Yeah, that's what I meant--same company. For all that it's a distance to such places for you (as opposed to for me, who can walk to most of those) is that you have all the food benefits of farm life. I was reading the food sourcing thread, but I pretty much have to rely on labelling to be moderately accurate. The farmers who come to our farmers' markets are entrepreneurs and merchants, first and foremost, and come from at least 100 miles away.

Well as usual everything looks and sounds so good. I see I haven't posted to this thread since last Sat. We bought a half bushel of live blue crabs last Sunday and brought home and steamed up. They were small (which is not unusual for this time of year) but were packed full of meat. They were terrific! We ate those on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday I grilled burgers along with roasted potato wedges. Wednesday hubby had a follow-up appt. w/the doctor and we had a gift certificate for PF Changs so stopped there for a late lunch/dinner. We ordered quite a bit. We enjoyed the appetizers more then our entrees. Thursday I grilled fish and served on sub rolls w/lettuce and tartar sauce. Last night I pulled some leftovers out of the freezer. Today was a lazy day as it rained off and on so ruined my plans to work in the yard. We watched movies and I cleaned a bit. We didn't feel like anything exciting so I just made some open faced sandwiches like what I saw Closet Cooking do from his blog - Ham, cheese (I used Swiss), pineapple slice, dashes of Worch. Sauce, Honey Mustard on lightly toasted English Muffins and then put under the broiler. They were good and I will make again. Served along w/Ina's Tomato Soup that I had stashed in the freezer.

I'm really craving more crabs and will have to resist buying more tomorrow:)

Jude, I've never even seen a Ross, or heard of it. We have Marshall's and TJ Maxx in Grand Rapids, about an hour away, but no HomeGoods. So, I stop in whenever I visit Elery.

Pllog, I wouldn't trade my place here in the boondocks for every Trader Joe's on the face of the earth, I'll take my eggs fresh from under the hen, still warm, and make Trader Joe's and HomeGoods a rare treat. Still haven't been to an IKEA either....

OK, supper. But first, breakfast. Elery is here and he made broccoli omelettes for breadfast, with toast from my homemade oatmeal maple bread:

The Princess and Bruvver came to visit, while Bruvver played with Cooper the Princess helped bake and decorate cupcakes:

We had frosting and sprinkles left, so we put frosting between two graham crackers and rolled the edges in sprinkles:

Supper was grilled chicken on a bed of romaine with avocado and mango, and a dressing made of my homemade nonfat yogurt, some mustard and local honey:

We had graham crackers for dessert:

Bruvver is spending the night with the "other Grandma" and Makayla is here, so we'll be having either pancakes or cupcakes for breakfast. Maybe both.

Annie

All the meals look and sound wonderful. Annie it's always so much fun to see The Princess and Bruvver.

Tonight I made my DIL's mother's recipe for meatballs sausage and tomato sauce.

You might remember this sadly mangled part from the pasta cookalong day:

Max did an amazing job of bending it back into shape and now it looks like this:

I made a half a pound of whole wheat spaghetti which we loved:

We really liked the whole wheat pasta - I think you were wondering about that Annie. I made a half recipe using 3/4c WW flour, 3/8c semolina, 3/8c AP flour, 2 eggs and 1T olive oil. I thought the sauce might be a little to salty (it wasn't-it was perfect) so I didn't add any salt to the pasta or the cooking water. I choose a recipe with a little oil because I had read elsewhere that WW pasta can be crumbly and hard to manage. This was not. It kneaded smoothly and extruded perfectly. I will make it again. I liked it better than any WW I have purchased and of course it was much cheaper to make. I might try increasing the WW flour leaving the semolina the same and decreasing the AP.

Tomorrow my main cooking will be dog food - I'm clueless about what we will eat.

Lee

Ann, those zucchinis look delicious. Sol, Id love to have that lemon cheesecake for my breakfast this morning. Dixiedog, my friend and I have reservations later this year for a crab-themed bus trip to the eastern shore of MD so we hope to be eating our fill of blue crabs then.

We had some good dinners this week:

1) green pea and mint soup with pita "pizzas" topped with caramelized onion, black and green olives and feta cheese
2) black beans with mango sauce, white rice and chicken breast tenders baked in a sauce of orange, lime and pineapple juices, cumin and chili powder, etc.
3) pasta with grilled Chinese eggplant and mushrooms topped with a sauce of pureed sauteed garlic and spinach in olive oil, basil and a splash of basalmic vinegar
4) ham and asparagus omelette, crusty wheat rolls and fruit cup

Today, Im grilling half a turkey breast for lunches but well have some for dinner with a mix of wild rice, dried cranberries and butternut squash that I bought already prepared at the farmers market yesterday and green beans with toasted walnuts.

