If it's even called cooking...


...boiled Nathan's hot dog, toasted potato bun with melted American cheese, boiled corn on the cob (rare for me on Memorial Day), no time for homemade bacon/onion/molasses/brown sugar/maple syrup/mustard baked beans - canned and microwaved, a rare for me bag of chips, a rare for me soda - diet wild cherry Pepsi.

Along with the 4th of July and Labor Day, those are the three days of the year I basically don't want to cook. It's usually a same day decision to go with the cheese dog or a cheeseburger. The cheese dog is always plain, the cheeseburger is usually loaded, so I went with the easiest one.

The corn was lousy.

Today we doing surf and turf.Paula Deans sure fire standing rib roast recipe.Mashed taters,fresh silver queen corn from Homestead. Plus our salmon lemon butter plank.

Ribs are off the BGE and now resting. Green beans for the side dish.

Well since I've practically MASTERED the fine art of making French fries I'm cooking some to go with my fried fish.
I wasn't going to cook French fries but my oil was in question.
I only used it once but it has been in my little cast iron kettle for a good while covered.

I always test the oil before I use it with a fried potato.
I observe the bubbles in the oil to tell if I want to cook anything else in it.
Little bubbles bad oil and nothing will get crispy and it will be greasy.
Big bubbles good oil.
I'm cooking these either 3 or 4 times to get them where I want them.
It's not a science it's an art.
I don't even use a thermometer.

Delicious. Maybe a hair past competition type ribs with the time on the cooker, but I’ve always liked ribs a little more rendered.

Kurt wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2024 5:24 pm Today we doing surf and turf.Paula Deans sure fire standing rib roast recipe.Mashed taters,fresh silver queen corn from Homestead.IMG_3120.jpegIMG_3119.jpeg
Plus our salmon lemon butter plank.

I figure with the butter, that salmon should have slid off the plank, before you took the pic.

Is that a Lodge cast iron grill?

Tormato wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2024 7:27 pm

Kurt wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2024 5:24 pm Today we doing surf and turf.Paula Deans sure fire standing rib roast recipe.Mashed taters,fresh silver queen corn from Homestead.IMG_3120.jpegIMG_3119.jpeg
Plus our salmon lemon butter plank.

I figure with the butter, that salmon should have slid off the plank, before you took the pic.

Is that a Lodge cast iron grill?

Nope is an everdure.
But I had a Lodge years ago.
Burned that puppy to the ground I used it so much.

karstopography wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2024 6:54 pm IMG_4226.jpeg

Delicious. Maybe a hair past competition type ribs with the time on the cooker, but I’ve always liked ribs a little more rendered.

The devil with competition.

I like mine as tender as I can get them.

Everdure it is,closet thing to the old habachi I learned how to cook on back in the day when going to the park to have a cookout.

Kurt wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:40 am Everdure it is,closet thing to the old habachi I learned how to cook on back in the day when going to the park to have a cookout.

We lived in South Texas with no AC.
So we cooked outside a lot.
I used that thing to fry fish and all sorts of stuff.

I talked myself into tostadas.
But I needed to stop off at the Mexican market.
Price wasn't bad considering.
But I forgot the darn cilantro.

I canned that corned beef in 9 and 1/2 pint jars. Course I opened the 1/2 filled the next day, and another yesterday...good stuff just eaten as corned beef hash.

JRinPA wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 4:54 pm I canned that corned beef in 9 and 1/2 pint jars. Course I opened the 1/2 filled the next day, and another yesterday...good stuff just eaten as corned beef hash.

Excellent.

Dinner and a movie.
Tonights feature, The Final Countdown.
Tostada with refried beans Pico de Gallo and guacamole.

2023 Deer pastrami on the left, 2014 corned beef on the right.
Well, tough to say which is better, they were both good. The pastrami has been getting picked at every few days so I'm kind of tired of it. The corned beef was a lot softer/fattier, and just kinda got inhaled instead of chewed. I mean, both good, but I feel like the corned beef is just too...indulgent? The corned beef sandwiches probably only needed one piece of swiss instead of two, I can just suck that stuff down.

