What are you cooking?

[Rusty_Shackleford]

I'll likely do grilled sirloin tips but just for myself. May or may not be BBQ. I don't do 'parties' anymore as I have become pretty much a hermit.

Last time I did a football party thing was several years ago on Thanksgiving. Invited a couple of guys in my apartments that I thought friends over for dinner and football. I did the full thing with turkey and all the sides. After eating bunches they both said they had to leave to watch games with friends. One guy actually knocked on my door later wanting "his share" of the pumpkin pie. Keep in mind that neither supplied or even offered to bring anything. I have not done such a dinner since.

I'm gonna come over and watch the Super Bowl at your house. My wife's son is a Patriots fan and I know he's going to stand directly in front of the TV, 2 feet away from it and talk through the entire game. He totally ruins football for me every time.

 

[jaylach]

I'm gonna come over and watch the Super Bowl at your house. My wife's son is a Patriots fan and I know he's going to stand directly in front of the TV, 2 feet away from it and talk through the entire game. He totally ruins football for me every time.

Personally I'd tell him to shut up and sit down so others could also enjoy the game. Of course, often, that is easier said than done...

 

[jaylach]

I remember, when I was quite young, my grandma had two of my aunts and an uncle living off of her in her house. The youngest aunt was younger than the others and OK but the two older insisted that it was my grandma's responsibility to cook what they wanted for dinner every day. She would often have to cook different dinners for each. The younger aunt would not have anything to do with this abuse and helped my grandma cook. Keep in mind that the younger aunt, at the time, was around 16 and should have been in the house. The other two were just users and abusers.

Sigh, a lot of my family were not people I'd choose to associate...

 

[fishorama]

I made black bean salad to go with Fritos today. I'm pretty sure it won't last until Sun. No Super Bowl foods planned yet, the freezer is pretty full, so is the pantry. I bought an eggplant yesterday so maybe I'll try out making baba ghanoush. Anyone make it & have tips?

We're having slightly soggy leftover lo mien.

 

[jaylach]

I'm not sure for tonight. I have two different stuffed chicken breasts thawed. One is Cordon Blue and the other stuffed with cheese and broccoli. LOL! I could always have both with less on the side.

In either case I figure that the side will be egg noodles with brown butter and peas, probably with a bit of basil and thyme. Of course black pepper.

 

[jaylach]

I bought an eggplant yesterday so maybe I'll try out making baba ghanoush. Anyone make it & have tips?

I'm not a big fan of eggplant but have used.

One of the problems with eggplant is the water content. When deep frying this means the water is cooked off being replaced with the cooking oil leaving a slimy mess as eggplant is VERY prone to sucking in anything it touches. This is actually a good thing when doing something like eggplant Parmesan but a pain if you want to have the eggplant firm, such as in a salad, If you want a firmer eggplant you need to use salt. Cut the eggplant as you want to use and layer with salt. The salt will pull out a lot of the water content let the eggplant sit in the salt, at least, overnight. Rinse off the salt and cook right away to prevent the rinse water being sucked right back in.

Others may be able to give better advice as I've really done very little with eggplant.

 

[fishorama]

Thanks, I've heard of the need to salt it to remove some of the moisture & maybe bitterness? A long time ago I looked at baba ghanoush recipes but don't remember much. We've had eggplant in curries a couple times. Not peeled so smooshy with edible skin. Since it was cut up, I don't know if it was "regular" Italian? eggplant or little Asian type. I don't know the difference Baba ghanoush is a Mediterranean dip served with pita +/or veggies like hummus. I think I bought an eggplant years ago, maybe for parmesan? I've also seen it grilled & maybe roasted.

My husband was gone all day for jury duty. Luckily he wasn't chosen but he didn't get home until just a bit ago. I didn't plan dinner since I didn't know what he may have had for lunch or how long a rush hour drive he might have. Traffic can be brutal here & it was far from places we know. Thank goodness for google maps & smart phone or he'd have been stuck even longer with accidents.

He had pizza lunch so we're having burgers after he recovers a while with wine My poor baby! I'll probably be next up for jury duty when I renew my driver's license. They love retired folks!