Annie Makayla is sure growing up quickly and going to be an excellent cook after all the quality kitchen time she is having with you!

Lee I love your pasta machine....and especially seeing how you make whole wheat pasta, which is what we eat. It looks like I'm being tempted to think about buying one of those.

Yesterday we were out for a fish dinner and today I made pork tenderloin in bourbon sauce. I forgot how good that recipe is since it's been ages since I made it. The sauce contains many delicious items, and although it's supposed to be just a marinade, I boil it up and pour it over as a gravy. Cooked the tenderloin in a casserole dish in my toaster oven as I don't have a grill, as called for in the recipe. I halved the recipe for just the two of us.

Served with steamed potatoes, carrots, leek, onion, cauliflower, squash and frozen peas.

Pork Tenderloin With Bourbon Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/4 cup Kentucky Bourbon
* 1/4 cup light soy sauce
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, or 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* dash hot sauce
* 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

PREPARATION:

In blender or food processor, combine bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and oil; pulse until smooth. Place tenderloin and marinade in a food storage bag; refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Cook 4 inches from a hot charcoal fire for 15 to 25 minutes or until the pork has reached 165° internally and is no longer pink in the center. Baste occasionally while cooking. Slice in 1/2-inch thick slices to serve.

Serves 6.

Source: Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine.
Type of Prep : Broil, Grill
Cuisine : Southern, U.S. Regional

My Notes: I did only one tenderloin for the two of us, cutting it in half. We don't get light soy sauce here so I used the regular. Also we don't have a grill so I cooked it in a low casserole dish on the top rack of my toaster oven, 30 minutes at 200C (about 400F), turning once and basting twice. I drained off over half the marinade before cooking the tenderloin in the little oven and then boiled up for a couple of minutes what I had drained off in a small saucepan and poured it over as a sauce when serving.

SharonCb

ooooh, I love pork tenderloin and that looks like a delicious combination of ingredients!

I rarely post on the WFD thread because my dinners just don't stand up to so many of these wonderful dishes, plus no pictures. Last night it was just grilled cheese. But it was the great grilled cheese of gruyere on sourdough!

Beth

Ann, I loved reading about the chicken on Chicho's blog. I'll be trying it soon. Did you marinate overnight? I was thinking about the lemon juice "cooking" it. I love her writing style, even if some of its charm is accidental due to her native tongue(s).

Sol - I keep coming back to look at your jambalaya. I'd place it towards the top of my all-time "want to eat my computer screen" list ever.

Beth - Earlier this year I was schooled that WFD is not just to show off pictures and fancy recipes, but rather to simply talk about what we ate. So post away about your grilled cheese. Picture or not. Mine last night was Kraft Singles on Pepperidge Farm white, so you win!

Lee, thanks for the picture and update on the whole wheat pasta, I'm definitely going to have to try that. I think I still have some semolina too...

Sharon, both the kids are growing quickly and I learned my lesson with my own girls. I spend as much time with them as I can as as they will put up with and Makayla just loves to cook.

Beth, post away. I've posted peanut butter and jelly and sometimes it IS What's For Dinner, so it still counts. Grilled cheese actually sounds pretty good.

Ruthanna, I still have a mango on the counter, black beans sounds like a good combination, maybe...

So, what's for dinner? I must be thinking like Ruthanna, because Elery has turkey in the smoker, along with some tasso ham. Unfortunately, I think we're having leftover pizza today, the turkey tomorrow. Darn it.

Annie

Annie, here's the recipe I use, although I only made a half-portion of it.

BLACK BEANS IN MANGO SAUCE

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups minced red onion
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 3-inch jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp. salt
About 6 cups cooked black beans (or 3 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
6 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add 1 3/4 cups of the onion, and the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds, and salt. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the beans and about half the lime juice. Cook for about 5 minutes more until the beans are heated through and then transfer to a bowl.

Stir in the remaining lime juice and about half of the chopped mangoes directly into the hot beans, mashing the mangoes a little as you stir. Grind in some black pepper, then cove and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the sauce develop.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold, topped with the remaining red onion and mango, and some minced parsley or cilantro, if desired.

Tricia inspired me to fire up the smoker. The Italian sausage was just an experiment since I didn't want to waste an empty rack in the smoker. I will try to do something with them tomorrow.

The turkey was injected with a garlic herb marinade and I used Paula Dean's house seasoning as a rub.

Dinner was turkey, carmelized corn and an experimental stuffing. I tried adding chop meat to the stuffing. It came out pretty good.

