So as part of a New Year's intent to eat more slowly and mindfully, soups from the new issue of Food and Wine looked like a good idea. This recipe was adapted from the January 2019 issue also available online, and it's a keeper.

Smoky Brisket Noodle Soup
Two large dinner servings, or four appetizers

1/2 lb brisket*, chopped
1 Tbs pimenton (smoked paprika)*
4 Tbs onion, diced 1/4"
4 Tbs parsnip, diced 1/4"**
4 Tbs carrot, diced 1/4"
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs sweet red wine ***
1 quart duck stock ****
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 C frozen lima beans*****
1/2 C frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
3 oz medium egg noodles, cooked (weight pre-cooked)

* Was supposed to be smoked brisket, but I didn't realize I pulled a package of braised brisket out of the freezer until after it was thawed. Curse of a well-stocked larder. Probably can skip the pimenton if you have smoked brisket -- I added it to get the smoke back -- but the bright red pepper flavor is good too.
** Recipe called for celery, I didn't have celery.
*** Recipe called for ruby port. I had leftover Manischevitz.
**** Recipe called for chicken, this I had in homemade in the freezer
***** Recipe called for frozen okra slices and field peas too, I simplified.

Heat a pot medium-high, add a little skimmed duck fat from the stock, brown the meat a little (probably not needed, the meat had a lot of fat. the recipe used a tbs of butter)

Add the onion, parsnip and carrot and sautee until a little softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and pimenton, and stir a couple minutes to turn everything red-brown.

Add wine and scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Add stock, bay and thyme. BTBRTS 30 minutes.

Add vegetables, simmer another 40 minutes. Taste for seasonings, add noodles and serve.

Rich, thick, almost a stew. Lots of flavor and texture.

Roast pork, mashed potatoes, yellow wax beans.

Did this jaeger schnitzel, it was good

One of my favorite salads. Used Romano, Reggiano Parmesan preferred, but I was out. #homecooking


Alice Waters Fennel and Mushroom Salad

Layer of mandoline sliced fresh fennel
light drizzle of olive oil, salt/pepper, squeeze of lemon
Layer of mandoline sliced white mushroom
light drizzle of olive oil, salt/pepper, squeeze of lemon
Curls of Parmigiano Reggiano, vegetable peeler works well
very light drizzle of olive oil, salt/pepper, squeeze of lemon

Fennel fronds for garnish optional

turned some leftover jerk chicken from sunday into jerk tacos last night, ended up eating 4

I made, of all things, linguini carbonara with a hunk of guanciale I needed to use up and lot of pecorino.

I know, pasta, and it's almost JUNE. Oh well, I added a handful of baby spinach to the bottom of the dish to make the health gods happy. I maybe shouldn't have. The dogs were thrilled to lick the pan.

Glugged it down with a cheap Tempranillo from Trader Joes. Happy Friday, everyone!

we made a first corn of the season pasta (corn "pesto", basil, chives, sungolds, bacon) with seared shrimp on top for a shrimp-n-grits effect.

Kagayaki new crop rice & Japchae potstickers from Hmart. Rice recommended by the always informed deesher.

Kagayaki rice and potstickers, count me a fan!

A neighbor has a craving for some Indian food, so I am making us a vegetable curry from a Cooks Illustrated recipe that I have used several times. (If the CI paywall blocks you: it's basically a sauteed onions/garlic/ginger/curry spices/chickpeas/green peas/cauliflower/diced tomotoes/diced red potatoes/serrano/coconut milk combo). This recipe is one of only two ways I like to eat cauliflower, the other being raw with a ranch dip mix. You could also add lamb or dark-meat chicken to this, but I usually go straight veg. Depending on whether and how long you toast some whole spices before adding the rest of the ingredients, it leaves a lingering curry aroma in the house for several days---in a good way.

Leeks in vinaigrette, flank steak w/Chimichurri, red potato w/parsley-butter = dinner with the bride. #lowslowbbq #countmeafan #homecooking




Dinner, count me a Fan!

Tasty little Sirloin Tip Roast, aka string roast, = dinner.



Dinner, count me a Fan!

If you don't mind me asking, what do you glaze the squash with? Looks darker than just butter. Some maple syrup?

bw77 wrote:If you don't mind me asking, what do you glaze the squash with? Looks darker than just butter. Some maple syrup?

Salt, pepper and very light drizzle of olive oil to 90% done. Butter, brown sugar and bit of guajillo to finish. Also made spaghetti squash, no picture, same but no brown sugar. Oven for both types of squash and string roast.

we are making a thing we call "school lunch": Parmesan chicken thighs from the Gourmet cookbook (boneless, marinated in dijon and breaded in butter-moistened mix of parm and blitzed english muffins; baked at high heat); blanched broccoli; tater tots; clementines. It all cooks fast for a monday night and amuses us.

did this all belly porchetta last weekend and lunched like a king all week

Last Saturday my siblings and I had lunch at Tacos El Norte in Highwood and they were in hysterics as I read the long list of ingredients that I was going to try to get at Mitsuwa to make okonomiyaki ( they are not adventurous cookers ). I had never been to Mitsuwa and it was amazing. Extremely crowded and a wonder of ingredients I had never seen. Many of the items I purchased had no English on the packaging, but Mitsuwa has English on the label with the price, so I was able to find everything I needed.

I have never eaten this before, so have nothing to compare it to. We thought it was excellent.

AlekH wrote:did this all belly porchetta last weekend and lunched like a king all week

Wow, just wow!

lougord99 wrote:I read the long list of ingredients that I was going to try to get at Mitsuwa to make okonomiyaki

Looks delicious and, I agree, Mitsuwa a wonderland!

In the mood for a club sandwich for dinner. #homecooking

been lacking inspiration lately; tonight will be an old favorite: orecchiette with a simple sautéed fennel-onion-chicken stock sauce, then tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted broccoli, bocconcini, marinated artichokes, and sliced grilled italian sausage.

who is making something good i should do tomorrow?

Had to do it quick before I leave for work, and I can whip this up in 20 minutes. One-skillet kielbasa with cabbage, onions & carrots. If I do it right, the cabbage on the bottom gets browned but it doesn't burn. I'm usually partial to Johnsonville kielbasa but they were out that so I used Slotkowski. We'll see...

Annak, I was going to try instant pot coconut tandoori chicken : https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-coco ... ri-chicken
Your fennel-onion-chicken stock sauce has me intrigued. Is this a recipe? Can you describe how you make the sauce? I have yet to cook with fennel, but I think I would enjoy.
janeyb

annak wrote:been lacking inspiration lately; tonight will be an old favorite: orecchiette with a simple sautéed fennel-onion-chicken stock sauce, then tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted broccoli, bocconcini, marinated artichokes, and sliced grilled italian sausage.

who is making something good i should do tomorrow?

for the fennel sauce: dice a medium/large fennel bulb and a medium/large onion. sautée together with olive oil in a large skillet until very soft and translucent but not really browning. add a around 3 tbsp butter and a sprinkle of around 1/4 cup flour; cook the flour, stirring; then whisk in 2 cups of chicken stock. season with salt and fresh pepper. finish the pasta in the skillet, swirling around to bind the sauce with pasta starch. can also enrich with a little cream.

i use this as a neutral kind of base sauce for pasta with flavorful components like the one described above (artichoke, tomato, sausage, etc), or when i'm stretching leftovers like roast chicken and roast carrots into another simple meal.