FISH: 2
This month: #6 PASTA:  no

This week in the kitchen

Monday/9-Jul-12: Had our main meal late midday today. Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorns (web). Had a boneless loin instead of one with bones. Very tasty, meat tender. The sauce was good but there was a lot of it. I ended up freezing 3 cups of it, along with 300g of meat. Served with polenta and some steamed green beans.

Tuesday/10-Jul-12: Authentic French Bread from memory in the machine this morning.

Really not into cooking tonight, and we don't much like our closest pizza place. So, dinner was Scallops with Thai-Scented Pea Purée (web; cookbooker). Some double-chocolate mini-Magnums for dessert.

Wednesday/11-Jul-12: Had a little barbecue after BIll and Panos arrived. We started with Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), one of our favorite salads, using the first two beets from the garden. With our grilled poultry merguez we had North African Zucchini Salad with Garlic, Chili Paste, and Caraway (MedHot, p32) and some potato salad, very loosely out of Joy of Cooking.

Thursday/12-Jul-12: Bill took us to dinner at La Bellone tonight. Nothing happened in our kitchen.

Yogurt on overnight.

Friday/13-Jul-12: Bill suggested Indian, so that's what we had this evening. The main course was Spicy Baked Chicken (Masaledar Murghi) (MJ1, p71), using a bunch of chicken thighs. This is an easy, yummy dish, nice for company because you set the chicken to marinate until less than an hour before you're ready for it, then pop it in the oven, turning only once. As Jaffrey suggests, I served with Rice with Peas (Tahiri) (MJ1, p149) and Red Split Lentils with Cumin Seed (Masoor Dal) (MJ1, p122), both of which I've made many times. As a go-with, I made some Yogurt with Cucumber and Mint (MJ1, p162), which is my standard raita recipe.

Saturday/14-Jul-12: Yogurt on overday.

Sunday/15-Jul-12: Dinner was Almond Crusted Roast Lamb (web;  LaFrance, p86), a very nice leg of lamb, browned in a skillet then cooked at high temp. Lots of leftovers to deal with tomorrow. Accompanied by Carrot Pilaf (MC) and Steamed Summer Squash Vinaigrette (TooMany, p202). Followed by Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake (web), a pretty darn good chocolate cake and easy too.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 COOKBOOKS: no, #2 BREAD: yes, #3 SOUP: no, #4 MIDDAY: yes, #5 VEG/FISH: 1
This month: #6 PASTA: no

This week in the kitchen

Monday/1-Mar-10: We forgot to go by the boulanger yesterday, so I made some Rapid cycle English Muffin Bread this morning so we'd have some for lunch. For dinner I grillpanned some merguez de volaille and mashed some sweet potatoes, followed by a salad of mâche. The last of our chocolate truffles (discounted xmas candy) for dessert.

Tuesday/2-Mar-10: Made more Apple-Plum Butter (MC) this morning, with Sainte Germaine apples and some Santa Rosa (?) plums. Added 1/2 tsp cardamom and reduced nutmeg to 1/4 tsp. We'll see how that goes it a while.

Dinner was an improvised pasta using pancetta and mushrooms that needed to be used up. Pretty good. Followed by a salad with Not Your Mother's Green Beans (MW@Home, p82) over mâche. For dessert we each had a little prune muffin sort of thing from a package we bought on sale a couple of weeks ago.

Nobody went to the boulanger, so I made some Whole Wheat 1 bread (BigGerman, P20).

Wednesday/3-Mar-10: The bread turned out pretty good, high and nice texture. Made nice sandwiches too.

Ate the leftover cauliflower-leek non-patties for dinner, along with some leftover onion relish (which wasn't as good on repeat) and a dab of leftover Laura's Garlicky Lemon, Feta, and Couscous Salad. Made another little sauce with a bit of feta, yogurt, cucumber, and garlic, and some of our old favorite Carrot and Onion Salad (MJ1, p171). Used the mandolin to cut the carrots; this was fine.

Thursday/4-Mar-10: Went to the butcher this morning to buy 1 grosse tranche de gigot d'agneau. He cut me off a slice, then we both agreed that it was a bit small for two, so he cut another. In retrospect, Ed and I, not being big meat-eaters, would have done fine with the single slice; now we're stuffed, if pleasantly so. Used them to make Tranche de Gigot d'Agneau Grillée à la Diable (Vie Practique Gourmand, now MC). The go-with was Clothilde Dusolier's Perfect Roasted Potatoes again, this time with goose fat, as suggested by Nigella Lawson, although not nearly as much as she would have you use. (I think her roasted potatoes are actually deep fried in the oven.) For a starter with had Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180; MC), an old favorite. For dessert, I made a half recipe of SmittenKitchen'sCaramel Pudding (now MC); good it was and just the right amount (1/2 cup).

Friday/5-Mar-10: Dinner was and old recipe, Potato and Green Bean Salad (MC), using up the, yes, potatoes and green beans. Some of the cheese from the market (didn't get it's name) and the rest of the Caramel Pudding for afters.

Saturday/6-Mar-10: This afternoon I used some of the leftover smashed sweet potatoes to make Sweet Potato Bread (BigGerman, p59). We'll see how this is tomorrow morning.

