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Bachelor Chow - Honors Class

Bachelor Chow - Honors Class
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  • Post #31 - June 28th, 2018, 4:33 am
    Post #31 - June 28th, 2018, 4:33 am Post #31 - June 28th, 2018, 4:33 am
    JoelF wrote:Day 6: GWiv's Dan Dan Noodles

    Joel, Terrific, looks delicious, love your deli container marked MaLa!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #32 - June 28th, 2018, 9:11 pm
    Post #32 - June 28th, 2018, 9:11 pm Post #32 - June 28th, 2018, 9:11 pm
    Day 7: Burger and sweet corn. Fancy aspects: toasted brioche bun, slivers of red onion, sauce made with 2T blue cheese, 1T sour cream, 1T Kewpie mayo, 1/2 T wing sauce (came out a little salty). Corn has Peruvian smoked salt.

    ImageBachelor Chow Burger and sweet corn
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #33 - June 30th, 2018, 7:04 pm
    Post #33 - June 30th, 2018, 7:04 pm Post #33 - June 30th, 2018, 7:04 pm
    Day 8 was Friday, I wanted fish fry, I was tempted to break out the deep fryer... but no.
    Not when Boston Fish Market is close and awesome. I always get the Lake Erie Perch.
    Service was a little spotty there though (had to ask for garlic bread three times; in that heat I really needed the water glass refilled, like constantly), and they weren't even jammed.

    Day 9 was supposed to be the last day, with SueF's flight arriving late evening, but they got dinked around for 7 hours by the airline before letting them board, pulling away from the gate and going, "Nope, gotta go back, the pilot's been on duty too long." So she gets a night in a hotel with air conditioning and cookies, but won't be home for another day.

    So, what's tonight's dinner? A bowl, with pasta and chinese broccoli! And there's still enough of each for a couple more meals! This time, carbonara: scaled down the Serious Eats version for one, using one whole egg and one yolk; I actually had grated parm and romano in the fridge, and being lazy I used the science oven on the broccoli while the bacon cooked, then added some crushed chile, olive oil and garlic powder.

    ImageBachelor Chow Carbonara
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #34 - August 16th, 2021, 5:48 pm
    Post #34 - August 16th, 2021, 5:48 pm Post #34 - August 16th, 2021, 5:48 pm
    SueF is gone for a week, so it's Bachelor Chow time again.
    First night, something she wouldn't eat -- cucumbers and raw tomatoes are not her favorites. Add a sweet bell and basil, (all four veg from the garden), mozzarella balls, evoo and chive blossom-infused vinegar, s&p, and some garlic bread.
    Image

    Second night went out to eat.

    Night 3 is something she'd be jealous not to be here for:
    * Bulgogi-glazed skirt steak (tare I made last year with garlic and chile powder added)
    * kimchi (jarred)
    * shishitos [garden] with a sauce I made last week for another batch (keypie mayo, miso, chives [garden], sesame oil, I forget what else)
    * Korean-marinated tomatoes [garden] from a NYT recipe (vinegar, gochugaru, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, chives [garden], sugar). Didn't like this much: sesame oil and tomato didn't taste right to me.
    * Japanese-inspired elotes -- this was awesome, need to work on how to get it to stick to the corn

    Here's what I put in the J-lotes (1 serving)
    1 tsp butter, melted (it was going to be more, but the science oven blew it all over the place)
    1 tsp kewpie mayo (probably need more of this less miso)
    2 or 3 tsp white miso
    1 tsp chives [garden]
    1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

    Image

    Yes, that's a lot to eat, almost half the steak is sliced up for lunch tomorrow.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #35 - August 17th, 2021, 6:09 pm
    Post #35 - August 17th, 2021, 6:09 pm Post #35 - August 17th, 2021, 6:09 pm
    A little lazier for day 4 -- pizza is a frozen Gino's East sausage, but salad has those same cukes, tomatoes, sweet peppers, basil and chives from the garden, homemade creamy garlic dressing (dregs of a container of sour cream, a little labne, Hellman's, garlic, chive blossom vinegar, salt).

