Scarborough Fair - Eggs and Chips.

The eggs are baked on the same cookie sheet as the potatoes.

You can find the original recipe here on The English Kitchen.

I made some minor changes the main one being I used fresh herbs rather than dried.

One night we had another version of the Baked Scallops using prawns instead.

We also had a creamy polenta topped with chanterelles, portabellos and shittake mushrooms for dinner one night this week.

I tried a crockpot version of pulled pork this weekend that turned out wonderful:

Also made some salsa and fried up tortilla chips and seasoned them with salt, chili powder & lime zest to snack on during the football games on Sunday:

Had a couple of plums I needed to use up and made individual Plum Crumbles:

Lori

Ann, Lori, Sherry, what can I say? It all looks fabulous and I have no doubt that it all tastes as good as it looks.

Nancy

Sherry, I love how you decorated your pie crust. Between you and Bobby, I now have a major craving for a pot pie.

Ann

lorijean44, pulled pork is one of the most difficult to perfect, and yours looks perfect.

Ann_t, lunch, breakfast or dinner, your versatility is always impressive, the polenta! Is polenty luscious.
-----------------------------------

It's sea food night. Crabs, clams and lobster.

Here is the recipe:
Dump everything in a big pot of boiling water.

And eat.

The lobster is a 3.5-lb monster. Too big for the plate. So I had to stand the crawler on its head.

Ann

However, I saw they were also selling dead ones at $2.25 a lb. I could tell that they were very fresh. I took a chance and got 8 large ones.

They were very good. I froze the others for another meal.

dcarch

You can't tell by looking at a dead crab how long it has been dead. And the fact that it is dead means that it was probably in the tank too long to begin with.

The best crabs to buy are the most active crabs in the tank.

There is a reason why they were for sale for $2.25. The only thing they are good for is fertilizer.

Ann

Everything looks so good it's hard to comment. But I have to say I've drooled over Ann's polenta with mushrooms several times. After the predicted damp weather the wild boletes may emerge here next week. If so, I will try to replicate that, in a way.

darch, you continually outdo yourself. I like to see a guy having so much fun. It opens my eyes.

Jim

Lori :D

Just getting back in the swing of cooking rather than eating out and not very enthusiastic about it!

Inspired by Bobby I too made Chicken Pot Pie, well not really pie I served the filling over puff pastry shells. Another night was lasagna. No inspiration for tonight's dinner just yet.

Beautiful pot pie, by the way.

I'm coming out of semi-retirement on this thread to say everything looks delicious and I'm also having cravings for chicken pot pie thanks to Bobby and Sherry, and pulled pork and everything else.

It's almost lunch time and so we'll be having more of the chili con carne I made yesterday along with a slice or two from a fresh loaf of dark German bread.

Wolf doesn't eat too much at the moment as he's still bedridden and I have been grazing on small things as well as going out to a nearby restaurant for a quick lunch just to get out of the house, and bringing back a favourite dish for Wolf. But I'm planning a ladies' night out for a Thai dinner with girlfriends next week, so looking forward to that.

Here's the chili con carne, which I'm sure will be on the menu for another couple of days! I always make too much.

SharonCb

OK, I finally got pi. Nope, I wasn't a math major, LOL.

I've been swamped with last minute wedding stuff so dinner has usually been whatever I'm baking or preparing for the wedding that hasn't made it to the freezer yet.

Yesterday Amanda and I went shopping so I could buy shoes so I could get my dress hemmed. We at at a little coffee shop, eggs/bacon/cheese on bagels and mocha. Not healthy but good. Since we ate those about 2 pm supper was toast and peanut butter.

Annie

BF had two days off work and I was loving having him here helping me fix things around the house. My job was to keep him happily well fed! First night sad to say we did Chinese takeout since the kitchen was a disaster after me making salsa all day. I managed to reclaim part of it for Wed. night and make linguini with clam sauce using Lou's recipe and some of the paste tomatoes I had leftover from making salsa. That and chopped salad with cuke and green pepper fresh from the farm market, very yum! BF got garlic bread made from a cornmeal chestnut bread that I made from my new cookbook "The Bread Machine Bible" by Beth Hernsberger or some such spelling. So far I am loving that book. I didn't have chestnut flour so I subbed hazelnut flour which I had been trying to use up for ages. It also has buttermilk in the batter, very good tasting.

Brunch today deserves and honorable mention, eggs poached in mexican style tomato sauce, topped with melted cheese, and an everything bagel. I finally had some luck poaching eggs after reading in "Cooking Light" that a secret is to put them in a little cup before putting into the water or sauce, which helps them land in the liquid with an intact oval shape. (That's opposed to cracking them right into the sauce, which is what I had always done before and they turned out raggedy looking.)

