I made a recipe I saw on tiktok. Parmesan crusted roasted potatoes, tweaked to our taste. They turned out really really good and I will be making them again.

I melted half a stick of butter, and mixed in a handful of grated parmesan cheese and some seasoning. The tiktok recipe used something called Dan-Os seasoning, but I just used onion power, garlic powder and paprika, and a pinch of black pepper. Spread the mixture on the bottom of a baking dish. I cut and scored some baby red potatoes, and put them cut side down on top of the paste. baked at 425 for about 30 minutes. Yum Yum Yummy. For obvious reasons, I will resist the urge to make them all the time and save them for a treat, but I am always happy to find a new recipe to add to my repertoire.

I served them with chicken that SO grilled and and broccoli from my garden that I roasted alongside the potatoes.

Pasta Alla Zozzona. Really easy and so yummy, it’s now in our regular rotation.

This weekend I’m going to try chicken and ricotta meatballs with risoni 😋

I made a couple new things I reported already, and I'm hoping all the other stuff I have to do and sleep deprivation let up enough to try half a dozen new recipes, and a bunch of pumpkin stuff.

I’ve been learning to cook again! I’m helping cook for a family that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It‘s been interesting that’s for sure. Lots of new recipes.

Curing bacon. Loving it.

Using chestnuts in various ways. Growing and cooking Cicoria which I first ate in Rome last year.

I made a ”short-cut” fudge recipe I found on Facebook and it was a disaster. I should know better that there aren’t any short-cuts when making cooked fudge, but I tried anyway.

I also made a new cookie recipe that included - don’t laugh - a boxed cake mix. Again, looking for a short-cut ahead of the busy holiday season. The appearance of the finished product was perfect, but despite the butter and cream cheese and almond extract, they tasted overwhelmingly like cake mix to me, go figure.

I made Zuppa Toscana. I'd looked at the recipe many times but this time I had everything I needed on hand. It was good and enjoyed by all, will definitely make it again. @amylou321 I want to make those potatoes! I saw brussels sprouts done the same way, so might try that too.

Waffles - for the first time ever in my life!

I bought myself a little express waffle maker and used the recipe that came with it - yum 😋

Wow! Carol, that's inspiring! I made waffles as a child. We liked to play pancake/waffle house on weekends, and make breakfast for the parents. I wonder if I have any never-made-it's to explore? Did you put anything on the waffles?

I made a batch of chocolate crinkle cookies a couple of weeks ago, and instead of coming out flat, they remained domed and tasted more like brownies than cookies. I don't know how that happened because they've always been flat after baking before. I do like them both ways. The domed ones are moister, but that was not my goal. I generally bake them to give them away, and other people loved them. I think they are prettier when they are flat, and I like for them to be a bit crisp and have a small amount of crunch to them.

Lars, I have been trying to work on a recipe for chocolate crinkles that stay domed, mine always turn out flat, it is so frustrating. My sister-in-law made some a few years ago that were gorgeous, but she accomplished that by using brownie mix. I’m not opposed to using mixes, but I can almost always taste a chemical flavor that I find off-putting.

DH requested Hasselback Kielbasa for tonight from Ina’s new book. Basically just kielbasa and veggies so we’ll see. She suggests adding any leftover sausage to her Tuscan White Bean Soup, so I might try that tomorrow.

Louise, I made Pastitsio recently (with lamb) using a recipe from Joanne Weir I hadn’t tried before. I’ve made various versions of it over the years but it had been awhile. Very good!

For my cookies, I used a #30 (2 Tbsp) cookie scoop and left the shape as a ball, which I rolled in granulated sugar and then powdered sugar and did not flatten the balls. I don't remember ever flattening the balls before, however.

I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, but I doubt that would have made a difference.

Thanks chloebud, would you recommend this new recipe over others you’ve made? Lars, I’m by no means an expert, but in my efforts to make the perfect consistancy chocolate chip cookie, the type of sugar used seems to be key. But, as I say, I really am a keen learner and no expert.

We have pasta e fagioli a couple times a month. In fact dh will be eating the leftovers tonight. I'm finishing the sweet potato andouille bisque.

Last new recipe was gochujang pasta a couple weeks ago. It was pretty good. I reduced the amount of cream, but kept everything else about the same.

https://twoplaidaprons.com/gochujang-pasta/

Pasta Alla Zozzona. Really easy and so yummy, it’s now in our regular rotation.

Had to Google that one. It sounds delicious! My go to pasta dish is typically Amatriciana.

“Thanks chloebud, would you recommend this new recipe over others you’ve made?“

I’d say it was about equal. It caught my eye since I’ve found Joanne Weir to be a good source and I like Pastitsio. It also didn’t include cinnamon which doesn’t appeal to me in anything savory. Not really a problem since I’ve always just omitted it when making dishes like Pastitsio or Moussaka that often include cinnamon.

Only thing I put on the waffles was maple syrup - they already had melted butter in them 🙂

And I would love to make flat chocolate crinkles - mine always come out domed and cake-y - which everybody but me loves. I prefer crisp and crunchy cookies.

And I do imagine coconut sugar had something to do with the unexpected results - it's different than brown sugar for sure.

I prefer chocolate crinkles domes. When we first came to Australia and American Baker's unsweetened chocolate was not available, we used the local cooking chocolate which has a higher fat content (plus it has sugar). The chocolate crinkles came out flat and crispy. Now I get people from the US to send me Bakers' chocolate, they come out right.

@lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan, my mother made me promise not to pass on the family Christmas cookies to anyone but family. But the only family I could pass them on to are not interested in carrying on the tradition, so I have decided to pass them on to people who cook, rather than let them die with me. So if you are interested in the chocolate crinkles recipe, I'd be happy to pass it on to you.