    Also fixed the images from the previous days -- I never remember to use shared versions of the images from Google Photos.

    (oh and that pizza is good for three meals: 1/2 for dinner, 1/6 for breakfast, 1/3 for lunch)

    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #36 - August 18th, 2021, 5:03 pm
    Post #36 - August 18th, 2021, 5:03 pm Post #36 - August 18th, 2021, 5:03 pm
    A little more ambitious for day 5, even with an evening meeting putting a deadline on it: Panang Curry. I knew I wanted to do something with shrimp and the bounty of jalapenos in the garden. When I went to pull out the frozen shrimp, there was the panang paste I made a few months ago staring at me. So I went out to the garden: Jalapenos, of course. Another of the ripe sweet peppers. Tomatoes? Sure, I've seen panang with pineapple, tomato provides a similar sweet/sour. Kale? Why not? Basil and makrut lime leaves. However, the lime, onion and cilantro as well as all the grocery items came from various supermarkets. Came out great, enough for lunch tomorrow.

    Meez:
    Image

    Finished dish:
    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #37 - August 18th, 2021, 6:12 pm
    Post #37 - August 18th, 2021, 6:12 pm Post #37 - August 18th, 2021, 6:12 pm
    I have a friend who stores all sorts of interesting bits in his freezer. He calls it the 'magic freezer,' often cobbling dinners together with restaurant leftovers and other choice bits. From his description, what he makes is often better than the original meal and pairs with a wine from his cellar. He keeps tasting notes to make sure the pairing works.

    I have the same reaction when I hear what you find in your freezer and goes into a meal. I think it is a great system.

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #38 - August 19th, 2021, 6:59 pm
    Post #38 - August 19th, 2021, 6:59 pm Post #38 - August 19th, 2021, 6:59 pm
    Day 6: Eggplant Parmesanish: Only crispy eggplant!
    Sauce on the plate first (just whipped up a half batch of Marcella Hazan #2, garden tomatoes, shredded baby carrots, red onion, no celery so used sweet pepper, added some fresh basil and oregano from the garden and a pinch of parm and red pepper flakes).
    While the sauce was simmering down, fried the eggplant slices which had been salted and pressed for an hour, then coated in flour/egg wash/bread crumbs. Yes I seasoned all three, I'm not a savage!. A mixture of ricotta, more of the herbs, parmesan, and garlic is dolloped on each, then broiled in the toaster oven before coming to rest on the plate of sauce.

    Garden cukes with some of the garlic dressing from the other day.

    I've got about 1/2C sauce and four more discs of eggplant+parm left, no longer crispy (but might be refreshed in the toaster oven).

    Image
    (hmm the white balance seems to be off compared to previous pix)
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #39 - August 20th, 2021, 6:18 am
    Post #39 - August 20th, 2021, 6:18 am Post #39 - August 20th, 2021, 6:18 am
    That looks scrumptious!
  • Post #40 - June 11th, 2022, 3:44 pm
    Post #40 - June 11th, 2022, 3:44 pm Post #40 - June 11th, 2022, 3:44 pm
    So last night was preview day for week after next when SueF will be gone all week - She'd gone up to the cabin while I had to work and stayed overnight.
    So it's time to cook the things she doesn't eat.

    I had a nice tin of navajas - razor clams - that I'd bought in Barcelona a couple months before lockdown. The expiration date was end of 2022, so I'm fine.

    Bucatini (it cooks faster than linguine), and a sauce made by sauteeing a little onion and yellow bell chopped fine, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes, then add the chopped clams on low. Some white wine, a squeeze of lemon, the clam juice from the tin, some chopped parsley and oregano (the latter from the garden). A last-minute pinch of smoked paprika put Spain back in the flavor mix. I grabbed the pasta with tongs so I could cook some asparagus in the same water.

    Not the most photogenic plate of pasta, but delicious. I might skip the pimenton if I did this again -- it's a little powerfully flavored.

    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #41 - June 11th, 2022, 5:25 pm
    Post #41 - June 11th, 2022, 5:25 pm Post #41 - June 11th, 2022, 5:25 pm
    That looks really tasty. Are the clams smoked? Was the juice oil or brine?