Since we had a buffet lunch at a State Park today, it was soup for supper. My roasted garlic tomato soup I put in the freezer in the fall. That and crackers and a big glass of milk. Very satisfying.

jude

Wow! All of this sounds so wonderful!! I've just been making messes. I mean messes. Messy messes. Dinner was good though. :)

See, y'all inspired me to get out the crock pot, yesterday. I haven't used it in a couple of years, what with the kitchen remodel and all (I had absolutely no food prep space for 10 months). Did I look up any recipes? Moi? Nay! I had this lean little brisket tip that looked so good at the butcher's. I had all those lemons. Acid and sugar are what make brisket great. I'm thinking it'll make kind of a barbecue sauce. So I get all caught up in that and totally forgot that for the crockpot you use less liquid.

In go three whole sliced lemons, two onions cut into wedges, about 9 roma tomatoes and a bunch of carrots. About a third of a bottle of pinot grigio, some white grape juice and some clear apple juice, all of which were open. And cardamom, marjoram and basil. Sweat the onions? Who me? Seed the tomatoes? I'm throwing all this in the pot, some under, some over the meat, because that's how I make a brisket, right? Throw things in, cover with liquid, cook low and slow. So a few hours later I take a look and nothing is cooked down. Then I remember the whole low liquid thing.

Out comes a bottle and a baster and I pull out something like 2 quarts of cloudy juice, which isn't at all beefy seeming (I put it in the fridge thinking that it'll surely become something interesting). Within an hour there's just as much liquid and things are still not progressing too much. Finally I decide it's pretty cooked, anyway, and it's late, so I put the vegetables in a container with the juice, and the meat with a little veg and a little juice in a Corningware pot that seems the best fit and put them in the fridge.

Boy, was that lean! There were a few small granules of fat, but no globs anywhere! So, now that it's cold, I slice it. It's cooked but not all briskety yet. After all, the secret to brisket is to cook it, and then cook it some more, right? Tastes good. Lemony. But now I really have a yen for barbecue. So I put the juice and a few of the solids in a pot and blend with the immersion blender. Turns out that "enough" liquid isn't enough and it's a bit of a mess. But it works. I put it on the heat and go looking for some brown sugar. Find a surfeit of honey, so use that. And a can of tomato paste. But then it's too sweet, so I decide to puree some more vegetables. The outlets by the stove don't work but I find the mini-food processor dealie that came with the immersion blender and give it a whirl. Literally. BEST. Mini-chop. Ever. All this time I didn't know what I was missing. Having the motor in the lid makes it SO awesome!!!

So now it's not sweet enough and I find the brown sugar. And I add some mixed pepper and other seasoning. The sweet is right but it tastes...off. Then I think...SALT!!! There wasn't any celery in it, and there wasn't any mix with salt. So I added a little salt. And a little more. Better. Another tiny pinch. Much better!! A few more dashes of cayenne and it's a rich, thick, tangy, lemony, spicy barbecue sauce.

I put the brisket back in the Corningware, with the uncooked down vegetables to fill the corners, and poured a couple ladles of sauce over it. Put it in the oven on low for an hour with the cover, take it out and separate the slices with a fork a little to make sure the goop gets between, and put it back in a little hotter and uncovered to get it all goop-tastic.

This was no put it in and forget it crockpottery, but the result was very good indeed.

OMG - so much good food going on here!!

I haven't done much real cooking in quite awhile (still). I did try a new appetizer, Spanish Varillas, a goat cheese mixture with arugula and prosciutto, wrapped around breadsticks:

This weekend I broke out my ice cream maker and made a mango sorbet - a real treat with a little dark rum added!

Lori

Annie, hop on the train I will treat you to Ikea. Just bring me some eggs.

Dinner was very easy tonight after a semi lazy day. Rain and gloom was the forecast but the early morn was sunny. Nevermind that, I had a long soak in the jacuzzi and a mud mask and then out. To rain. Plan B: Big Lots and Shoe Carnival. Scored some new shoes so I needed a nap and then Fettecine Alfredo. Works for me on a Sunday.

To the Alfredo I added some ham and pancetta so all was very yummy. A side of sauteed zuccini rounded it out.

Peppi, I'll happily bring you eggs, but I'll have to drive and not hop the train if I'm giong to IKEA, I'll have to drag home anything I buy and the train's actually been pretty busy lately, probably no room for kitchen shelves, LOL.

So, how's your gallbladder? Better, since you're having alfredo, I hope...

Annie

Looking at these posts, I don't know whether to be inspired or discouraged. :-)

You folks are posting such wonderful food, so beautifully presented and photographed! I will never catch up with you but I have good models to strive for.

Panko Coated Fried Scallops with an Avocado Salad.

I love scallops. Fresh, never frozen, no water added North Atlantic sea scallops were on sale here so I got enough for a couple of meals. Frying with panko crumbs is my go-to way of preparing them.