I always wish for a thread like this whenever I try a new recipe or technique or idea....

Some recent things for me:

-- I tried my homemade elderflower syrup in a smoothie made with OJ, bananas, and strawberries, and it was the bomb!

-- When BF wants an omelette or frittata, I make "chef's choice". Yesterday I used sauteed kale w/ garlic, sauteed red onion & red pepper, and hunks of roasted sweet potato. Served with red salsa. yum. :)

-- And I made gluten-free cream puff shells for my BF who is allergic to wheat. This was BF's first creation. Ignore the mess and bad pic and look at all that whipped cream! lol!

eta: I finally found/bought dried chick peas and cooked my own to make hummus. They are absolutely 100% better than using canned chick peas!!!

@colleenoz, I would absolutely love to try your family’s chocolate crinkles recipe, thank you so much! :-)

@lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan, if you enable messages temporarily on your profile I'll send it to you :-)

Edited to add: Done! :-D

Since it is just myself that I am cooking for 90% of the time, I tend to stick with familiar and favored recipes. But some gorgeous fresh leeks called out to me at the market. Potato leek soup seemed too heavy at the time so I opted to try cock-a leeky soup, first time. I omitted the prunes (??) the recipe called for and added a carrot. It was a huge success and my sister claimed it was the best soup I ever made! I will definitely repeat!

Tried a deep dish, Chicago style pizza last night and it was a complete fail!. I used already prepared pizza dough from my local market and used it all........should have cut it in half. Way too much dough and the pizza was almost all crust!! I don't make pizzas at home often and didn't judge correctly how much dough was necessary to press into the cast iron skillet for a proper thick - but not overwhelming - crust. On the fence about trying that again........

I have made chocolate crinkle cookies for years, mostly for the holidays. They are a family favorite. Mine come out semi flat but quite chewy, not crisp

@colleenoz that Pasta Alla Zozzona sounds really good - combo of two of my favourite pastas. will definitely give it a try soon, thanks.

nekotish, two pastas?

colleenoz, I would also love the crinkle cookie recipe. I have 2 boxes of Baker’s chocolate I need to use up..

I have been trying cookie recipes that i cut out or copied but never got around to baking. i like to have baked cookies or cake when the family comes. Just tried a new version of Spritz cookies from the revised version of Joy of Cooking which DD gave me I bet 10 years ago. It’s a keeper though they taste much better the next day. I mailed a batch to our youngest as his housewarming gift for his new apartment, and that is something I couldnt do with the more delicate version I have always used. Also made raisin criss cross cookies, which i probably have not baked since the kids moved out. DIL does not like nuts or raisins in cookies, but she loves ranger cookies and firelighters; the latter I cut out to try probably 50 years ago!

@Lulu, you need to enable messages on your profile :-)

Thanks colleen, I don’t know how to enable messages. Sorry. I checked my profile and couldn’t see anything to do with enabling.

I'll admit, I don't think I've ever had a chocolate crinkle cookie, at least by that name. Colleen, if you're still handing out the recipe, I'd be happy to try it. :)

It's not a new idea though new to me.. I was getting tired of the pot roast soup hanging around, and had some lovely fresh spinach tortelloni (booughten) for which I didn't want to make a sauce. I kind of layered the totelloni, vegetables and broth in a pho-style bowl with the broken up meat on top, a squirt of ketchup on the meat and a slice of cheese, all heated really hot and melty. It was really good!

@plllog, I’ve sent you the recipe, sorry it’s a little mangled. For some reason posting on the Houzz site from my iPad has issues 🤷‍♀️

@Lulu, if you click on ”Your Houzz” you go to your Account Information. At the left is a list of options; choose ”Advanced Settings”. Then if you scroll down towards the bottom there will be the question (iirc) ”Who can message me?” Choose whatever the option for ”anyone” is. After you get the recipe you can reverse the process if you don’t want random people messaging you.

Edited to add- done!

Seared salmon with herbed mashed peas. Which I like, but it's so ugly. Heh. Beautifully browned salmon, pink flesh and green, very green peas. There are other pictures of it on the internet, and they are just as ugly as mine. Tasty!

I made an "apple" crisp out of giant zucchini. Topped it with a little vanilla Haagen Dazs. DH's comment was, "Mmmm...are these our apples or the ones you bought at the orchard?"

How did you make it taste like apple?

I don't use recipes much. Often, I will start with a recipe, then if I like it, I'll tweak it to my liking. Soups, especially! I LOVE soup! Especially a thick soup!

Colleen, it was just lemon juice, brown and white sugar and apple pie spices. It was surprising. There are all kinds of recipes...I used this one. I may have to try the Ritz cracker one now, lol.

Thanks colleen. Got it!

The chicken and ricotta meatballs were really good and DH heartily approved. I did make a couple of changes (of course I did, you know me :-D). Here's the recipe for those interested:

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/17-minute-chicken-ricotta-meatballs-recipe/w8chqy08?r=recipes/dtivoxmz

The changes- I used pork mince instead of chicken- I've made a similar recipe in the past which uses pork mince. Shops where I live don't carry chicken mince and the pork mince was cheaper than mincing my own chicken by about 2/3 the price as well. I also added half as much again risoni as the amount in the recipe seemed not very much, and added half as much again broth (I used vegetable broth as that's what was in the cupboard waiting to be used up).

I have been making filled dumplings and have had fun with it. They can be filled with almost anything.

Also, am gravitating towards meals that dont include meat. It is a matter of personal preference, not "wokeness" or virtue signaling. It is simply a personal preference and it is so much cleaner to not have dead animal in the kitchen.

I still use meat, but small amounts of good qualty meat. I really enjoy NOT having the meat to deal with and really enjoy my meatless meals on theri own merit.