    Thinking about making this with some canned clams from the Asian aisle, leaving out the other pepper components and sticking with the pimenton for the smokiness. I used to do something similar with spaghettini, Ligo canned sardines in spicy tomato sauce, fried peppers. Definitely something for solo nights only.
  • Post #42 - June 11th, 2022, 5:26 pm
    Post #42 - June 11th, 2022, 5:26 pm Post #42 - June 11th, 2022, 5:26 pm
    Looks delicious!

    BTW - Did you buy the bucatini recently? I recall there was a discussion of a shortage a few months ago.

    Happy Baching!

    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #43 - June 11th, 2022, 8:26 pm
    Post #43 - June 11th, 2022, 8:26 pm Post #43 - June 11th, 2022, 8:26 pm
    The razor clams were not smoked. The liquid resembled clam juice, perhaps a bit more stuff floating in it.

    Jewel had several brands of bucatini available last week, I'd mentioned it in another thread making amatriciana. I don't remember the brand but it was in cellophane, not a box.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #44 - June 18th, 2022, 6:11 pm
    Post #44 - June 18th, 2022, 6:11 pm Post #44 - June 18th, 2022, 6:11 pm
    2022 Bachelor Chow Week Night 1: Tteokbokki with shrimp, gailan, pine nuts and oyster mushrooms, adapted from a recipe by Kenji Lopez-Alt in The Wok (p 214).

    I overbought on shrimp, but it worked doing the full 4-serving recipe, especially as there aren't smaller packages of rice cakes. I'll be eating this for lunch for a number of days, good thing it's delicious (especially with homemade chili oil).

    There's a lot of substitutions here: oyster mushrooms for shiitake, gailan for snap peas and cabbage, shrimp for shrimp/pork mix. Stuck to the cooking instructions, but I panicked when the briefly-soaked rice cakes didn't seem to soften at all, so when they went into the wok, I added about a cup of water (as described on the rice cake package). I'd hoped it would all get absorbed, but no, it made a nice starch-thickened sauce, and never all evaporated (while I'm watching the shrimp approach rubberiness). I'd have liked to get the charred soy glaze as described in the recipe, but it's tasty nevertheless.

    Mise en place -- not the knife I was cutting the shrimp with, it was just sitting there on the counter and ended up on top of the cutting board.
    Image

    Finished dish
    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #45 - June 18th, 2022, 8:32 pm
    Post #45 - June 18th, 2022, 8:32 pm Post #45 - June 18th, 2022, 8:32 pm
    JoelF wrote:2022 Bachelor Chow Week Night 1: Tteokbokki with shrimp, gailan, pine nuts and oyster mushrooms, adapted from a recipe by Kenji Lopez-Alt in The Wok (p 214).

    I overbought on shrimp, but it worked doing the full 4-serving recipe, especially as there aren't smaller packages of rice cakes. I'll be eating this for lunch for a number of days, good thing it's delicious (especially with homemade chili oil).

    There's a lot of substitutions here: oyster mushrooms for shiitake, gailan for snap peas and cabbage, shrimp for shrimp/pork mix. Stuck to the cooking instructions, but I panicked when the briefly-soaked rice cakes didn't seem to soften at all, so when they went into the wok, I added about a cup of water (as described on the rice cake package). I'd hoped it would all get absorbed, but no, it made a nice starch-thickened sauce, and never all evaporated (while I'm watching the shrimp approach rubberiness). I'd have liked to get the charred soy glaze as described in the recipe, but it's tasty nevertheless.

    Mise en place -- not the knife I was cutting the shrimp with, it was just sitting there on the counter and ended up on top of the cutting board.
    Image

    Finished dish
    Image


    That looks sooooooo good!!
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #46 - June 20th, 2022, 6:18 am
    Post #46 - June 20th, 2022, 6:18 am Post #46 - June 20th, 2022, 6:18 am
    Night 2: my sons treated me to Lao Sze Chuan carryout for Father's Day, so I wasn't all that hungry by evening.