Jim

Here are the rest of the scallops, prepared along the lines of one of the Coquilles St. Jacques recipes in Howard Mitchum's book, Provincetown Seafood Cookbook. It isn't very photogenic. Garnishes might have helped but I was eager to get eating. This is good stuff.

The scallops were poached in a white wine based court bullion with a couple of lemon slices. The court bullion was then used to make a white sauce to which was added finely chopped Jarlsberg cheese. When the cheese was melted and combined the scallops were added back in.

This is my best scallop recipe. And Mitchum's book is one of my top five cook books. I used to give a copy to visitors but it is now out of print and costs about $80.00 on the used market for a paperback.

Jim

Every time I open this thread I drool.

Lee, I have that exact same pressure cooker! I love it and have made a few meals in it, but mostly use it to make broth. I really should be more adventurous with it.

I have not been cooking much at all lately. Good thing I have stuff in the freezer from when I was in "hypercook" mode! LOL

Tonight was chili. Just thaw and heat and voila!

Tomorrow I have a full agenda, too so I may do a crockpot cassoulet. But that vegetable soup thread got me craving, so I may opt for that instead. We'll see how the day (and the weather) unfolds tomorrow. It's been chilly here, so soup may be a good idea.

Linda

Well, here goes another real exciting but oh so tasty one - chili dog. No slaw on this one. It's one of the blessings of living alone, you can eat what you like when you like.

This is a frozen thing also, freeze kosher dogs seperately, chili seperately, and if there are no hot dog buns, I've been doing Ann's baguette thing.

No telling what tomorrow will be since it's going to be raining all day.

Beth

All the smoked meats and the black beans in mango sauce have me wishing I had shared those meals. And the pork in bourbon sauce has been on my mind long time. I made it shortly after Sharon first posted it; we rarely have bourbon in the house - I need to put it on a list. Now I want Lori's mango sorbet with rum - YUM!

We woke up to 2 inches of snow in our yard. It was gone by late afternoon but we have another week at least of covering plants at night and bringing the lemon tree in and out each day with overnight lows in the 30s.

I love that PC too Linda, nothing like locking the lid pushing a couple of buttons and walking away. Yesterday I made dog food in the electric pressure cooker. This time I started with lean ground beef as the meat but when I start with chicken, I always start it as a simple stock, then take out a quart of stock for us, and add in veggies and grains for a big pot of food for Ollie. I like that PC so much that I have been researching six quart electric pressure cookers, I'd like a smaller one too. But I have a three pan stove top PC set so it's kind of hard to justify another electric one.

After I finished the dog food, I made pan seared lamb shoulder chops that had been rubbed with garlic, S & P, oregano, lemon zest and juice. I did roasted potato wedges in the toaster oven and steamed some broccoli to complete our dinner.

Today I made a small batch of strawberry preserves and asked Max to pick up a quickie chicky from Costco on his way home and I made risotto style saffron orzo, steamed peas, and a salad for the rest of our meal.

Lee

Great looking food everyone! It's particularly refreshing to see the guys contributing their amazing food pictures, for a change! What took ya?

Hey Peppi, I'll be out of town Thursday, but I'll be thinking good thoughts for you.
Hoping all the testing, poking and probing rigmarole results in an easy fix. Big hugs.

Thank you FOAS very kindly! But be careful not to pounce on the monitor, unless you have a good dental plan :)

Sharon, I'm sorry to know of your sweet friend, Bibi. She was so blessed to have spent her last days under your care. Abrazos.

Annie, I'm surrounded by everything here, except a HomeGoods. I'll break open my piggy bank, and go check it out. Greetings to your adorable playmates!

Dinner will be out tonight. And Thumper chose Italian. Why am I not surprised?

Sol

So many wonderful meals I'm now craving.

I have some spot prawns in the freezer. They would be perfect for Sol's Jambalaya. Looks delicious.

FOAS, the chicken was marinated for about 8 hours. I think because of the way the marinade is put together the lemon did not cook the meat. That is usually a concern of mine too.

Joan, that turkey looks amazing. I miss having a smoker. My favourite was smoked turkey breast and smoked baby back ribs.

Lori, those bread sticks are on my short list. Great photos.

Jim, Moe loves scallops. He would be happy with both of your meals.

Lee, Max did a great job on fixing the mangled part.

Sol, Italian was always Matthew's first choice when he was Thumper's age.

We ate well this week. We were given a farm raised chicken by the friend that raised it. The biggest chicken I think I have ever cooked.

Weighed just under 10 pounds. You can see how big it is compared to a little three pounder.

It was delicious. We had dinner and both had sandwiches off the one breast and part of the other breast went to hot chicken sandwiches with homemade fries for another dinner.