Tonight it was the last of some homeade hummus, pita bread, tabouleh, and Turkish barley buttermilk soup, out of my old "Diet for a Small Planet" cookbook. Everything in there is delicious, and this was no exception. I highly recommend searching out a copy of the book if you want to get into vegetarianism in a heavy duty way and eat lots of whole foods emphasis whole grains. Also some coleslaw made with chopped apple which I really like.

The tabouleh

The barley buttermilk soup which was not photogenic

The linguini with clam sauce, yum!

Still not up to par but I had to cook this tonight.
Only ate half. Maybe next week ???
Have a nice weekend,
LOU

Delmonico Steak medium rare, with Southern Home Fries and canned Veggies.

LPink, no exact recipe. And I'm not sure you will like it since I used chicken broth in both the polenta and the mushrooms. Here is what I posted on my blog:

Polenta is so easy to make. I don't measure, just bring a pot of chicken broth seasoned with garlic to a simmer and slowly sift in fine cornmeal, stirring constantly until the polenta starts to thicken. Keep the heat turned down low and continue stirring Add a chunk of butter and at least a 1/2 cup of fresh grated parmesan. Stir and serve. I like the polenta on the soft side so I use a higher ratio of broth to cornmeal.

No recipe for the mushrooms either. I sauted the mushrooms in a mixture of butter and olive oil in batches so that they didn't just steam in the pan. Added them all back into the pan
along with minced garlic and some fresh sage, added a little flour, sauted for a minute or two longer, added chicken broth, enough to make a sauce and finished it off with a handful of chopped parsley Seasoned with salt and pepper and served over the polenta.

Dinner tonight was pot roast.. Started it this morning before work and Moe took it out of the oven late morning. All I had to do tonight was cook the veggies, make the gravy and slice and reheat the beef.

Served with mashed potatoes, asparagus, rutabaga and cauliflower.

As for my cooking, a huge pot of pink beans done in the crockpot - yum! And I made some kick butt 3 bean salad from some fresh homegrown green beans.

I wish this time of year lasted longer! I don't want the delicious bounty to end, I haven't had near enough time to cook all the dishes I want to make with the produce.

SharonCb, your chili looks delicious! And Ann, what can I say. You know I'd sit at your dinner table any day of the week! That's one gorgeous pot roast!

Lori

I finally tried Wizard's Spicy Cheeseburger Soup. It's a keeper and will be made often this winter. And I made the pumpkin roll I've been craving for dessert.

Di

Tonight is more of the same, leftover style LOL!

Alexa

I made scampi with mushrooms, garlic and basil over spaghetti (one of my go-to simple recipes), and garlic bread. Sprinkled extra freshly grated Parm over it. I had to be quick with the camera though, before it was allllll inside our tummies!

Di, I'll be making a pumpkin roll soon, too. I so love that dessert. Like you, I'm into soups now, as well.

Yesterday I made a batch of Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Apple Chips. The soup has a bit of orange zest and just a tiny bit of fresh orange juice added right before serving to brighten the flavor. So good!

Lori

Beautiful picture lorijean- it belongs in a magazine. I'm curious about those spiced apple chips.

Sooz, can you post your recipe for the shrimp scampi? I've never made it. It looks really good, but I would have to leave the mushrooms.

Di

I've been working/schooling/transporting kids to hockey practice so dinner have been too pathetic to report on. I did make some very delicious sweet potato fries yesterday though, along with some chocolate ice cream in the ice cream machine, that's a balanced meal, right?

AM

I was going to make pasta with summer veggies, but DH called and said he isn;t going to be home for dinner, so I am repeating lunch for me and making plain Margharita Flatbread for the boys.... mine is Eggplant Marinara Flatbread.
This is a photo of lunch, I am not going to take another of the same LOL!

The recipe was actually for Spiced Pear Chips, but I subbed an apple as I have an apple tree in my backyard that is overflowing with fruit. My backyard is going to smell like a cider factory soon... :-P

SPICED PEAR CHIPS
1 firm ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) sweet paprika
1/8 teaspoon (0.5 mL) cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For spiced pear chips, preheat oven to 275�F (140� C).

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pear lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Combine paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. Lightly sprinkle over both sides of pear slices. Place on baking sheet in a single layer. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and set another baking sheet on top of paper to keep pears flat.

Bake for 45 minutes or until pears are very soft and starting to dry around the edges. Remove top baking sheet and carefully peel off top piece of parchment. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes longer, checking often, until pears are dry and firm. They will crisp more upon cooling. Carefully peel pears from parchment while still warm and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Lori

Everyone's food looks delish!

Ann, I love those Scarborough Fair Eggs and Chips idea. I even think it is something Christy would consider making for supper while she relaxes a bit after work. We enjoy breakfast for dinner quite often. Later, your roast looks good, but that asparagus...mmmmm... I can never get enough of the stuff. Too bad I only have one plant left these days.