For dinner, there was Spicy Cajun Shrimp (MW@Home, p255), an old favorite. A bit on the spicy side, maybe because I forgot the add the liquid (wine, lemon juice, white wine worcestershire) which might have toned it done a bit. No wonder there wasn't much soppy! It was edible nevertheless. Followed by a salad with a bit of Pomiane's beet dressing. And a bit of cheese.

Sunday/7-Mar-10: The sweet potato bread for breakfast was quite good.

Went to the chilly vide grenier in Chasseneuil this morning and then shopped just before Ecomarché closed. They were out of lots of stuff. No free-range chickens, only some scrawny factory things; limp chard. A bad week for Cooking Italy. Maybe next week we can go to Géant in Angolême to get the chard.

Before dinner I made an Upside Down Cake (MC) with peaches, which served as dessert. For dinner we had an Omelette with Sautéed Aubergine and Goat Cheese from Delicious mag. Not finding any hard goat cheese, I crumbled half a log. Good, but not sure if it's worth keeping. The recipe called for halved or quartered Little Gem lettuce heads, oiled and cooked on the grill pan. That was interesting, although I can't say I'd do it again.

This week in the kitchen

Monday was Spinach-Ricotta Gnocchi. Served with butter and Parmesan. Leaden they were. I cut back a recipe that I used once before (maybe 30 years ago!), since I had only 250g ricotta in the house. Mixed all in the food processor. It was incredibly soupy. I had to add lots and lots of flour to make it rollable. Very strange. And I've got gnocchi to feed an army. I cooked about half, and we couldn't finish them off. I'll make a batch of "pizza sauce" of roasted red bell peppers and use some of that for a topping and serve them as a side dish.

Tuesday we ate at Sally and Mike's before going off line dancing.

Wednesday was Shrimp Fried Rice (MC). The rest of the Coeur Tendre camembert for after, plus some Afrikas.

Thursday we had lunch for our anniversary at La Grange aux Oies, four courses, and I didn't feel like eating dinner at all. Made some ersatz pizza sauce with a jar of roasted red bell peppers, spread some of it over the leftover gnocchi and warmed it in the oven for Ed's dinner. It went together quite well. I froze the rest of the sauce for pizza one of these days.

Friday we started with Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180), a favorite. More or less made a third recipe of Kingklip Stroganoff (MC 2BTried). No kingklip available and cod was a bit pricey; used lieu noir, which is cheap, but uninteresting. Won't save this recipe. Served with steamed haricots verts.

Saturday was Cooking Italy day: For starters, Roasted Eggplant with Peppers and Cucumber (ClassicItal, p55). For main, Pan-Roasted Lamb with Juniper Berries (ClassicItal, p411) and Sliced Potatoes Baked with Porcini and Fresh Cultivated Mushrooms, Riviera Style (ClassicItal, p522). For dessert, a store-bought tiramisu. While the meat was cooking, I made the marinated for tomorrow's pork.

Sunday, I used a large varkenshaas/pork tenderloin to make Ancho- and Chipotle-Rubbed Pork Loin (MC). (I froze half the rub, since I had about half the meat.) Served with polenta and steamed broccoli. Yum! Froze quite a bit of leftover meat. We're really meat-eaters in the last days. And tomorrow I'll roast a chicken — on sale at the grocery, couldn't resist.

This week in the kitchen

Monday, we went to get our new cat, Sophie, from Phoenix. Upon our return, I started a pot of chicken stock with the leftover roasted chicken bits. While that was simmering I did with my version of our latest Cooking Italy assignment. All with an inquisitive, new kitty underfoot.

Tuesday, I awoke to find the Mac out of disk and unable to boot following an attempt at a Mozy backup gone awry. We had lunch out (La Bellone) and sandwiches for dinner. I cooked broccoli stalks and a zucchini that wanted using in some of the chicken stock, puréed, and froze it for soup one of these days. Froze 2cups of chicken stock.

Wednesday, it was Lentils and Potatoes with Curry (H2CEV, p600). Not bad for the small amount of effort involved. Served with mango chutney and lime pickle. (Made it with chick stock ipv veg stock.) Never made it to the boulanger, so made bread overnight, Bran 1 (BigGerman, p23). A pretty good whole wheat bran bread.

Thursday, we picked up our new dog from Phoenix, so we had a fast dinner of 4-cheese ravioli and pesto from the freezer, along with a big salad.

Friday, a favorite, Cold Beetroot with Cream (Pomiane, p180) for a starter. Then some pork chops, with sautéed potatoes, and steamed broccoli (with garlic slices in butter). Pork chops were a bit thinner than I thought and turned out a bit dry on the grillpan.

Saturday we were busy, catching up on shopping, hanging out with the new dog and cat, and trying (still) to get the Mac going. Thus a quick dinner, Scallops with Black Pepper Sauce (MC) over rice. The end of a bit of Camembert was afters.

Sunday morning we got the Mac going again -- hooray! -- then spent all the day getting things to right and got started with dinner too late to make pasta and sauce for Cooking Italy. Instead made Eggplant, Red Pepper, and Spinach Curry (MWSunday, p303) served over rice, which used up the end of yesterday's red bell pepper, plus a green bell pepper, plus some frozen spinach. Again with mango chutney and lime pickle and some raita (MJ1).