Came home from work one night with a package of fresh chorizo sausage, and made homemade hot dog buns in about one hour and had grilled sausage with sauted onions and green peppers for dinner.

Desserts this week were Pineapple Upside Down cake made using fresh pineapple and baked in a cast iron skillet and rhubarb pie.

What an act to follow! We had take-out barbecue pork sandwiches with slaw and.......home made banana pudding. That "nanner pudding" thread had me craving it!

jude

JIm, now I want some fried scallops. Truly one of my favorite dinners and you never see them on menus anymore. And I want nanner pudding and chicken and and and......

Ann a 10 pound chicken? Did you roast it or stew it?

Sol, thank you. I will just be happy to know something, even if the GB comes out. I am tired of the ups and downs and the achey tummy and right side.

Tonight was wonderful here, I made chicken piccata with rice and a salad but Dad was not thrilled. Hey he loved it last time so I am feeling sorry for myself and the time spent. Ah well. There is always tomorow.

Well, we've certainly been eating well here!

Lee, you and I both, I've been wanting black beans with mango since ruthanna mentioned them, I'm definitely going to have to make some.

Beth, nothing wrong with a good chili dog, I love 'em about twice a year. Hopefully followed by a big piece of Ann T's pineapple upside cake, I haven't made that in a long time.

Sol, definitely go to HomeGoods, and give yourself lots of time. The one in Ann Arbor had lots of different patterns of those salad hands, I wish I'd have bought half a dozen sets for gifts. And tell me when you're going to be there, because one of these days I'm going to track you down and buy you lunch!

Jim, I love scallops too, nearly any way they can be prepared, but those fried scallops looks like I'd love them.

Ann T, there is no comparison in those chickens, is there? The big one is even a different shape, not a bowling ball with legs like the smaller commercial ones. Mine are different in color too, more golden yellow than white. Ten pounds is one darned big chicken, though, you're going to be eating that one for a couple of meals.

Joanm, you and I must be thinking alike, because we also had turkey in the smoker, although mine was two breast pieces and two thighs:

Not wanting to "waste" perfectly good smoker space, Elery also made some Tasso ham, that cajun spiced and smoked stuff. It was good but very salty and spicy, it's definitely going to be a condiment to me, but I think it's going to be great in a pot of beans or with greens:

So, what have we been eating, besides stuff from the smoker? The Princess spent Saturday night, and we had pancakes for breakfast. I made whole wheat and oatmeal pancakes and mine had dried cherries and almonds, served with a fresh egg and some home smoked bacon that I baked in the oven with brown sugar and maple syrup:

Makayla had hers minus the almonds, and she added chocolate chips, kind of a black forest cherry and chocolate concoction, but with whole grain pancakes, LOL:

sunday night Elery made a vegetable stir fry over brown rice:

I took that time to try a new recipe, the cornmeal blueberry breakfast cake in this month's Bon Appetit. It bakes in a 10 inch springform pan, is only slightly sweet, and has ricotta cheese and yogurt to keep it moist. I used frozen blueberries that I'd picked last year and put in the freezer. The cake is very moist, slightly sweet and very good, I'll definitely make that again:

Tonight Elery had dinner ready when I came home from work, teriyaki salmon on the grill and a side of green beans and potatoes, very good:

Tomorrow is the 3rd anniversary of our first date, so I think we're going out for dinner, then he has to go home and I'll be back to peanut butter sandwiches.

Annie

On Monday, DH and I and two of our friends went to a Brazillian restaurant as part of our community college's Great Chefs program. After learning lots about the different cuisines of Brazil, we toured the kitchen and participated in making and eating a shrimp dish and Feijoada with its accompaniments. We also sampled many of the barbecued meats (including chicken hearts) that they served at the restaurant.

It was longer than originally scheduled so for dinner, I went over to our co-op's freezer and pulled out a quart of chicken corn soup we made last summer.

Yesterday was another food-filled day because I helped our church make 410 DOZEN from-scratch pierogies for our summer festival. Total quantity planned is 1600 doz. but there are three more days of making them in the next couple of weeks. I'm usually a "cooker" but yesterday I was a "pincher". Last night, we had fresh green beans, halved redskin potatoes, and a small chunk of ham cooked in chicken broth with chopped onions and marjoram.

The Beets 101 thread made me hungry for them so they'll be on the menu tonight.

Holy smokes, ruthanna, 410 DOZEN pierogies? That's....hmmm...nearly 5,000! That's a lot of pierogies, whether you are cooking or pinching!

I know what you mean about beets, now I want some too.