Lori that pulled pork is calling to me, even though I like my slaw on the side. Weird but I like some bites without it and some with. I'd be more than happy to have yours though. Your plum crisp was the inspiration for the crumb topping for my pie yesterday.

Sherry, your pot pie looks so good and I just love your table setting. Your pics are fine and I appreciate you sharing them.

Dcarch, I'd be one happy Nut with that crab! I could spend a lot of time eating crab. The lobster would be well devoured too and your presentation just cracked me up!

LOL Denise.. funny girl.

Sharon I think you know I love your chili con carne and it looks great. That dark German bread has me lusting after it. I do so love a dark bread with lots of seeds. Yummm... I'm very sorry Wolf has had such a hard time and very glad he's on the mend.

Lou, you carnivore you. You and Christy would get along well. Looking good.

Di, I don't do much in the spicy realm but that cheeseburger soup looks really good and I'm sure I could just tone it down. The pumpkin roll looks great too. Di, those ribs look good too.

Geez Sooz, I think I have to put scampi into our rotation more often. Especially since I so often have pasta on hand. Yours looks great. I love the addition of mushrooms and will do that next time since we both love mushrooms.

MMMmmm Lori, that cauliflower soup. Love it. I'm waiting impatiently for the cole crops to come out around here. My friends farm grows some monster gorgeous cauliflower that would do that soup justice. How about the recipe?

Yikes Caliloo, I have got to get to the farm-stand and grab some eggplant before they're all gone. I can practically taste that. Sounds like a good supper to me... or lunch.. or breakfast for that matter. Although, pasta with the veggies sounds good too. Think I better eat my leftover chinese food... soon.. lol.

Ok, for me, the best thing I've made recently is simply baking the butter cup squash from the heritage organic farm stand. How did I miss these squash. They were so very sweet and creamy. Like a cross between butternut squash and sweet potato. They looked almost identical to the green squat Italian squash LindaC had. I baked them with some butter and a little brown sugar on half, just butter on rest. Ate them for several days and several midnight snacks.

Yesterday I make Chicken Francaise but, no pics of that dinner. Had some fresh green beans with mushrooms and potatoes with it. I often don't finish the cooking myself since I tend to need to sit before I get done, so it makes it hard to get pics. Smiles. I did finish the cooking but wasn't quite up to the pics. I did too much yesterday.

Today I felt bad about missing the dinner pics so I took a pic of my lunch.. lol.. lentil soup and half a tuna sandwich on 12 grain bread with a small orange juice.

Earlier in the day yesterday, I made a apple crumb pie and some cinnamon pinwheels with extra pie crust I had frozen. That's what wore me out. Sad but true. That stuff I did manage to take pics of.

Coconut, your photos look so yummy, my favorites. AND, I must add that your dishware is ADORABLE!

Alexa that's also what I had for lunch today, so good! I served mine on a split whole grain baguette.

I was planning on BF's son and son's girlfriend coming over Sunday night but he had to work, so it was just BF and me. I definately have more cooking mojo when BF is around. I made chicken breasts with a sauce made from home canned fruit chutney, (made from mostly dried fruits which is why it is so dark), some red onions and a bit of cider. I braised the chicken in that in the oven while I made the rest of the meal, then finished off the sauce by reducing it on the stovetop. I sure love my braising pan for being able to go from stovetop to oven! I made a pretty fancy pink beans and rice, including zuchinni and yellow squash. I made the beans in the crockpot--yum! Then salad was fatoush, which is a chopped salad made with torn up pieces of toasted pita bread. I had some ones I "over toasted" for sandwiches but they were OK for fatoush. Now I have a full set of leftovers to chow on for the rest of the week!

Chicken with fruit chutney sauce

Pink beans and rice

Fatoush salad

1 lb shrimp, cleaned, rinsed and shells removed
1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
half a stick of butter (the real stuff)
1/4 C of EVOO
1/4 C to 1/2 C white wine (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced
2 to 3 T freshly grated Parmesan
fresh lemon juice (optional--I usually use one squeeze)
fresh basil, chopped (optional)
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Boil water in a big ol' pot and cook the pasta. Drain well.

In a large pan, gently heat the butter and EVOO.
Add the garlic and sliced mushrooms and saute them all together. You can also add some white wine at this point if you want.
Cook this down a little bit to thicken.
If you want more sauce, just increase your amounts.

Add the shrimp to the same pan and cook gently until done--cooking time depends on how big your shrimp are--add a splash (or more) of freshly squeezed lemon juice if you like.

Put pasta in a bowl and add the sauce and shrimp, tossing to coat. Top with basil and/or parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.

I dirtied an extra bowl because I took out the shrimp and set them aside, and then tossed the spaghetti with the sauce, plated it, and added the shrimp.