With it already canned and ready to eat, I'd be surprised if the rest lasts a month. I certainly don't exercise self control when it comes to good tasting food. I'll eat 12 tomato sandwiches, after all. I'm like a bushman with no dry season to worry about.

I had a craving for Indian food, so I made a version of Chana Masala, using green chickpeas, and some of that Swiss chard I harvested a while ago. Unbelievable how well that stuff keeps! I started soaking 1½ c green chickpeas about 10 am (these and the black ones take a long time to soak and cook) in 6 c water, and a little baking soda. It soaked 9 hours, before I drained, rinsed, and started cooking it.

Meanwhile, I soaked some dried tomatoes (a 28 oz can was a little too much), and cut up 5 garlic scapes (first ones of the season!), and a couple of "onion scapes" (not traditional, but why not use them?), and with the water and tomatoes I blended them to a very thick purée. I started in the Instant Pot with about 2 tb oil, and a large chopped up onion on Sauté/high, and cooked until the onion began to brown, then I added the purée, along with about 3½ tb chole masala (the last of the jar - need to make more!), and a tsp of garam masala, and stirred for about 90 seconds, then added 4 c of water (used to rinse out the Vitamix). I added the drained chickpeas, another cup of water, and in a teaball I put 2 black cardamoms, 2 Indian bay leaves, a 1½" piece of Sri Lankan cinnamon, broken up, and ½ tb loose black tea. I set this to Manual/30 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally (more to come).

Meanwhile, I took a scant cup of bulgur (another bottom of the jar, I have to refill), and filled the pyrex cup to line two with hot water, and let it sit, while waiting for the cooking chickpeas. It swelled up to over 2 c, with more, when it cooked.

When the pressure released naturally, I removed the teaball, and discarded the spices. I stirred the bulgur into the pot, along with 1/4 c red lentils, to thicken it a little (still very watery), which did it just right, with the bulgur. I pressure cooked this 9 min, letting it release naturally, and while this was cooking, I cut up a bunch of Swiss chard - over 4 c leaves, and about a cup of sliced up stems. I stirred this into the IP, and let it simmer, while preparing the tarka. I left the whole hot peppers out this time, since I'll be sharing this with someone who can't take that heat. The tarka was just a couple tsp of oil, heated up in a small pan, with a tsp each of black mustard seed and cumin, until the seeds have popped, then I added 20 curry leaves and 1/2 tsp asafoetida, and when the crackling dies down it was dumped into the IP, for the "tempering" of the dish - not traditional, but I do this with a lot of dishes, and it adds good flavor, even w/o the heat.

I didn't eat much, since I made it so late, and just tore up a couple of sprigs of cilantro in the bowl - the rest will go in tomorrow. And I'll take a jar of those cumin pickled green beans over, too - something I know they liked before.
5 scapes and some rehydrated dried tomatoes, puréed. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Chopped up Swiss chard, about 4 cups, plus about a cup of cut up stalks. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Almost finished chana masala, made with some black chick peas, bulgur, and Swiss chard. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Ingredients for the tarka - a tsp each of cumin and mustard seed, about 20 curry leaves, and some asafoetida. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The tarka, just before stirring it into the chana masala. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished dish, before adding some chopped cilantro. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Gotta Mexiburger waiting in the isles.
Gotta do something with the guacamole and Pico de Gallo.

@pepperhead212 Indian food is crazy with the complexities, spices and regional differences. Houston has an enormous Indian community and when lived up there I’d go to a restaurant that was I believe representing North Indian cuisine, where north, I know not, but it was great. One of these days I need to make a pilgrimage to some Indian restaurants in the city.

Crème Fraîche Chicken, that’s what I’m about to make.

Made a simple Indian dish yesterday. Bangladeshi-style Shrimp and green beans. Seasoned with Cumin, Curry, Garam Masala, garlic powder, lots of onion, and fresh cilantro. I would have liked some heat to it but maybe that would not have been traditional with that type of dish, I am not sure. I usually follow the recipe on the first try and then alter it more to my taste. But it was good. Had the leftovers today.

Well I changed my mind and made a cheese burger with onions and cheese.
Look at the crust on this puppy.
The Texas toast was toasted with butter both sides.
It the corse ground brisket that's probably 60/40.