Today Elery and I went to Grand Rapids, made a stop at Penzey's for cayenne pepper and allspice because we used it all for the Tasso Ham Elery smoked a couple of days ago. While we were there we went out for a late dinner/early supper. I like to try new places so we went to a little "bohemian" deli/cafe/coffee shop downtown called Marie Catrib's.

I was very impressed, the food was made on site, none of that pre-made or pre-packaged stuff, they get as many as their ingredients locally as they can, based on the season, and they bake their own bread and crackers.

Elery got something called a Rushin'. Yeah, I know, it's a take off on "Russian", and cutesy nick-names for stuff just drives me nuts, but it was good in spite of the name. The turkey was organic and grown locally, as was the cabbage for the mustard-y sweet and sour crunchy slaw. The rye bread was baked there in the kitchen, sliced thick and still warm:

With that he had a side of the potatoes, made from small red potatoes. They were rolled in a spice mixture and then roasted and they were spicy-hot, served with Sriracha on the side. I could taste chipotle, cumin, maybe cayenne. They were too spicy for me unless I dipped them in my yogurt dip, while Elery was dunking them in Sriracha:

I had the triple dip, which is a plate with baba ganouj, a tsatziki type dip with dill and fresh cucumber and a yogurt base and hummus. I was told that they make their own yogurt, and all the dips were very good, but the baba ganouj was my favorite, very thick and chunky and the eggplant was roasted:

They also make their own crackers and pita, so they brought me a big basket of crunchy sesame crackers and still warm pita to go with my dips.

I also had a cup of very good coffee, and I'm told they are actually known for their desserts, also baked in house, but I was way too full to try any, the portions were very generous.

It was pretty small, about 10 tables and some stools at a counter, and they were full at 3 pm on a Wednesday afternoon which says a lot about their food, I think. The attached deli where you could buy bread, the crackers, slices of spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, or the dips and salads by the pound was pretty busy too.

I'm still stuffed, I don't think I'll eat until tomorrow!

Annie

Okay, I'm getting hungry reading all your posts and I just ate! The day got away from me. The salads didn't get made. The pie didn't get made. The chicken was going to go stinky if it didn't get made. The beans went from just fine to slime overnight. The snacking tomatoes, ditto. Major digging in the drawer for veg that didn't need a lot of cooking. Not a great day for dinner. But the chicken was good for a 3 minute prep--just breaded with curry powder and lemon pepper in the egg and freeze dried chopped chives in panko, and shoved in the oven. The veg was kinda sad though....

Annie, I don't suppose that cafe had any place to park a rig, did it? DH would be ecstatic to find a place like that on the road.

Beth, I agree with what you say about living alone. If I want dahl for breakfast or pancakes for dinner, that's what I have. While I miss having DH home on a "normal" (whatever that is) schedule, I do NOT miss the "what do you want for dinnr" coversation.

Ann, I can't get over how good those prawns -- all your seafood -- look. The seafood cases at the groceries here give me much pause. Nothing ever looks fresh. (And, of course, it isn't. It's all frozen, but it sstill shouldn't look like it doesn.)

Went to the grcoery last week, so have been eating mostly salads and veggies while they're fresh. Tonight, however, it is snowing and I wanted something more substantial than a salad. I made a completely inauthentic but very tasty chicken almond curry over basmati rice. My only complaint about it is that I didn't make enough for leftovers tomorrow.

410 pierogies is a lot of pierogies. But wait, it was 410 DOZEN! OMG! And you're just getting started.

Annie, you are getting good with that camera.

The little Grand Rapids place looks like a real find. It's obvious from the pics and your descriptions that the food is prepared with great care. Kinda hard for me to get there unfortunately. :-)

Jim

Jim, I was impressed, but I'm still full this morning and half of Elery's sandwich is still in the fridge.

Renee, it's right in the middle of Heritage Hill, the roads are extremely narrow and there was barely room to park the Cavalier. Too bad too, the food was excellent and our entire tab was under $25, so the prices were very reasonable.

Annie

Annie, that dip platter would be my idea of a perfect lunch.

I did get my beets, although I had to use the jarred (but not pickled) baby beets. We had a salad of red leaf lettuce, beets, Vidalia onions and Kalamata olives. I was going to add some steamed asparagus pieces but forgot about it. I topped it with some salmon I poached last night and a maple-mustard dressing. We also had toasted whole wheat bread that our neighbor made and brought over.

I handed DH the camera and asked him to take a photo of his dinner and this is what we got. LOL

I am so behind on WFD as I am not cooking, so no Sol, I haven't made the halibut Cry, sob, Boohoo! :( I'm stuck getting my house that I've been remodeling since 2007 ready to to go on the market. It's time. I'm not even doing my "try one or two recipes" each week. Some day I'll cook again. sigh.