Alexa
*******************************************************
Eggplant Marinara Flatbread

6 appetizer servings
PREP: 30 minutes TOTAL: 45 minutes
Recipe by the Bon October 2010

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (about) olive oil, divided
6 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick eggplant rounds (3 to 4 inches in diameter; from 1 large)
1 loaf ciabatta or pain rustique, cut horizontally in half, trimmed to 9-inch length
1 1/4 cups purchased fresh marinara sauce
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil plus 6 whole leaves (for garnish)
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Place in skillet. Cover. Cook until tender, turning, 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Brush cut side of bottom half of bread with rest of oil. Cook in skillet, cut side down, until golden, 1 minute.
Place bread, cut side up, on baking sheet. Spread with 3/4 cup sauce. Crumble goat cheese over; sprinkle with chopped basil. Top with eggplant. Mound mozzarella on eggplant; spoon remaining sauce over.
Bake bread until topping is hot and crust is crisp, about 12 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces. Garnish with basil leaves.

Lip- you have really been cooking up a storm, the chicken looks good!

Di

I had a "southern" dinner. I've wanted to try making fried okra for so long, and so we had that for an appetizer (it was only dipped in egg, then dregged in seasoned cornmeal,
next time I'll try to add some flour to it). It was funny because my picky eater, little fella (LF), kept snitching them. I couldn't decide if it was truly snitching since they're a vegetable
and I wanted him to try something new, but he thought he was getting by, so I let him. Afterall, it has to be more fun that way. It seems to me, friends from NOLA say gumbo
and jambalaya are really ways to use up leftover meats. So that's what I do. The below gumbo has sausage, ham, and shrimp, since that was what I had on hand.

Lori's soup is a statement that good taste and good look can be simple.
It's a good thing that Di's short ribs are slightly out of focus, otherwise I would have licked the monitor. I did lick the monitor when I was looking at the hamburger soup.

Caliloo's pizza! Heavenly companion to go with Lori's soup.

Lou, one of those Delmonico Steak medium rare steak will get you back to healthy in no time.

Ann_t's pot roast and asparagus, I challenge anyone to tell me that you have seen better!

SharonCb, chili con carne and bread, proves that the Spanish and the German can coexist deliciously.

lpinkmountain, when I need to look for beautiful food that's healthy, I come to you for inspirations.

coconut-nj, I swear that I almost pick up the spoon with the lentil soup. I believe I have the same spoon. How clever you are, matching the dishes with the table cloth.

rob333, I have heard a lot of mumbo jumbo about gumbo, after seeing your gumbo, I think I like to give it a try, may be with jambalaya also.

So much talk about dim sum in another thread, so I made some to get it (my craving) over with. Veggie: chayote and a slice of lotus root. Why? Chayote is known as Buddha's hands, and Buddha often sits on a lotus flower. Lotus flower, symbol of virtue, because it is so clean and pure, even it grows up in muddy water. Everything is done at the same time with the double-decker steamer.

dcarch

A simple green salad with bacon and beets

Sauted butternut squash with pecans and whiskey butter

And last but not least, dark chocolate bundt cake with fudge and vanilla glaze

Thanks Robin! That gumbo has me wanting some. I have some leftover juice in the freezer. We usually try to have shrimp in it and often have ham and chicken, but as you said, whatever is on hand works with gumbo and jambalaya.

Di, Christy has been working on those pinwheels with her coffee for you. They're dwindling fast, lol.

Sherri, thanks. I have been craving meatloaf for a while. For some reason Christy doesn't care for it much, even though I've made tons of variations so I rarely make it, but leftover meatloaf sandwiches are one of my favorites. Soon. Have you posted your recipe? Your cake is gorgeous and I love the pressed glass[?] pedestal.

dcarch, thanks! That's not actually a tablecloth, it's my five foot porcelain/enamel top table that belonged to my grandparents. It has the green edge and green and orange medallion in middle and on corners. Here's a pic that shows the corner a bit. You rarely see the big ones. It has a nice heavy duty wooden base with two big drawers on the sides and a big pull out cutting board.

It's been very cold and raw so tonight we made some broccoli soup and had it with some rolls. No pics though. Naturally a small hunk of the pie for dessert.

Sheshebop, it all looks good, but that cake! What is different about your meatloaf?

Dinner Monday was oven baked cod and the last of the green beans.

Last night was smoked wings from a local BBQ place, they are really large wings, we love them and don't even sauce them.

Di

Last night I roasted one of the chix in my one Le Creuset pot. Set it on a bed of chopped onion and garlic sprinkled with olive oil. Let it cook for an hour and a half at 400 degrees. Pulled out the chix and let it rest while finishing the onion sauce on the stove top. I added a couple teaspoons of butter and scraped all the lovely brown "fond" er, brown bits off the sides of the pot. The carmelized onion/chix juice sauce was heavenly. Served with cauliflower and asparagus.