    Just a simple salad: greens from the garden, cuke, grape tomatoes, avocado, Maytag blue and avocado with Kraft French dressing on the back porch. Served with a couple frozen garlic knots heated up in the toaster oven.

    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #47 - June 20th, 2022, 6:39 pm
    Post #47 - June 20th, 2022, 6:39 pm Post #47 - June 20th, 2022, 6:39 pm
    Bachelor Chow Night 3. Happy Juneteebserved.
    After a gorgeous day on the beach, how about a burger? Keep it healthy with a side salad (greens from the garden washed yesterday, some of the leftover avocado, cuke, tomato and Kewpie Roasted Sesame dressing, which is pretty good, but not as good as the Mizkan Creamy Sesame that I can't seem to find anymore). Sesame bun with micro shmear of Hellman's toasted on the grill, sauteed oyster mushrooms and sweet onion, Crystal hot sauce, the last of the blue cheese, burger, the rest of that avocado, and garden mustard greens.

    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #48 - June 21st, 2022, 2:20 pm
    Post #48 - June 21st, 2022, 2:20 pm Post #48 - June 21st, 2022, 2:20 pm
    JoelF wrote:...I panicked when the briefly-soaked rice cakes didn't seem to soften at all, so when they went into the wok, I added about a cup of water (as described on the rice cake package). I'd hoped it would all get absorbed, but no, it made a nice starch-thickened sauce, and never all evaporated

    Follow-up: in the fridge (as the original bag was), the rice cakes stiffen up to about raw asparagus texture. But a quick reheat in the microwave de-crystalizes the starches, making them pleasantly chewy again. I probably could have cooked them nearly dry, and gotten the charred soy glaze the recipe specified.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #49 - June 22nd, 2022, 8:51 pm
    Post #49 - June 22nd, 2022, 8:51 pm Post #49 - June 22nd, 2022, 8:51 pm
    Night 4 I took a break, Pita Inn. Comments elsewhere.

    Bachelor Chow Night 5: Revenge is a dish best served warm:
    Grape vines from over the fence have been choking out our raspberries and wildflowers, so I hacked a bunch of vines out, harvesting about 50 big leaves. Blanched, they surprisingly were rather tart, something that is milder when fully cooked (although there's lots of lemon involved).
    Image

    The filling is beef (a big burger's worth), 1/2 C rice, parsley, oregano (garden), mint (garden), onion, cumin, cinnamon, s&p. Meant to add pine nuts, it could have used the texture.
    Image
    Image

    Simmered in broth, then the broth used to make avgolemono sauce.
    Image

    It made 30 small dolmades (dolmethakia?), 12 of which were dinner, I've got a couple lunches-worth left. I don't know how I got 2 cups of broth out of the 2 cups I started with and still cooked the rice -- must have come from the onions and meat and lemon juice. #eatyourweeds
    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #50 - June 22nd, 2022, 9:28 pm
    Post #50 - June 22nd, 2022, 9:28 pm Post #50 - June 22nd, 2022, 9:28 pm
    Hi,

    Are you going to freeze some leaves for use later this year?

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #51 - June 23rd, 2022, 4:40 am
    Post #51 - June 23rd, 2022, 4:40 am Post #51 - June 23rd, 2022, 4:40 am
    Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

    Are you going to freeze some leaves for use later this year?

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    Nah - not something we eat regularly, SueF isn't a fan. Which, other than getting revenge on the weeds, is why it's scheduled for Bachelor Chow week.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #52 - June 23rd, 2022, 9:19 pm
    Post #52 - June 23rd, 2022, 9:19 pm Post #52 - June 23rd, 2022, 9:19 pm
    Sometimes Bachelor Chow like this night 6, isn't about making things you otherwise wouldn't have at home, it's about opening the freezer, pantry, fridge and figuring out what you can make before your evening meetings.

    Tonight it's chorizo (freezer) and potato (pantry -- one of the few that wasn't trying to grow a whole plant) tacos, with refried beans (pantry). I liked Rick Bayless's suggestion of microwaving the potatoes before frying, but I couldn't follow his suggestion of serving with avocado, so I used Wisconsin's avocado: sour cream (fridge). Also served with the last lime in the house (fridge), last non-wilted cilantro leaves (fridge), chopped leftover piece of sweet onion (fridge), Tony's Arbol Salsa (fridge), cotija cheese (freezer), garnished with a few sliced grape tomatoes (counter) and chopped jalpeno (fridge).

