Open Thread: Thursday Night Menu
By Anne Laurie January 27th, 2011
From our Food Goddess, TaMara:
I know many of you are snowed under and I’m sorry about that. I’m wishing for spring as hard as you. Meanwhile we’ve had a suspicious 60 degree day with the promise of an ugly storm soon to follow. Can I just say, “yippee.” (I’d say more, but I try to keep it PG). One other note: our intrepid blogger/photographer JeffW is on crutches after knee surgery, so everyone please wish him well.
Tonight’s menu is pretty simple, for those lazy nights when you don’t want to cook an elaborate meal. I usually let everyone assemble their own sandwich at the counter – less cleanup. I didn’t put chips on the menu, but they would probably show up last minute at my house anyway. The walnut pear salad is a nice treat this time of year, when you can usually find fresh pears at a good price. Pears and bleu cheese are a winning combo, and spinach seems to be on sale everywhere this week. If you can find it, drinking chocolate is like hot cocoa on steroids. We have a local coffee roaster who also makes drinking chocolate. It’s as if someone melted a chocolate bar in your cup and added some cream. A little goes a very long way.
On the board tonight:
1. Beef & Pepper Subs
2. Walnut Pear Salad
3. Hot cocoa, marshmallows and graham crackers
Recipes and shopping list, as ever, at the link.
******
PS from Anne Laurie: Speaking (longingly) of the prospect of Spring, am I the only one getting twice as many seed catalogs as usual, some from companies who dropped me from their mailing lists years ago?
Posted in Black Thumb, Cooking, Open Thread
I made this, and it was awesome.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I’m not on any such lists, but it seems like a good idea, from a marketing standpoint.
This has been one of the more awful winters on record in a lot of places, and seed catalogs are like the Sears Wish Book when you’re buried under Snowpocalypse Number Whatever and freezing your butt off.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
@Comrade Luke: Millions of British schoolchildren may hurl epithets at me, but I like Jamie’s cooking.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
OK, so I click over there and I see a very nice sandwich recipe, which maybe would be nice for Soopah Bowl Sunday, and am looking around and I DON’T SEE ANY RECIPE FOR DRINKING CHOCOLATE. What the hell IS drinking chocolate? And why don’t I have any right now? ! ? !
January 27th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
@MikeJ: Why do British schoolchildren hate him?
January 27th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
We went out tonight to the
wildly overratedDinosaur BBQ in Troy. Technically, the ribs were nice and meaty, and cooked correctly insofar as they were falling off the bone, etc., but the seasoning was bland, and that “sauce” they have, bleah. Boring and vinegary. So, now I have to figure out where the hell I can find wood charcoal so I can make some proper BBQ, despite the cold, and exorcise this memory. The white “reggae” band from Boston playing didn’t help matters either.On a MUCH better note, we went to RPI’s EMPAC and saw onedotzero’s compilation of short animation films wow + flutter 10. My 9 & 12 year old kids loved it. I would have liked to stay for the second feature, wavelength 10, but that would have pushed the boundaries of kid patience more than I dared.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
@Svensker: In Seattle, Metropolitan Market sells drinking chocolate. $12-$15 for a 12oz can, but it is tasty. You really shouldn’t pollute it with anything less than homemade marshmallows.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Down a tad, but not out!
January 27th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
@Comrade Luke: He told schools they should serve healthy food.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:29 pm
@MikeJ: I like Jamie. Rawr.
@Svensker: You are cracking me up. Are you plus anything right now?
Just a general beg: Anyone who doesn’t want his/her snow can send it to me. kthxbai.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
@MikeJ:
What, was it hand harvested by fairy children dipped in gold who are executed afterward so they won’t give away the location of the pods? Good grief. You could feed a child in Africa for that. Or buy a decent bottle of wine.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:38 pm
@MikeJ: Ha. OK, that makes perfect sense then :)
That chicken breast couldn’t have been easier to make, and just a little salt, pepper and herbs make all the difference.