Not much of that little guy left, which is a big drawback to cooking good home-made food - portion control flies out the window!

Tonight is I don't know what. Ping pong lessons after work.

Wow,wow,wow. That table will have great worth sometime soon, not that you will ever sell it. It is such a nice feeling to be having a meal on it. Some thing interesting you can do:
a. Take a picture of the design, use your inkjet printer to print on thermal transfer paper (Staples, eBay, art supplies) for a few dollars, you can have the same design permanently printed on napkins and your apron.
b. A rubber stamp company for a few dollars, can make you a rubber stamp of the same design, then you can custom print the design on paper napkins.
c. A silk screen stencil can be made to put the design on your walls.

diinohio "----Beautiful photos dcarch. "
Thanks. You have very good taste. I have an identical dish as yours :-)

dcarch

Coconut I love my blue and purple plates too, and I bought exactly TWO of them. I don't know what I was thinking, other than I had been moving around a lot and didn't want a lot of dishes to pack. Now I have trouble finding anything to go with them and wish I had more at dinner party time. I also bought only FOUR of these white dishes with the oak leaf/acorn motif around the rim and I totally wish I had gotten more of those too. They were from a Martha Stewart dish set that was the rage at K-mart for a couple of years. I'm sure I could find both patterns online but I just don't do that.

DC, loved your photo. Now I know it was lotus ROOT, not flower, that I had when I went for dim sum in NYC. And those are the CUTEST dumplings!

Yum, yum Sherry and Di, all my good old Midwestern favorites!

Dinner last night was "best of" CF. Eggplant open face sandwiches on a whole wheat bagette slice, which was a riff on what Alexa made, Greek lentil soup, out of the freezer, which I posted the recipe on the soup thread (best lentil soup I ever made!), and salad out of the bag which was on sale two for the price of one. Seedless dark purple grapes to munch on before and after. AND, I got dinner on the table BEFORE six, and I started after 5. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this, BF loved the dinner AND he did the dishes so I could finish the laundry. He's the greatest!

Sherry- How do you make the Sauteed butternut squash with pecans and whiskey butter? Sounds like a to-die-for combination, of course you have to like whiskey --and we do!

Coconut-the other night Cinnabons were featured on America Cooks on PBS (I think that's the title of Cook's Illustrated show). Your's look as good!! She made a heart stopping cream cheese-butter-conf sugar icing and iced the bons 2 times! Oh my!

Sherry, I've never been a big fan of meatloaf either. So it is nice when you find one that you really like.

I love squash and that butternut squash sounds wonderful. I could eat that for dessert.

Di, what did you season your fish with?

Coconut, I love your table and your plates.

Ann

"Nice to see more people sharing their dinners and photos."

You can say that again! I always look forward to this thread.

Jim

No pictures to share -DD took the digital camera off to college in TN and I haven't replaced it as of yet.

Monday's dinner was a new recipe for potato tomato gratin with a side of asparagus and a salad.

Tuesday was a pot roast, mashed potatoes and green beans. It turned out successful thanks to a little help from some CF members!

Last night was a Pasta Puttanesca Bianca with salad and fresh bread. This was another new recipe for me. Got rave reviews from my youngest DD & DH.

Tonight I'm taking it easy at the Back to School picnic. Subs & pizza supplied by someone else...lol

I am finally back in the mood for cooking. Found myself in a rut there for a bit....

Last night was Pork Saltimbocca over Creamy Polenta. I really love this dish and it is so quick and easy! Served with peas and delicata squash, it was delish!

Had a craving for chow mein so Chicken Chow Mein is what we had tonight. Don't know why I don't make it more often, we both love it.

I also made a batch of Butter Pecan Ice Cream from my Ben & Jerry's book.....whoa! It's awesome!

Linda

Linda, I love saltimbocca - yours looks wonderful, as does your chow mein!

I've been living on sandwiches pretty much this week - working long hours and getting ready for DD to come into town with her family. I did have a chance to cook up some pasta and bake some of AnnT's French bread earlier in the week:

Lori

I am eating too well. I turned the corner on another decade and I have gained 5 lbs. and can't get rid of it. I eat healthy and low fat, but apparently still too much, with not enough exercise. Well, I have no excuses except that I love food!

Tonight's dinner was huevos rancheros. Typical of my meals, not really photogenic, hash of one sort or another. But that's the kind of things a cheapie vegetarian like me eats, lol! Hence my few posts here.
It was delish though!

While fighting off the urge to finish all of Chase's chili sauce straight out of the jar, I remembered that Ann said Moe loves it with his Tourtiere. Tourtiere is a recipe I've been eyeing since Ann posted it, so last night Christmas Eve came early. OMG what a wonderful dish. And the sauce was the perfect accompaniment.

