May, 2018 ~ What did you make for dinner?

Your food is still 'safe' by my standards, Norm. I've had similar things happen, even had stuff that I completely thawed and re-froze without any problems.

I did, however, have a refrigerator that the self-defrost unit went 'wacko' on, long ago. It was, I think, one of the original 'frost free' freezer units sold. To keep the freezer frost free there was a heater unit that kicked on once in a while. In my case it didn't kick off. EVERYTHING in the freezer was thawed and made a huge mess when I discovered it when I got home from work one day. I have no idea how long it had been like that or how warm it actually got.

But that was a time when everything got trashed.

But if it's just not frozen solid but still cold, it's OK. I'd put a container of water in there and see if it freezes and stays frozen. It might be just that the door was ajar and you didn't notice.

It is possible that the door was ajar but it is supposed to sound an alarm when that happens. I didn't hear that go off. I might have been outside or the alarm might have been turned off but all seems ok now. I am going to throw away all the small stuff and old junk that has been in there since I don't know how long.

So what you're saying is this is God's way to get you to clean out the fridge?

LOL

NormM wrote:I had a pork chop and made some sour dough bread for dinner tonight.[/url]

gorgeous bread, Norm!

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:
She took a lyrica because she said her head hurts. ( The nerves from the shingles )

I'm ready for a nap myself. Yawnnn!  

Oh, your poor wife. I suffer from PHN, too, but luckily not in my face/head - that's the worst! She has my sympathies. Hope your pizza was delicious, and your family had a lovely Mother's Day ...

bethk wrote:I made what I wanted for Mother's Day ~ BLT and Sweet Kale Salad.  I splurged and bought some potato chips.  You'll never guess who ate more of them than I did......(you all get only 1 guess ~ LOL)



The camera on my new phone takes really good pics.  I cannot figure out how to make them come out smaller here on the forum but I guess it's not horrible that I'll be posting gigantic pics.  It just uses up more space and that's OK, I guess.

those tomatoes look incredible! What is in your "sweet kale salad"?

muzicgirl wrote:

those tomatoes look incredible!  What is in your "sweet kale salad"?

Actually, the tomatoes photographed better than they tasted! LOL But the Roma tomatoes at the store looked much better than the regular size ones. If you hold your sandwich with two hands they don't usually fall out.

The Sweet Kale Salad is a salad 'kit' sold at Sam's Club or WalMart ~ I use to 'pooh-pooh' people who bought those convenience foods as being lazy but then I found out when you're cooking for two, unless you want to have kale salad every day for two weeks straight, just buy the packaged stuff. It's all done for you ~ chopped kale, radiccio and shaved Brussels sprouts, a packet of pepitas and dried cranberries or cherries as well as just the right amount of a sweet poppyseed dressing. Dane, who swore he didn't like kale, has been turned into a convert since I've started serving this salad. The only thing I do other than mixing it all together is I sometimes sort through the salad stuff and break the Brussels sprouts or greens a bit smaller.

Normally the two of us eat the whole package (says it serves 4) but if there is any leftover it holds fine to have for lunch the next day because the kale and other greens don't go mushy in the dressing.

And it's really not that expensive.....in the $3 range, I think.

Thanks Muzicgirl. Beth, I already cleaned out the refrigerator last month but now I have an excuse to do the freezer too.

NormM wrote:Thanks Muzicgirl.  Beth, I already cleaned out the refrigerator last month but now I have an excuse to do the freezer too.

your blog is beautiful, too, Norm!

Thank you again muzicgirl.

I made chicken parm from lightly floured chicken cutlets (no heavy breading as per Mr. Amazing's request), used my homemade chopped mushroom marinara (made with my homemade tomato sauce ~ YUM!). I did a tossed/chopped salad with a light vinegarette and heated a bakery roll. The cavattavi / angel hair pasta was some I got at Trader Joe's....said it was imported from Italy. It was surprisingly good tasting, usually I don't notice any particular taste to pasta. Unlike 'picky Michelle', I just buy whatever is on sale....just kidding, Michelle! I love that it cooks in 3 minutes flat.

No offense taken, Beth! And the imported pasta we use (Garafalo) usually takes LONGER than regular pasta to cook -- but it's worth the wait, trust me. It's that good!

No cooking today.  A friend from British Columbia is visiting her daughter just outside Toronto, so I drove there today to have lunch.  We went to a Canadian chain, Mandarin restaurant. Very extensive list of both Chinese, Japanese and some North American foods.  Yumm, Yumm, Yumm...... no room for any dinner!  I had shrimp, shrimp salad, steamed fish, mussels, broccoli salad, bean salad, edamame, cucumber, avocado and tomato salad, beef and mushrooms, several sushi creations (and too much wasabi) and some Prime Rib beef........ The sushi was my dessert.  Think I had enough????

