Dinner tonight - or last night.

I'm getting dinner together and mr. g'bag is watching the Michigan-Maryland basketball game. Michigan's uniforms are a bilious shade of green with matching sneakers and when the camera panned the auditorium the Michigan fans are decked out in the same color......looks like crazed aphids jumping up and down.

I so get you..

The sauce is easy, I usually let it simmer for 3 hours!

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can Italian-style tomato paste
3 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

I usually mince the garlic and sautee in butter then put it in the sauce.

Last night Elena came over to watch the kids and make them dinner so the Rican and I could go out.

I had shrimp and scallops and the Rican had chicken Parmesan and fettuccine Alfred, we both order a salad as well. Tonight the Rican is cooking, he’s going to make shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta.

I'm thawing/will reheat some of my baby back ribs; still have enough of the Kansas City BBQ sauce that I like the recipe of on hand, but it's time to make another batch. Makes a woman smile on tasting even just the sauce.

Meantime, am soaking Anasazi beans to put in crockpot tomorrow. I don't think they actually need soaking, but I tend to be a bean soaker just for the hell of it. I like to look at them in the kitchen, especially anasazis. Also like cranberry beans for their looks - though they too tend to dull down - but I haven't seen them in the stores for years now. Plan on a new recipe for the anasazi, involving garlic, cumin, jalapenos, onions (onions already cooked). Might not stop there..

poached chicken breasts in a mix of boxed beef broth and tomato sauce
took them out and put them in the toaster oven along with giant chunks of carrots I'd cooked earlier - roasted them

threw some green beans and a box of spaghettini into the liquid to cook

served the chicken breast and carrots on top of pasta/green beans
a little parm and a squoodge of fresh lemon over the top of everything

Forgot to say I'll have a salad with the ribs; it'll be a while yet.

The Rican said he's cooking tonight. Pan fried steaks, baked potatoes and green beans!

mmmm, steak!

adds, my anasazi beans came out perfect - and the two sauteed jalapenos and four garlic cloves weren't too much, a little matter that worried me a bit. That's a lot of beans for one person, but I'll freeze most of the lot for future burritos or soup.

Further thought - I've got two "buckets" (large yogurt containers) of the beans and stuff, and it occurs to me I can use one to make pasta e fagioli, otherwise known in, I think it's New Jersey, as pasta fazool...
Probably could use some bacon (I don't like american pancetta..)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta_e_fagioli

Not going to be cooking tonight, we're going out, something simple, the kids want hot wings, chicken fingers and of course mac and cheese

going to Hirut tonight

they're hosting a comedy night which promises to be great fun again

Hirut and her husband Tibebe are from Ethiopia and their food is fantastic

I think I'll order the non-vegetarian platter - injera with lamb/goat/beef. There will be lentils and collards with the injera as well. They make great tea and coffee there, but since they don't serve dessert I'll be taking cookies for Anna.

Can't wait to unroll some of that injera.

Hirut's presentation is a lot like this

I am envious!


Did I ever mention I miss Los Angeles?
I could probably make most of that, given I found a market with goat, but I've never tried making my own injera..

Now I want to look up the spices that go with it.. my friend from Eritrea could eat the hottest chilies, at least when he first was in the U.S., but later wasn't making anymore hot chilie sammichs..

Hold the goat. One of my worst hangover memories was at a party one of our guys threw. He is a Iranian BHai so his family split years ago. He made goat and hqd many many many kinds of Bhai approved boozes and wines

Goat and brewskis do Not make for a comfy night and next morning.

TONITE (mrs F is still on lamb duty). I made medallions of pork loin in a brandy beef sauce. (I butter fried the medallions and slathered a thickened brandy beef sauce over them when done)
Accompanying was our home grown lima beans in a chicken stock and grnished with dill weed chunks)
Big veggie was a sauteed shitakes and onions in a dark beet and beef grvy. The beet n beef sounds unfriendly but is a nice sweet and salty tqste that really does the shrooms and onions proud.

Dessert was orange slices (Florida navels , the sweetest on the planet sez me)

Hold the goat. One of my worst hangover memories was at a party one of our guys threw. He is a Iranian BHai so his family split years ago. He made goat and hqd many many many kinds of Bhai approved boozes and wines

Goat and brewskis do Not make for a comfy night and next morning.

TONITE (mrs F is still on lamb duty). I made medallions of pork loin in a brandy beef sauce. (I butter fried the medallions and slathered a thickened brandy beef sauce over them when done)
Accompanying was our home grown lima beans in a chicken stock and grnished with dill weed chunks)
Big veggie was a sauteed shitakes and onions in a dark beet and beef gravy. The beet n beef sounds unfriendly but is a nice sweet and salty taste that really does the shrooms and onions proud.

Dessert was orange slices (Florida navels , the sweetest on the planet sez me) sliced into crescents and doused with a 12 year old balsamic vinegar--sounds weird, just try it your taste buds will say howdy. DO NOT use Israeli or Cal oranges, they are too sour

Wowsa!

On goat, the only times I've eaten it for sure were at an Indian restaurant in LA - I liked it, but it was a well regarded restaurant who knew what they were doing. We probably split a beer but I don't remember. No bad aftermaths. Also I probably ate goat at the Ethiopian restaurant at least one of the times we were there.

The cooking fool is getting weary - I made the BBQ sauce/lot of ingredients, dealt with my POS computer acting up, and just made some roasted tomatoes to have around, a martha stewart recipe where you use good canned whole plum tomatoes. Dinner will be back ribs and the sauce and a thrown together coleslaw type salad.

How's the snow remaining? Foot getting better? This is a warmish weekend here, good news for Ms. Chilly, but will turn back cold and rainy again at the start of the week. I may even exert myself in the yard, which is calling me, tomorrow or Sunday.

I like Fla oranges too. Never had balsamic with them but I like balsamic on roast chicken and that's how I roast my red onions, with honey and balsamic, really delicious.

Hirut was glad to see us. She added chicken to my plate and made amazing kitfo for my friend. Kitfo is spicy Ethiopian steak tartare with a sort of sour cottage cheese on the side with the injera. We each had two cups of spiced tea.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ethiopian-Spice-Tea-201082

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup water
1 (1/4-inch-thick) slice fresh ginger

that is a damn fine and spicy tea

soooo delish

That sounds good. I'm going to try it. I've a present overload of my own pickled ginger, wonder if that would work: probably not. I may fool with it, since losing one cup of spice tea isn't the end of the world.

That tea does sound good.

We eat occasionally at an Ethiopian restaurant. They make some sort of ginger tea which is wonderful, but probably addictive.