Question to Ann: While delicious, mine had absolutely no structure. I pretty much just spooned it onto the plates. Any ideas? One thing I was wondering about were the potatoes. You didn't really say what you did with them; I just diced them. Should I have mashed them and mixed the meat in? Anyway, that's why no picture. ;-)

Here is the commentary for the casserole:

"This recipe is inspired by a French preparation known as soubise a slowly cooked blend of onions and rice that is usually served with roasted meats."

I was curious about soubise so I did a little further research. Most of the recipes I found did not include rice and were more of a sweated onion in cheesy bechamel with gruyere being the most common cheese. I combined several of the ideas and did use some rice, but them made the gruyere bechamel with a bit of wine instead of the cup of half and half with cheese. It reminded me a bit of a cheese fondue mixed with parboiled rice and tender onions and was quite tasty. I will post the recipe in the New Recipe Thread for October.

I winged a cauliflower soup last night. Was very yummy...onions, cauliflower, celery and a carrot in butter and OO....chicken broth big splash of sherry, a fair amount of cheese and about 1/4 cup of half and half....
I think I will puree the leftovers and call it something else....maybe add curry powder.
Linda c

Alexa- What LindaC said! I'm definitely looking for that casserole recipe on the other thread.

Lori, I've put a link to the potato & tomato gratin in the New Recipes post.

Lpink - My DD has been a vegetarian for 6 years and even though she's off at college now, the rest of us still try to limit our meat intake. She calls to check up on us...lol!

Tonight my youngest was under the weather with a cold & sore throat. Soooo....chicken soup with noodles for dinner!

But even if the meat spilled out of the pastry when cut, I'm sure that it still tasted good.

Moe would definitely agree with you. His favourite accompaniment to Tortiere is Sharon's chili sauce.

Alexa, that looks sooooooooo goooooood!

We had Beef Stroganoff for dinner tonight.

Oh, and my stroganoff has never looked like yours, just beautiful! My recipe calls for sour cream, does yours? Mine tastes good but looks gloppy compared to yours.

Lorijean, when the cool weather settles in I'm going to try my hand at making bread. Your looks so good. I'll be asking for advice.

I agree, there's been lots of participation lately on WFD.
It's great to see what everyone's been making! And the pictures make it even better.

For some reason, the fish being sold here has been looking really good, and it's wild caught.

Last night was salmon two ways. Lemon pepper, and a mayo,sour cream and dill sauce.

It's a beautiful 85 degree day here, so I grilled black and blue burgers for lunch before heading out to my nephews football game. Yeah Matt, he scored one of three touchdowns for a 3-0 win!

Di

Crab and Shrimp ball game cakes

" Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack "

Lou’s - Crab and Shrimp cakes

Ingredients
1/3 cup each of chopped Onions, Peppers and Celery, micro waved 2 minutes.
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
2 teasp. Parsley Flakes
1 teasp. Garlic Powder
2 teasp. Parmesan Cheese
1 /2 teasp. Old Bay Seasoning

Mix the first 6 items , add
3 teasp. Mayo
3/4 teasp. Mustard
3/4 cup cooked Shrimp, chopped medium
2 - 6 oz. cans of White Crab Meat
1 large egg , beaten

Mix well and fold in 1 - 2 7/8 oz. bag of Cracker Jack

Made 5 cakes
Placed on Oiled aluminum foil in a cookie tin.
Baked at 350 deg. For 30 minutes,
Basted with butter and baked 10 minutes more.

Left the foil under and cut the around the Crab Cake, with a scissors and froze them for later.

Creamy Italian Dressing made it a sweet and sour taste.

Some may not like this taste ?

Lou, LOL, for "some" reason your recipe is actually making sense. Lyra, you out there? Waddayathink?

Tonight was another CF-inspired recipe that stood out at me the from the moment I first read it. I'm posting to this thread rather than the chowder thread because I feel it clearly warrants the extra exposure. Thanks, Alexa, I made it with shrimp and scallops and I couldn't have been more pleased.

Thanks, Saraemmasmom, for providing the recipe. I have it bookmarked to make soon!

Ann, the stroganoff looks delicious.

Di, I now have a craving for salmon!

I made a big pot of White Chili last night since my daughter and her friends were over for dinner. Blondie Sundaes for dessert:

Also tried my hand at homemade cheese crackers. They were delicious - really great with a glass of wine:

Lori

Di, salmon two ways? I'm happy if I get it one way.;-) Do I see some avocado in the background, or what? Avocados are on sale again for a dollar. I grabbed a couple and now I'm thinking of using one with salmon. And what about the black and blue burger? I take it as a burger quickly grilled over white hot heat. Is that what it is? the whole plate looks super tasty.

Lou, that crab cake with shrimp looks exceptionally good. I hadn't thought of putting shrimp in a crab cake. It's a good idea. It would give it some crunch which is lacking in crab meat. Cracker Jacks though, is really novel. I won't knock 'til I've tried it.

