Journal

2021 - Week 49 Cooking Results

Grilled Cheese with Asiago and Dates

So I took the concept, and ran, but didn’t pay attention to the ratios, at all really. So it was ok, but not necessarily up to their standards, but that was on me I suppose. I did use some leftover dates, in combination with some bought cheese. Quick and ok, not a real verdict on the recipe itself.

Turkey and Dumplings

I should have taken the turkey stock out on Wednesday, as I originally thought. Taking it out on Friday morning was not near enough time to make it into liquid, let alone even slush. This took a bit of extra time, but over all it was easy to put together. I really only used the recipe for the ratios on the dumplings. I added turnips, red potatoes, leftover turkey, corn, peans, and the dumpling batter to finish off the soup. Good flavor, nice ratio. Good things. Will make for some good leftovers.

Cornmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

Nice cornmeal flavor with that buttermilk. We’ll probably have straight up buttermilk pancakes to use the last of it next week.

Creamy Celery Root Soup with Ham

As part of my thanksgiving package, I got a couple of celery roots. I hadn’t had this previously or added it to a thing, but it turned out pretty well. I used the same ham for the egg muffins. with that. While I didn’t have a ham bone, I did use, probably, more ham than requested to give it that hammy flavor. Celery root reminds me of celery, but being distinctly different. I used my hand my hand blender for the first time in a while. After mostly smoothing out the soup. We had it for dinner, and lunch the next day, and I had it for lunch the day after that. It was a nice soup.

Ham and Egg muffins

Of course this is a good thing. A common combination. I used a gift card from the company I work for to buy ham, thus making it a relatively inexpensive dinner.

2021 - Week 49 Cooking

I am uncertain as to how the conversation came about, but I came to a realization that has kind of messed me up, in that I am dwelling on it like I would do with things before I was on my anti-depressant. So I've been thinking about it so much, I’m tired. 16 days until my next therapy appointment.

2021 - Week 48 Cooking Results

Cheddar & Scallion Stuffing (a thought I had) patties w/ eggs

I could’ve added a bit more fat, I suppose, to make a patty that would fry up a bit better, put over all they didn’t stick together that well, but they did get the nice crispy edges. I did do this a few more times, for lunch, and it was a nice combination. Good thought, but would have to rethink the patty part. Perhaps if I had sliced directly from the pan, rather than the broken up stuff that got stuffed into the fridge. Anyways, a half way decent way to use up leftover stuffing.

Pork Burgers

Good as always.

Taco Salad

A nice change back to normal.

Butternut Mac & Cheese

It was a good use of the leftover butternut squash that we have from our Grade A thanksgiving pack. My big complaint about this recipe, is this line:

Pour half of the cheese sauce over and add puréed, roasted butternut squash. Fold together. If it seems too dry, add the rest of the cheese sauce.

The fudge is that? Look I get the butternut squash may be a bit of a variety in size. So you make a lot of cheese sauce than maybe only use half? What do you do with the other half? I get having extra makes sense…but damn.

In the end the noodles were a bit overdone, not taking into account that they would cook in the cheese sauce, but it was still all right. I added more herbs and spices, like mustard, cause damn.

Grilled Cheese with Asiago and Dates

Delayed. Shannon had a rough day, so we ordered Pizza. Saturday, the Cheese Bar.

2021 - Week 48 Cooking

As to create a bit of separation between thanksgiving and leftovers, I am going to put the leftover under-done turkey, stock, rendered fat and pot pie in the freezer for a bit. This should free up some space in the fridge and allow for a more normal(ish) week. I’m actively going to chase after some dishes to use the leftover vegetables and etc.

I got my COVID booster shot on Friday, and other thing some injection site pain (minor, still lingering but slowly becoming less), it went without comment. This will put me close to peak resistance for Yule.

This week I’ve tried to not pay to close attention to the news, and have, only once, picked up my work phone (Tuesday). So this has truly been a stress holiday of a sort. I suppose I replace that stress with cooking stress, but that was far more relaxing in general. I woke up the same time, that I would have for work, specifically to get in my morning routine, but after that my day was more or less my own to work around.

2021 - Week 47 Cooking & Thanksgiving Results

Domestic Bones hand pies

It had potatoes, and a nice spice but beyond that, I don’t remember what it was when i ordered it. Pretty good.

Italian Sausage and Scrambled eggs

A bit of a spicy sausage and some eggs, probably more sausage than could be good for a normal ratio, but overall, pretty good.