 

[jaylach]

Thanks, I've heard of the need to salt it to remove some of the moisture & maybe bitterness? A long time ago I looked at baba ghanoush recipes but don't remember much. We've had eggplant in curries a couple times. Not peeled so smooshy with edible skin. Since it was cut up, I don't know if it was "regular" Italian? eggplant or little Asian type. I don't know the difference Baba ghanoush is a Mediterranean dip served with pita +/or veggies like hummus. I think I bought an eggplant years ago, maybe for parmesan? I've also seen it grilled & maybe roasted.

My husband was gone all day for jury duty. Luckily he wasn't chosen but he didn't get home until just a bit ago. I didn't plan dinner since I didn't know what he may have had for lunch or how long a rush hour drive he might have. Traffic can be brutal here & it was far from places we know. Thank goodness for google maps & smart phone or he'd have been stuck even longer with accidents.

He had pizza lunch so we're having burgers after he recovers a while with wine My poor baby! I'll probably be next up for jury duty when I renew my driver's license. They love retired folks!

Sorry to hear that hubby was not happy as to jury duty. I REALLY am as it is an experience that should be experienced. I did serve on a jury and was not happy with the results but it was an experience I will never forget.

 

[fishorama]

We get a jury notice every 2 years here. I'm all about civic duty, but today husband's judge said it's now every year!! That seems a bit excessive as it can be far for us, we live in a heavily populated area. I've been called to jury selection several times but eventually not chosen, mostly. My husband has sat on a few trials & testified at 1. Here at least, they don't even give gas $ & $15/day starting the 2nd day, no parking, bus fare or lunch, no help...

Yeah, we can afford it, but it's a PITA here, not just going, but all the tax issues are new every time. I sympathize with low wage earners & stay at home parents that are required to eat all the costs or find sudden childcare. $15/day doesn't pay for either of those scenarios.

OK, I'm kind of drifting off into politics in a way (sorry mods), or just fairness for all...Should juries be made up people stressed about what all their "civic duty" requires of them both financially & stress? Before my husband retired, his cos. took the court $15 & called it a salaried paid day off or something like that. A minor inconvenience for him, but not for low wage earners...

 

[jaylach]

Don't know if I will but I've been thinking about getting a pasta sheeter/cutter; manual hand crank would be fine. I'd want the sheeter part to go as thin as at least 1mm although, if the right price, 0.05mm would be preferred.

The reason I'm considering is flavor. I'm a pasta freak and consider it its own food group. You can flavor dry pasta by simmering the cooking water with spices for a while before cooking the dry pasta but it isn't the same as adding flavor when the pasta is actually made.

Anyone have one they would recommend?

 

[fishorama]

I inherited a hand cranked pasta roller "machine" from my dad. I've never used it. A faraway friend offered to show me how to make pasta & egg noodles. Maybe next time I see her. I don't know if she makes flavored pasta, might be a "next step" in my lessons.

 

[jaylach]

I inherited a hand cranked pasta roller "machine" from my dad. I've never used it. A faraway friend offered to show me how to make pasta & egg noodles. Maybe next time I see her. I don't know if she makes flavored pasta, might be a "next step" in my lessons.

Oh, flavoring new made pasta is easy. Just add the flavors when making the dough. Just keep the flavors very small as to the cut. You just don't want large chunks of stuff in the dough as that would just make it break up. As an example you would want to use dried basil flakes over fresh basil.

For me tonight it is an Italian smothered bone in pork chop. Instead of the normal smothered pork chop with gravy, carrots and whatever baked I'm doing stove top with shrooms, flavored diced tomatoes and Italian based spices. Mini cheese ravioli will be the starch. May add an Italian flaked cheese blend over top. OK, just added the cheese. Probably two meals but looking good.

 

[Fishmanic]

Well the BIG GAME is on Sunday at 6:30 ET and I need to load up on energy. I will be making a meatloaf made with ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, onions and lots of spices. I’ll make mashed potatoes as a side and maybe broccoli. I will have apple pie and ice cream for dessert.
GO PATS!

 

[gimme30]

My buddies are bringing over take out for the game, so I won't be cooking a thing. Unless getting stewed counts.

 

[Rocky998]

Usually we make some pretty cool appetizer stuff for the super bowl but sadly we've been really busy and didn't get the chance to this year. Wingstop it was! Lol