Who cares though – pass the sloppy joes!
January 27th, 2011 at 11:49 pm
@ JeffreyW, wishing you a swift recovery!
January 28th, 2011 at 12:19 am
@asiangrrlMN:
If you do, make sure to drop it all in her front doorway. Whatever you do, do not put any of it on my sidewalk or driveway. And sure as hell don’t put any on the streets of Minneapolis; snow has already made them too narrow to really be safe.
January 28th, 2011 at 12:36 am
@J. Michael Neal: That is fine. I will take it all!
January 28th, 2011 at 12:42 am
@asiangrrlMN: I would happily send you my snow. While digging my car out this morning, I had daydreams about a garage. There is just a limited amount of space to put the snow and if I could teleport a significant amount to another place it would help things alot.
January 28th, 2011 at 12:46 am
Chris Bosh didn’t play. That is the only reason the world isn’t coming to an end. And Gallinari had 20 points!!
January 28th, 2011 at 12:49 am
An evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred of other people remove a person from the world. (Pirkei Avot) (A sort of charm. The passage from Tanya was too long)
January 28th, 2011 at 12:51 am
I just came across this and for some reason thought of youall.
January 28th, 2011 at 12:53 am
Beef and peppers, + walnut and pears…yum
January 28th, 2011 at 12:56 am
@asiangrrlMN:
It isn’t supposed to snow until Tuesday but I will keep you in mind.
January 28th, 2011 at 12:57 am
@Comrade Luke:
Because he is a loverly jubbly tosspot.
January 28th, 2011 at 1:05 am
So, I’ve been thinking about issues regarding mental health care. Most people who know that there’s something wrong with them (and are invisible to the system) probably view themselves as being difficult patients for mental health service providers or feel that they’re condescended to when they visit psychologists. At the same time, it’s not like they have money to get treated for basic mental health care, much less care from top quality places. How much does it cost to pay for someone you know to receive mental care? According to a quick google search, it’s on the order of 20,000 dollars. So. Just saying – good mental care for people you know who may need it or want it isn’t really accessible.
January 28th, 2011 at 1:06 am
@Gina:
I ate at the one in Rochester when I was there in the fall. I expected to be disappointed in the food and it was pretty below average especially given the raves I had heard. And the atmosphere was completely forced.
January 28th, 2011 at 1:15 am
@MikeJ: This winter, I discovered vegetarian marshmallows and it’s been a revelation. I forgot how much cocoa needed marshmallows. Even the store bought kind. Delicious!
January 28th, 2011 at 1:20 am
Can someone please watch this video and reassure me that I didn’t just hallucinate it?
January 28th, 2011 at 1:41 am
@Mark S.: Can’t do it. Eventually, I’m going to have to sleep tonight.
January 28th, 2011 at 2:07 am
@slag: There is of course the option of making your own though that can be difficult without a stand mixer and a steady hand.
(Note: recipe is about halfway down.)
(EDIT 2: FYWP)
January 28th, 2011 at 2:11 am
@Yutsano:
That’s not a very vegetarian recipe though. Gelatin is derived from the collagen in animal bones and skin.
In my experience, when people become vegan the two biggest head shakers are that marshmallows and Guiness (fish oil) aren’t either remotely vegan
January 28th, 2011 at 2:28 am
@Ailuridae: Thanks to teh Google, there are indeed alternatives out there. Caveat: I have no idea how effective this is. I do know that agar-agar, which can be found in any Asian grocery store, works just as well.
January 28th, 2011 at 2:50 am
Last spring was when the Glenn Beck Armageddon Seed Bank ads started running. There’s money out there to be made now.
I too am longing for spring. It was only 75 today. Anything under 78 is just intolerable.
January 28th, 2011 at 2:54 am
@Martin:
I too am longing for spring. It was only 75 today. Anything under 78 is just intolerable
That was mean spirited. And it also seems warm even fr SD - where are you in CA?