Lori, I aspire to someday make a food photo as good as yours. Of course it has to start with great looking food. I want one of those sundaes now, but can't have one. :-( I've never seen a commercially made cheese cracker that looked so appealing as the ones you made.

magic, your first post to WFD? Why have you been holding out on us? It's a good photo. Tell me about the bread. It looks great. Please post more real soon.

Jim

I am finally in the mood to cook again after the oppressively hot summer. I hardly cooked at all for two months! (end of June thru end of Aug).

Caliloo that rice casserole looks so velvety. It's super large on my computer, I wish I could scoop out a real bite!

Lorijean those crackers are like a work of art!

I've been eating good the last couple of days but no photos. Visiting friends in Ithaca NY. Homeade corn chowder with fresh from the farm frozen corn, my friends yummy pasta with cilantro white bean and peanut sauce (hard-core veggie food, delish!), focaccia, great salads, bueberry calafouti, Joy of Cooking waffles, homeade blueberry muffins with fresh from the farm frozen berries (my friends are SO LUCKY, a U-Pick is just minutes from their house and has every yummy fruit and vegetable imaginable). And fresh from the farm cider that was unpasteurized, super yum! And omlettes with homefries and homeade apricot oatmeal bread. Also went out to dinner at a Mediterranean place and I had a salad full of fresh veggies and apple slices with feta, and falafel on the side. Also got some of my BF's spanikopita. My tummy was very happy this weekend! And I had black bean soup waiting for me at home that I made before I left.

I got a peck more of roma tomatoes (just beat a frost up there) at the U-Pick so tomorrow it is tomato basil sauce for canning! Already made a big batch of salsa last week.

AND

I ordered some dried ancho chiles from Penzeys (since I was making an order for some other stuff anyway) so I am one step closer to having all the ingredients for an authentic mole sauce attempt!

No dim sum though, we got around too late Sunday to make it to the restaurant on time. Spent the lunch hour/early afternoon hiking, boy was it beautiful!

Jim

Teresa

Lori, I've made crackers before but they didn't look nearly as good as yours. Definitely going to give that recipe a try.

I have your recipe for the chili, but not for the dessert. Would you please share your Blondie recipe.

Magic, What a great first post to the WFD. Your Chicken Tikka Masala looks like it came from a high end Indian restaurant.

Lpink, I thought that you had been cooking for your BF all summer. You certainly did eat well the last few days.

We had Hoopysmom's Parmesan Crusted Halibut for dinner tonight.

Fish and Chips

I know, we are so lovey dovey it is nauseating! :) And BF helps and I go to his house for dinner sometimes too!

Ann

I'll never lose any weight if I keep reading this thread! So many great looking meals/dishes here!

We have been breaking records for great October weather here, it's just lovely. Last night we grilled, a porterhouse for Tim and a filet of Alaskan wild caught salmon for me. I made a potato souffle from a little French cookbook that I have, but it was only OK. Nothing I would make again, although it looked pretty!

Not sure what will be on the table tonight. Maybe I'll take my inspiration from something I see here.

Linda

I am hooked on that summer torte....it's different every time....I began the summer with frozen raspberries and went on to strawberries, peaches blue berries a mixture of peaches and raspberries and now apple....it all works!
Thanks to whoever posted it!
Linda C

Very good, Teresa! I didn't think anyone would identify them so quickly, if at all. They are Chinese Red Noodle beans, a variety of long beans. I've photographed them twice and both times they appeared dead black in the photos. Actually, they are a very dark red, similar to the color of a dark cherry. The ones in this photo are the last of the season and are very small. Earlier ones were 3/8" in diameter and 18" long.

In case it isn't obvious, the dish was intended as a faux version of the work of you-know-who, just to see if I could do it. I don't consider it very successful, but it was fun trying. It has cold, marinated asparagus, hard boiled eggs, oil cured olives, sopressata and, hidden underneath, rice salad. It tasted better than it looks.

Ann, stil getting halibut, eh? It looks delicious. We seldom see halibut on the east coast. Once upon a time there were giant halibut here, weighing hundreds of pounds. They disappeared many years ago.

Jim

It's so good at resembling his plating, I assumed that's who it was until I looked closer. I did think it was beautifully done. I'm not a modern art lover, so you two don't hit the same nerve as say LoriJean or Alexa or Sol, who cause a homey-yet-classical feel. Nonethelss, both of you have great depth in your manner. I love both yours and you-know-who's very much.

They are pole beans, so maybe you have room for some. Maybe BF would put up a trellis for you. They are eye-catching hanging from the vines and they are productive.

Kandinsky! You're putting me in some pretty good company! I was thinking maybe Jackson Pollock. :-)

Jim

Lori - Those cheese crackers look perfect! Thanks, Ann, for the link.