I don't post here often because I'm usually throwing together something for 1 person or having cheese toast for dinner and the like. Tuesday it was a couple of hot dogs at almost their quitting time. Last night was ummmm???? I forgot. Tonight I tried an idea that popped into my head using my nephew's G3 sauce: hot roast beef sandwiches with sauteed mushrooms, provolone cheese and G3 Sauce! It was a winner so I'll email the recipe to him tomorrow so he can try it out and use it in marketing his sauce.....or not. This was my original idea - so I'm kinda pleased it worked and tasted yummy.

Take care Peppi - I hope all goes well for you.

Man, I could go for Ann's seafood, Jim's scallops and Nancy's salmon. And I wouldn't say no to anything the rest of you have posted. Keep on cookin'!

I love pierogies and we had them tonight but as a side dish along with grilled flank steak sliced thin against the grain and salad. Yesterday DH had physical therapy so we ate a late lunch/dinner at a Tex Mex place. Too full for anything else for the rest of the night. The day before that we met up with friends at a Pizza/Italian Rest. and had two kinds of pizza and salad and it was very good. It is quite sad to see how empty our rests. are around here these days. We have several friends who have lost their jobs and eating out is not in their budget now and we are witnessing that in the rests. so they are not alone.:(

ruthanna, you as chef and food stylist (I presume) and DH as food photographer make a great team. Keep up the good work.

Tonight was braised lamb shank, one of my favorite dishes. It was good but there was no energy to spare for photography. Sorry. Sometimes just keeping body and soul together is the best I can do. ;-)

Jim

We were stuck at home because of a blizzard yesterday. So I made crab bread and veggie chicken soup for the two boys for dinner. I actually got to take a few pictures before the bread was gone.

Little man had fun eating his crab bread and pureed veggie soup and strips of chicken.

Al

It was a quick and easy dinner tonight. Just a lettuce salad with lots of radish and a piece of teriyaki salmon.

Jim

Al, that crab bread is absolutely adorable!!!!

grump My kitchen is back to kind of torn up (still in the finishing stages) and very uninviting. It's warm, finally, so dinner was cold leftovers. And roasted garlic bread for a treat (LaBrea Bakery).

Thursday, we went to a Syrian restaurant for dinner. Middle Eastern cuisine is my favorite and were lucky to have good Syrian, Turkish and Lebanese restaurants in our valley.

The farmers market I went to on Friday had broccolini for $1 a bunch so I stir fried some with pork and other vegetables and served with white rice. I also bought big bags of spinach and watercress so I see green goddess dressing in my future.

Last night, we attended a Derby fund raiser where they served a variety of foods, including fried soft shells crabs, shrimp and grits, asparagus risotto, a devilled egg bar, hot dog sliders with a number of unusual toppings and bite-sized desserts.

I'll be at a vintage clothing auction all afternoon so will prepare something this morning to grill or throw in the oven when I get home. I will also mix up a batch of cherry cornmeal cookie dough to bake for tonight's teatime.

Al, the boys must have loved those bread crabs. They are great looking.

Wow, Ruthanna! You have been eating well. Any one of those items at the fund raiser would have been a fine meal for me.

Jim

Great looking dinners.

Annie, that restaurant sounds like a real find.

Ruthanna, 1600 perogies. I'm impressed. Both yours and Jim's salmon look so pretty setting on the salad.

Teresa, I like the sound of your new sandwich creation.

Peppi, it was a roasting chicken. Stewing it wouldn't have done this chicken justice. I made a traditional roast chicken dinner with bread and sage dressing.

I've been trying a couple of new recipes from a wonderful new cookbook that Renee was kind enough to send me. David Leite's The New Portuguese Table has so many appealing recipes, I can't wait to try more of them. I started out with one of his easy side dishes. Punched potatoes. Perfect accompaniment to roast beef.

Before leaving for work Thursday morning I made another of his recipes, one I knew that Moe would love - White Beans with Sausage - made with chorizo. I put the beans on to soak Wednesay night. This was a big hit. Moe had it for dinner and again for breakfast Friday morning.

Last night's dinner was Rack of Pork with mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed fresh green and yellow beans and baby turnips. The pork was presalted Thursday, seasoned Saturday morning with fresh sage, garlic and fresh ground black pepper. I was going to be late getting home from work last night so Moe was responsible for getting the roast in the oven. By the time I got home, around 6:30, I just had to cook the veggies.

Ann

Ann,

This "Moe" you keep talking about is a very lucky guy. He eats better than anyone I know. Of course, he has to wait for his food to be photographed before he can dig in, but that's a small price to pay.

My favorite of this group of dinners is the white beans with chorizo. That one has me salivating. I need to make it soon. I think I can improvise it but, if you have time to post a recipe, so much the better. Just a list of ingredients would be enough.