Bratwurst

Good as always

Thanksgiving

I really need to find a way to get the amount of food per person right. So there’s more then enough, but not an overwhelming amount of food for everyone. Like 1.25x? or 1.1x. We have a lot of leftovers, which is fine.

I missed a handful of ingredients, that I just assumed I had the items for. I over bought a couple of things that I assumed I would replace something fatty with something very fatty for. I had just the right amount of unsalted butter (1.2 sticks to spare).

I like doing the sous vide of the turkey to just under done. I’m allowed to add fat, seasoning and salt, and not having to worry about over whelming the timing of the day off or having to watch it so closely. I did have to make adjustments to the water level when I took out the breasts (they were done) and added the thighs, wings, and drumsticks. But running them separately you have the same flavor and the right, underdone ness. So they can finish off in the final dish, without over cooking. That being said, I have a pile of turkey leftover, I may freeze it and make turkey soup in a week or two.

Due to space limitations, we normally would have people serve themselves through the kitchen, however, since we did not have the same limitations, we dished things out into serving bowls. This had positives and negatives. Everything was on the table which meant that most things were in reach or an easy pass away. On the other side, some things got cold, pretty fast. Frustratingly so.

I started the potatoes too early.

My gravy had lumps. I did however run it through a strainer and back into the pan, so tada! no lumps. I was still upset with myself.

Since the I made the stock, it was dramatically low in salt, so to get the things up to a tasteful level, I had to add a lot of salt. Like a lot a lot. But when you triple a recipe it can work like that too.

Overall nice to see my family that could make it. our house is relatively small so it’s hard to have a formal(ish) dinner for a lot of people. After a couple of years off (one due to health, one due to pandemic), it feels like a pretty good success.

21 loads of dishes. From 11/22/2021 at ~1:PM to 11/26/2021 at ~11:AM.

Time to start thinking about next year.

Thanksgiving 2021 Planning and checklist

Monday 11/22

Tuesday 11/23

  • 12:PM Pick up Turkey at Grade A

  • Break Down Turkey

  • Sous vide turkey

  • Separate Turkey from bones

Wednesday 11/24

Thursday 11/25

2021 - Week 46 Cooking Results

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

I had my doubts about this coming together. I did add some mustard powder and some smoked paprika and went like that. It was simple to do. Everything just pulled itself together at the end. A good way to add broccoli to a loved item.

Spicy Peanut and Pumpkin Soup

I forgot to add the yogurt at the end, which is fine. Also, the cheese shop has creme fraiche, so I could’ve used that. I think I could’ve added the whole pepper in there, as I added some leftover coconut milk from a previous use. I used agave, as I had some on hand, Pretty good over all.

Baked White Beans and Sausage With Sage

It appears that this was written for kids. It was fine, I guess. It was kind of plain. A bit sweet, a bit savory. Easy to do, sure. But I would’ve preferred some onions and tomatoes in there to make it more of a sausage and bean dish, rather then just sausage with beans. Should’ve added more spices.

Spicy Sesame Noodles With Chicken and Peanuts

I ended up zesting the orange, instead of cutting off the peel and extracting it later, but the rest of it I followed pretty closely. It was pretty good. I had to use dried udon noodles as I am uncertain where I would get fresh ones here. I ordered some noodles here so Hopefully I’ll have a few more of these type of recipes on the docket.

2021 - Week 46 Cooking

Iðunn continues to become more comfortable in the house, occasionally sleeping out in the open. She has started sleeping on or next to Shannon at night. However, I am still on the “I don’t trust you'“ so if I stand up, come in the room or even make vague gestures, she’ll run, even when eating. This is unpleasant for me, but as I’m the bad one that took her to the vet. Hopefully morning dental treats (which she has started demanding with the boys), will help build a connection.

I did menu planning yesterday because we are going to a movie with friends today…. before noon.

2021 - Week 45 Cooking Results

Spaghetti Squash with red sauce

Something ever changing on the sauce, I used quite a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano, because why not. Turned out pretty well.

Tagliatelle With Prosciutto and Butter

Simple and pretty good. I added a bit more Parmigiano-Reggiano then asked for and it was good. Simple and good.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Delayed!

Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas

Chicken, red peppers, and onions tossed in oil, seasoning and lime juice, baked, broiled then served. Simple, good eating. I added an extra chipotle pepper and used vegetable oil, instead of olive (my olive oil stash is low).