Ann - I really try not to look at the fried food pictures, but that Halibut...!!!

Lpink - I gotta say, I'm really enjoying watching what having a new boyfriend has done for your cooking!

Prime Sirloin is on sale this week, so I got a nice 1.5" thick 3+ pounder which I'll stretch over a few days. Last night I grilled up about 2/3s of it, ate a bunch and saved a bit for a steak salad tonight. The remainder will become a roasted beef, mushroom and barley soup that's in the current issue of Everyday Food.

Ann

Lori, pasta with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts is the way I have been treating myself when I want pasta. But yours look a lot better than mine. I cannot believe those cheese crackers are your first try.

lpinkmountain, huevos rancheros! You are the maestro of the vegetarian domain.

Caliloo, as anyone can see, the Vidalia Onion Casserole is done to beyond perfection.

Ann, your Beef Stroganoff is so beef-utiful, it really should be on the cover of a magazine. I have been reading on the perfect way to make fries, your chips personifies the ultimate ideal.

diinohio, your salmon and burger both are “touchdowns”.

Lou, you are the “crackerJack” of crab cakes. Who would think of adding shrimps, Cracker Jack?

FOAS, that shrimp and scallops chowder! I bet you didn’t have to wash the soup bowl afterwards. It probably was completely licked clean.

magic_az, Chicken Tikka Masala is your first post on WFD? We have been deprived of your wonderful cooking all these time?

Jim, nothing was said by you about your dish in your first post. Interestingly, nothing needed to be said. The wonderful plating, imaginative, and natural in composition tells me that the food was lovingly and expertly crafted by a master, and the anticipation of a delicious meal offered to the palate will not be disappointed.
You said, “It has cold, marinated asparagus, hard boiled eggs, oil cured olives, sopressata and, hidden underneath, rice salad.”
By your judicious juxtaposition of these typically unrelated and, I might add, somewhat lackluster ingredients, the dish all of a sudden, undergoes a Cinderella transformation, and the dish says, “Hey, I look good, eat me!” and you said, ”It tasted better than it looks.”

dcarch

You are too kind, with such nice words about my attempt at imitating your unique creations. I'm afraid I succeeded mostly on the superficial level. That was easiest and gave me some insight into what you do, which was a learning experience for me. As an exercise, I recommend anyone to copy something they admire.

The part which is missing from my dish is an elegant ingredient or two. As you correctly pointed out, my ingredients were lackluster. Everything except the long beans was stuff I already had in the fridge, i.e. Pulled Out Of Refrigerator. Check out that acronym. :-) The skinny little beans were a last minute addition from the garden. Without them, it would have been a visual flop.

If there is anything important my dish shares with yours it would be FUN. I hope it provided some.

Jim

Annie

I served it with my standard chopped salad, which looks to be as large as the pan of orrichiette in this photo! It wasn't, lol!

If some one didn't like the Cracker Jacks, sub a cup of Rice Krispies instead.
Lou

PS:
What's with the " You Know Who " we all know who you is???

I had steamed and buttered broccoli, rice pilaf, and grilled shrimp skewers for dinner. It was my boy's birthday day. It's really hard to eat out as it is just so substandard to what could be had at home.

;)

Lpink, if those pics are any indication of how your new "get it on the table fast" dinners, you need to make no apologies. It looks like good eating to me.

Jim

Sherry, I'd be happy with with all three of your meals. Minus the carrots of course.

Rob, Sounds like a wonderful birthday dinner.

I grilled a small prime rib for dinner last night. Just big enough for two.

Served with roasted potatoes, steamed carrots and fresh green beans.

Eileen, everyone knows that was Moe's plate. LOL!!

Sherry, I always par boil russet potatoes just enough to soften the outer surface. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pan , on the burner and give them a shake. This roughs up the surface. Preheat a roasting pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and after roughing up the potatoes place in the hot pan, turn to coat with the oil and roast until golden. Turn a few times for even browning.

Ann

Did you ever have a "cooking forum" moment? Mine came last Saturday. I was in our ethnic aisle innocently looking for coconut oil, when I reached the Italian section. Scanning the shelves, I notice the orrichiette and had the conversation Lpink had with her BF. I totally agree with the BF. I just stood there laughing thinking they do, they do look like it! There I was, trying my darndest to regain my composure, as I realized I must've looked like a loon in the middle of the store giggling to myself. You know how when you try to stifle a laugh at an inappropriate time and it just gets worse? Yep. I knew I had to get out of there fast or risk looking ridiculous, but walking towards the register, I glanced up and saw this:

That was it, it was over, composure was not going to return. I burst into roarious laughter, tears streaming down my face. I had to hang my head in shame as I trotted out the door. Thanks L! It was fun.

Oh, and I had pork stew for dinner last night. There, it's about food now.