January 28th, 2011 at 3:09 am
@Ailuridae: Coastal Orange County. It’s been unusually warm lately, to be honest. My mom is visiting from Iowa and enjoying not being bundled up. Glad the weather cooperated.
January 28th, 2011 at 3:15 am
Couple of PS notes for BHF:
1) I absolutely DETEST green peppers. Any other color under the rainbow I’ll scarf, but green ones just make me ill.
2) You probably aren’t a shrimp fan because you don’t live on a coast, and things like seafood are truly the best freshly plucked from the water. But FWIW my sister-in-law agrees with you. We’re working on her too. :)
January 28th, 2011 at 3:45 am
Martin:
Then you are longing for summer. Anything over 77 is summer weather, says I.
.
January 28th, 2011 at 6:41 am
PS from Anne Laurie: Speaking (longingly) of the prospect of Spring, am I the only one getting twice as many seed catalogs as usual, some from companies who dropped me from their mailing lists years ago?
I haven’t noticed getting catalogs from people who dropped me but since I order from Arbico Organics for organic pest control, I’ve started getting more organic catalogs which I’m actually happy about. One of my favorites is Seeds Of Change, which is all hippie-dippie-hey-everybody-let’s-start-a-community-garden. Totally love it. Cheers me up when I think the bastards have won.
January 28th, 2011 at 7:09 am
I’m off to to the Tampa Bay Area tomorrow for most of the week, where the highs are forecast at about 72. Ima take my camp chair and spend my free day Sunday sitting on the beach.
Topic: I’ll be supping at the Columbia and Bern’s Steakhouse. Updates will be posted as they warrant.
January 28th, 2011 at 7:26 am
Morning, bitchez. ‘Sup?
January 28th, 2011 at 7:41 am
@asiangrrlMN: Mornin, Ma’am
January 28th, 2011 at 7:43 am
Damn, the A team up in here!
January 28th, 2011 at 7:47 am
John’s Co has a nice piece here.
“Like concentric security barriers arrayed around the Pentagon, these four factors—institutional self-interest, strategic inertia, cultural dissonance, and misremembered history—insulate the military budget from serious scrutiny. For advocates of a militarized approach to policy, they provide invaluable assets, to be defended at all costs.”
January 28th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Hey, boys. What’s up? I have an 8 a.m. appointment—thus, the switcheroo in commenting time. Not as hopping in the morning, I see.
January 28th, 2011 at 8:14 am
@asiangrrlMN: Buncha dead asses.
January 28th, 2011 at 8:16 am
yo, stuck
January 28th, 2011 at 8:17 am
@jeffreyw: How’s the wheel?
January 28th, 2011 at 8:18 am
wondering whether I should go back to bed, Buddy got up with me, as did Ann and Jack but they are back asleep now
January 28th, 2011 at 8:20 am
sore and stiff, I will remove the bandage this morning to get a look at it, seems to be daily improvement
January 28th, 2011 at 8:21 am
@jeffreyw: Sounds like normal recovery, drive on!
January 28th, 2011 at 8:23 am
@jeffreyw: I missed it! What happened? I hope you feel better, whatever it is. I’m out.
January 28th, 2011 at 8:23 am
I was flipping through channels last night, and I stopped on a fishing show, just because the weather looked really nice on that lake.
Sigh. My feet are cold.
January 28th, 2011 at 8:50 am
@asiangrrlMN: Torn cartilage in a knee, repaired Tuesday by arthroscopy. No clue how the injury occurred, one morning the knee was painful and by evening the pain had me fearing the next step.
January 28th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Morning everyone. Someone at work gave me the flu. I am not pleased. But Svensker made me laugh, so I’m feeling better. Glad to see there were no other complaints about the menu. Cheers.
January 28th, 2011 at 9:47 am
@jeffreyw: Oh, crap. I hope it mends quickly.
January 28th, 2011 at 10:21 am