I'm stuffed just reading! I'm sure you enjoyed every bite. Good for you!

It really, really, was just a little taste of each, and I didn't even look at any of the desserts.  My husband used to start with the desserts.  Then go to the mains, and then back for more dessert.  He had such a sweet tooth.  My favourite dessert is some really good, preferably stinky cheese!  My daughter used to say  "stinky feet cheese".

Love, love, LOVE Brussels Sprouts, too, Imelda! Your meal looks so much like a 'comfort' meal.

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Since we've had rain off and on for the last couple days and it's predicted to continue (we get a lot of summer rains) I have to plan on meals cooked in the house. Tonight was my now famous Korean Beef BBQ Bahn Mi Tacos....with a side of rice.

The Korean Beef was just cooked in a cast iron skillet - I save some of the marinade in a small dish (that didn't go on the beef to season it) and I used it to pour over the cooked meat so it had just the right touch of 'sweet/spicy' taste. I made more pickled vegetables than we needed but figure I can mix it with the shredded cabbage and make a slaw for my lunch tomorrow.



I didn't really need TWO tacos, but they are so tasty! I couldn't resist....

I am going to forget how to cook.............. went out for lunch today with my sis.  She's going through a rough time, her third round with breast cancer, now metastazised to her spine.  She needs to relax and enjoy a nice meal, so we went for lunch to one of her favourite places, I had I think what may be the best roast beef I've ever had, she had a roast beef sandwich, just as great.  Coconut shrimp as an appy!

[quote="bethk"I didn't really need TWO tacos, but they are so tasty!  I couldn't resist....



[/quote]

And this sounded sooooo good to me the last time Beth made it, that I cobbled together her instructions for making it and put it in the recipe section if anyone wants it (it's in the area with Beef)! It's also what turned me yearn for that delicious Korean BBQ Sauce, four and a half bottles of which we are now proud owners. Brian is bringing a bottle to his friend Pete, too. He wasn't willing to part with any of the ribs we made for Pete to try but a bottle of sauce now that he has several, he had no problems with.

Laughed as Wednesday is the day my grocery and Winn-Dixie prints their sale sections in the newspaper and Rouse's has beef short ribs on sale for $4.99/lb. -- no bargain but cheaper than the $6.99/lb. they were last week! The best is they've got them advertised as "Korean or Flanken-style Bone-In" -- you can see just how popular Korean food, especially ribs, have become. We're eating wayyyyy too much beef lately (finished pot roast for lunch yesterday and am going to roast the beef spare ribs tonight that I've had in the fridge all "foodsavered" up in Mad Hunky rub since Sunday and they will be slathered up with Korean BBQ Sauce once tender) but am going to pick up some if I can figure out how to squeeze them in the freezer!

Since we've been speaking of beef ribs and short ribs lately, I'm posting a recipe I got a few years ago that I've never tried. But you all know what a pot pie fan I am. See next message for the recipe. I also put it in the Beef recipes section, too, if you want to find it down the line.

Short Rib Pot Pie
8 Servings / Recipe by Meryl Rothstein / Bon Appetit, March 2014.

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup vegetable shortening or beef lard

Filling and Assembly:
3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2” pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 10-oz. package frozen pearl onions, thawed
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
2 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs thyme, plus 2 Tablespoons chopped thyme
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Heavy cream (for brushing)

Crust:
Pulse flour and salt in a food processor; add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl and drizzle with 1/2 cup ice water. Mix with a fork until dough just comes together.

Knead dough lightly, adding more water by the Tablespoonful if needed, until no dry spots remain (dough will be slightly shaggy but moist). Form into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

DO AHEAD: Crust can be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled.

Filling and Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375°. Season short ribs with kosher salt and pepper; toss with 1/2 cup flour on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, shake excess flour from ribs and cook, turning occasionally, until deeply browned, 8–10 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl.

Add onions to same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown; season with kosher salt and pepper and, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic to pot, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened in color, 5 to 8 minutes. Add wine, rosemary, and thyme sprigs, bring to a boil, and cook, scraping up browned bits, until liquid is reduced by half, 8–10 minutes. Add 6 cups water to pot and bring to a boil.

Return short ribs to pot; season with kosher salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until short ribs are almost falling apart and liquid is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon, 2½–3 hours.

Add onions and chopped thyme to pot and stir to break up short ribs; season filling with kosher salt and pepper. Remove herb sprigs.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8” thick. Transfer filling to a shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Place over filling and trim, leaving overhang. Tuck edges under and crimp. Cut a few slits in crust. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sea salt. Alternatively, you can use 8 individual dishes.

Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake pot pie until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, 50–60 minutes (35–40 minutes for smaller dishes). Let sit 5–10 minutes before serving.

DO AHEAD: Filling can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat gently before assembling pie.

Niagara Visitor wrote:No cooking today.  A friend from British Columbia is visiting her daughter just outside Toronto, so I drove there today to have lunch.  We went to a Canadian chain, Mandarin restaurant. Very extensive list of both Chinese, Japanese and some North American foods.  Yumm, Yumm, Yumm...... no room for any dinner!  I had shrimp, shrimp salad, steamed fish, mussels, broccoli salad, bean salad, edamame, cucumber, avocado and tomato salad, beef and mushrooms, several sushi creations (and too much wasabi) and some Prime Rib beef........ The sushi was my dessert.  Think I had enough????

Laughed, as you sound like me, Lore -- I have a little bit of everything if I can! I'm like you with desserts, as I'd rather get full on the "real" meal. Brian, like Dieter, is a dessert man. My late sister was so enamored with desserts that I'd laugh when she was handed a menu, as I'd see her eyes drop and first go directly to the area of the menu that had desserts -- I even clued Brian in so he'd watch her as well when she was handed a menu. She wasn't known to really laugh at herself very well but when I finally pointed out to her that she did that, she, too, howled laughing.

That Chinese chain restaurant sure sounds interesting, too! I hung around with a woman from Toronto many years ago when I vacationed alone in Montego Bay many years ago (her husband was with her but he soured early on leaving the confines of the hotel so we went all over together in a day taxi several timea). I was pea green with envy when she told me just about any type of restaurant in her area of Toronto DELIVERED -- even Chinese food places! Boy not here in N.O., not even today. Even services like Grub Hub only handle a few restaurants on our side of the Mississippi River. Brian and I often wish we could get really good food delivered to us -- we'd end up spending a lot less money if we had the wine, beer or cocktails at home rather than while dining in a restaurant. Plus there are times when we're just too pooped or hurting these days to tackle making a whole meal ourselves.

Since we've been discussing short ribs lately, I decided to post a little tutorial about the different cuts available in case some of you don't often cook them or just see the standard cut in your local groceries or markets. I understand you can pick them up a lot cheaper if you venture out to an Asian market or Indonesian market.  I keep promising I'm going to do that as there's literally an entire Asian shopping center with a lot of small noodles shops and stuff not that far away from us on this side of the river, too. Lord knows I'll spend a fortune once there especially if I have Brian with me. I know he won't want to go but he'll be gaga when he gets there and not only sees how much is offered but how much more reasonable the prices are.

English style: The ribs are cut parallel to the bone, with one bone per piece. They tend to hold their shape even after a long braise and make an impressive presentation.




Flanken style: In the flanken style of short rib, this thin cut, which is about 1/2-inch thick, goes across the bones so that each slice contains a few pieces of bone with a generous portion of meat around them. This is a popular way to cut the short ribs if you're going for a Korean barbecue kalbi-style result. Unless you're shopping at an Asian grocery store, you most likely have to ask your butcher to cut these to order for you, though lots of groceries lately seem to be catering to the popularity of Korean food, especially BBQ. I usually rinse and dry these prior to seasoning them to remove any remaining bone fragments.





Hybrid Style: Keep in mind that sometimes a short rib can be cut with a hybrid of the English and flanken styles, like the ones Faith used in her braised short rib recipe. As you can see in the picture below, the short rib is cut against the bones like the flanken style but is cut into thick, English-style pieces. Since the thickness of the cut is really what matters, cook these thick pieces like English-cut short ribs.

To Koreans, the flanken style is called LA cut (as in Los Angeles). The hybrid style is the way it is prepared in Korea and then the meat is cut accordion style so it is still attached to the bone but trails out in a long thin strip. Both ways let the Galbi marinade expose  to more of the meat and make for quick cooking on the grill.

NormM wrote:To Koreans, the flanken style is called LA cut (as in Los Angeles). The hybrid style is the way it is prepared in Korea and then the meat is cut accordion style so it is still attached to the bone but trails out in a long thin strip. Both ways let the Galbi marinade expose  to more of the meat and make for quick cooking on the grill.

I saw something called an LA cut, Norm, and it said something about the thickness of that cut. I'd LOVE to see that accordion style cut, too, Thanks so much, Norm, as I really appreciate your input.

I've got a question for you. The answer might be just that we've Americanized it. Why do I see both "Galbi" and "Balbi"? Are they the same?  If they mean the same thing, which would be "correct"?