The Syndicate

Today I made my first Shrimp Ceviche.

Or, I told Eloh what I wanted in it and made her do all the chopping since she complained about being bored.

I refrained from using any tomatoes at all and we're eating it on saltines. So fresh and divine.

For the main course, chicken fajitas.

I made my first low country boil.

For those unaccustomed, it's the height of southern seafood cuisine, in which the operative thinking process was, "Well, shit, jest put it all in a pot a water and boil the mess outta it."

Snow crab, shrimp, scallops, potatoes, onion, okra, and artichoke, all in a bubbly festival of garlic, bay leaves, and Old Bay seasoning.

I'm so stuffed I might fall over right now.

Enchiladas here. No bullshit jarred sauce for me.

fingersplints wrote:RIP lamb ;(

No, it's

RIP lamb.

Oh, and bananas foster over vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Tonight, I had lamb loin chops with a cauliflower puree.

Eloh doesn't like lamb, so for her, a New York strip steak.

The kids shared a marked down flat iron steak. They are little heathens that have no culinary standards anyway.

That was last meal worthy. I feel like I could sit in the electric chair now.

Ariga...dayum.

Tonight I try my hand at making sushi.

Wish me sake luck.

Mongoose wrote:

Epignosis wrote:I should have said "Greek." I've had the methods of preparations switched in my head.

Well, now I'm curious - is the Turkish preparation notably different? Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese round out my favorite cuisines.

Turkish moussaka is not stacked but is more of a casserole. And it usually includes a larger variety of vegetables.

I should have said "Greek." I've had the methods of preparations switched in my head.

Last night I made a Turkish Moussaka. Slices of roasted eggplant topped with a meat mixture that includes ground turkey (ha!), onion, garlic, parsley, chives, tarragon, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and then topped with a heavy bechamel.

I will make it again, you can be sure.

Normally I like crunchier desserts, but I prefer the softer version. Either way is excellent.

Surf and turf tonight baby. The inevitable arrival of my demise shall be celebrated by lobster, steak, corn on the cob, French bread, Robert Mondavi pinot noir, and coconut delight (an Eloh original that is, quite frankly, in my top 5 desserts ever).

We have a ton of watermelon, so I am sipping a watermelon-lime frozen daiquiri.

See, this is why I just don't go to the doctor.

bea wrote:so very cute -the cheese pizza looks yums!

I make a bitchin' pizza!

I love how you don't come in here to complain about how awful my bad dishes are!

Mongoose wrote:TMy hashbrowns won't crisp up. Why won't they crisp up! Epi?

The potatoes need to be dried out as much as possible. When I make hash browns, I put the pieces between several layers of paper towels to absorb the moisture.

Okay it was really good.

I just made my first fish chowder. At first I was nervous because, as much as I loved fish, this stuff stunk to high heaven. But now that it's finished, it smells wonderful. Will return after a while with a taste report.

I've topped mama!

I always loved her enchiladas, and I've never made them until now. I pureed broiled onion, tomatillo, and serano pepper. I filled corn tortillas with sauteed chicken thighs and various cheeses. Broiled that with the puree, topped my half of the dish with olives, and covered with the cheeses.

Wow.

Tonight it's a "Ménage à trois" French onion soup with freshly baked bread.

Tonight I made Cong Bao Rou Si.

So good.

S~V~S wrote:

Epignosis wrote:Verdict: Excellent dish- I would like to use a sweeter fruit next time. Perhaps a mango.

Don't go TOO sweet, it is easy to do that with Salmon, which is kinda sweet-ish to begin with. I made an orange sauce once with salmon that was perfect with maha mahi, swordfish or even tuna, but came out too sweet with salmon. Cloyingly sweet, tbh. Maybe if you use the mango (which would be yummy) throttle back a tad on the honey.

I don't like sweet, especially if it isn't dessert. If I feel like something should be sweeter, I mean it.

Mongoose wrote:That sounds very quaint! Will you please wear a pork pie hat while you eat it, please.

Just call me Buster Eatin'!

Tonight, it's pork pot pie!

I made this tonight with Ugali:

http://ambikaskitchen.com/?p=127

My first time dabbling in Tanzanian cuisine. It was surprisingly good, but I would probably not make it again.

Verdict: Excellent dish- I would like to use a sweeter fruit next time. Perhaps a mango.

Last night I made Swedish turkey meatballs over egg noodles with a bastard Béchamel sauce. While it tasted excellent, the texture of ground turkey does not agree with me.

Tonight, I am preparing roasted salmon with a grapefruit-honey sauce over baby spinach with Jasmine rice.

Nothing was needed.

Being beans, the final product was mushy in the bread, but I loved the flavor. I would make this again. Thanks!

Oh I would never pan fry such a thing.

I know I can add an egg, but I'm tempted to keep this completely veg (as a challenge I guess).

Any tip on consistency? I like normal hamburgers because of the fat keeping the inside juicy.

I'll add the carrots and give it a try.

We used to eat chili every Sunday for football, but that stopped after this winter, so we're loaded with kidney beans.

I was thinking about making a vegetarian burger tonight, but I've never done it. I'm thinking of using mashed kidney beans, onion, some picante sauce, bread crumbs, and either taco seasoning or black pepper and chili powder. Does it make sense to add steamed carrots to the mash? For some reason the thought of carrots in a Mexican dish is off-putting.

Any advice, especially from you Vegs?

Wish I had friends.

My meal was likewise simple and off the cuff: Seared chicken breast with a balsamic vinegar reduction (brown sugar added). Had with sweet peas. Never anything wrong with simple if it's good.

I just made eggs Benedict. I had to do the Hollandaise sauce three times. I've made Hollandaise several times before, but for some reason it took me a while to get it right this morning. Could be two obnoxious children.

It was the best pizza dough I ever made, and it was about an inch thick. So good.

And the supper I just described (paired with my not-so-famous Alfredo sauce) was amazing.

Mongoose would be proud of us. Veg all day!

Tonight, it's stuffed portobello mushroom caps with angel hair pasta.

New secret ingredients.

Shiner Bock and Parmesan cheese.

Mongoose wrote:Wow, how fun is that?

Today is Throwback Thursdaze at Tijuana Flats (it's counter-service Tex Mex if you don't have one near you. IMO it's superior to Moe's), which means you get a big-ass burrito, fresh tortilla chips and a drink (free refills) for $5.99. I'm meeting some friends there when I get off work.

Tijuana Flats was within walking distance when we lived in Florida. The manager was a cracking Aussie who gave quizzes to the customers and cookies to the kids. One afternoon he kept the Sam Adams coming and didn't charge me for the drinks. Love their hot sauce varieties. For Christmas one year my wife's brother-in-law got me a bottle of the Slap My Ass and Call me Santa.

I'm making my not-so-famous pizza dough.

Want to know the secret ingredients?

Yuengling and Parmesan cheese.

I don't have any Yuegling though, so I'm trying Shiner Bock.

What brought you to vegetarianism?

I figured you were both vegetarians- neither of you mention meat, your avatars are meat, your user names are meat.

I have respect for vegetarians, but I would not wish to be one. I used to say I could never be one, but I have discovered so much love for the variety vegetable-based dishes present that I know I could do it.

I just don't wanna.

Best veg dish I make? Eggplant Parmesan.