BTW, thanks for the encouraging words you always post on this thread.

Jim

Everyone's been cooking such beautiful food lately and Ann you've been really busy in your kitchen making good looking meals!

I'm so far behind on this thread and am spending as little time as possible in the kitchen as I'm out for over 2 1/2 hours of classes every day from 4:30 pm so we've been eating quick dishes such as fish and steamed veggies or deli or going out.

I forgot my camera yesterday for a wonderful meal at the newly opened

Today I made chicken tenders in teriyaki & almond sauce sauce with steamed squash, potato, carrots and Swiss chard.
Dessert was a little quesadilla cheesecake, a specialty from the neighbouring island of El Hierro. I'll be writing about them and giving the recipe soon.
They've been made in a wood burning oven by one family for over 100 years and are available in some shops here in Tenerife. They're small ...about 4 inches (10 centimeters) across...and have a daisy shape as in the photo. They're soft and cheesy, made with much fresh cheese, flavoured with anise, cinnamon and lemon.

Teriyaki-almond chicken tenders and quesadilla mini cheesecake from El Hierro.

Today is Mother's Day in Spain and tomorrow is a holiday....Dia de la Cruz when all the crosses on buildings and in the streets are decked with fresh flowers.

SharonCb

I am having salad for dinner but the two boys will have this:

The alligator is stuffed with ham and mozzarella cheese. No greens today so they should be very happy!

Al

Oh Ann, I was drooling over the white beans and sausage on your blog early this morning. Jim is right, Moe is lucky!

Everyone's stuff looks so good and even tonight, when I'm stuffed, I'd still like to go down through here and sample everything.

We had a great dinner at my SIL's of ham, mac & cheese, green beans and her cranberry salad. SO good. Ending with tiramisu birthday cake for my youngest nephew. He turned 27 which makes me want to cry...

Beth

Sharon, that tart looks delicious. Looking forward to the recipe.

Beth, Tiramisu birthday cake. What a treat.

Jim, this is definitely a keeper recipe.

White Beans and Sausage
Source: David Leite's - The New Portuguese Table - My Family's White Beans and Sausage

1 pound dried navy, small California white or great northern beans, washed and sorted
1/2 pound bacon
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Bay leaf
olive oil
3/4 pound Chourico, Linguica or Dry-Cured Smoked Spanish Chorizo cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
water ( I used chicken broth)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste (squeeze tube)
Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat a large pot over medium low heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and the meaty bits are crisp, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels.

Bump up the heat to medium, add the chourico and sear until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chourico to paper towels.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Or, if the pot is dry , drizzle in some oil. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the onions from burning.

Add the garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Drain the beans and dump them into the pot, along with the chourico and red pepper flakes, and 3 1/2 cups of water (I used chicken broth). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let burble gently. Stiring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Begin checking at 45 minutes, but it may take as long as 1 1/2 hours , depending on your beans' add more water (chicken broth) if needed.

Fish out and toss the bay leaf. Stir in the tomato paste and bacon and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the beans sit uncovered for 10 minutes to absorb and excess liquid.

Serve.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thibeault's Table White Beans and Sausage

Y'all are a good influence on me. Tonight was can't be bothered night. As in just get it cooked already. Butterflied chicken with jar sauce from the fridge which say Kung Pao but is really some kind of hoisin sauce, roasted, eggplant with olive oil, lemon juice and basalmic vinegar, and grape tomatoes and pineapple. Being that I forgot the spinach. The good influence part is that I made pretty plates instead of just putting the veg/fruit out in their own dishes. :) For 10 minutes of prep I sure made a mess though!

Al, your crab and alligator breads are delightful. I'm sure the boys enjoyed them both.

Ruthanna's and Jim's salads with salmon have me really craving fish but I haven't seen any that I wanted to buy in at least a week and a half.

Ann, even before I saw your picture of the rack of pork dinner I had taken one out of the freezer and had it marinating in wine, a little balsamic, a little pomegranate molasses and some oregano. I took it out Friday morning - it was a ten rib rack - way too much for the two of us but I needed to use it up. I high heat roasted it tonight with potato wedges and carrots and steamed some green beans for another side. It was cooked perfectly in just under an hour. It was all delicious but I wish I didn't have so much left over meat. I made up a plate for Max to nuke at his office tomorrow and will divide and vacuum seal the rest for the freezer.

Last night we had grilled freshly made Polish sausage on crisp rolls and large salads. Several of our smaller markets make a variety of fresh sausages daily. I also tried, for the first time, some of their mild bulk breakfast sausage and we had that for breakfast today along with fried eggs, toast and some strawberry jam that I made earlier in the week.

Lee