    When did chorizo get so darn lean? I had to add oil to fry the potatoes.
    There's a little left over -- hello breakfast burrito.

    Mise
    Image

    Cooking
    Image

    Assembled
    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #53 - June 24th, 2022, 9:45 pm
    Post #53 - June 24th, 2022, 9:45 pm Post #53 - June 24th, 2022, 9:45 pm
    Last Bachelor Chow Night (7) unless the van arrives really late. Back to something SueF isn't fond of: Italian sausage. I realized with no small amount of horror that everything came from The Jewels except for the olive oil to cook the peppers and onions, and the butter on the corn. Nothing homegrown, no exotic ingredients. Slow-cooked the peppers, onions and garlic, added tomato paste and red wine vinegar. That and giardiniera are the only toppings on the grilled hot Italian sausage. The corn spent a couple minutes in the science oven before getting some char on the grill, as the hot dog bun toasted (it still fell apart, the peppers were too wet). Cole slaw is another thing I like and Sue doesn't.
    All this, and I'm down 10lbs in the last two weeks.

    Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Tomato Paste, Salt, Red Wine Vinegar
    Image

    Toasted bun, peppers and onions, hot Italian sausage, giardinera; corn, slaw
    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #54 - July 3rd, 2022, 7:26 pm
    Post #54 - July 3rd, 2022, 7:26 pm Post #54 - July 3rd, 2022, 7:26 pm
    Bachelorette night here (I’m not counting the puppy who gets zero “people food”). When flying solo I am not nearly as ambitious as JoelF, but I made myself a bacon, apple & Stilton omelette and it was glorious. :D
  • Post #55 - May 10th, 2023, 7:38 pm
    Post #55 - May 10th, 2023, 7:38 pm Post #55 - May 10th, 2023, 7:38 pm
    So with SueF rewarding my granddaughter for a good day at basketball, I was on my own for dinner. I've been wanting a salad, and hey, there's these ok crab cakes in the freezer... leftover pickled carrots and daikon from last week's bahn mi...

    Then I got inspiration for dressing: about 2tsp nam prik pao, 3tsp coconut vinegar, 4tsp kewpie mayo, and a shredded makrut lime leaf that fell off the tree. Nice combo, but probably a bit much pao, if you know what I mean. Green leaf lettuce, red onion, cucumber, avocado, cilantro. Wish I had some tomato.

    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #56 - May 11th, 2023, 7:23 am
    Post #56 - May 11th, 2023, 7:23 am Post #56 - May 11th, 2023, 7:23 am
    Dinner sounded great, but this song ticked in my head when I read your post:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NY3Iqvezzk


    It is Jerry Orbach singing.

    "Promises, Promises" was a 1968 Broadway musical adaptation of the 1960 film "The Apartment" that was nominated for several Tony Awards and won two. The musical featured the talents of Jerry Orbach, Jill O'Hara, and Edward Winter.

    Based on the screenplay by: Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond
    Book by Neil Simon
    Music by: Burt Bacharach
    Lyrics by: Hal David
    Choreography by: Michael Bennett
    Directed by: Robert Moore
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #57 - May 11th, 2023, 3:45 pm
    Post #57 - May 11th, 2023, 3:45 pm Post #57 - May 11th, 2023, 3:45 pm
    Speaking of Jerry Orbach…
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #58 - May 11th, 2023, 4:30 pm
    Post #58 - May 11th, 2023, 4:30 pm Post #58 - May 11th, 2023, 4:30 pm
    Indeed, speaking of Jerry Orbach.
    The thing about quotes on the internet is you can not confirm their validity. -- Abraham Lincoln
  • Post #59 - July 30th, 2023, 6:02 pm
    Post #59 - July 30th, 2023, 6:02 pm Post #59 - July 30th, 2023, 6:02 pm
    So while SueF is at the 100th Desert Exchange, time to cook for myself (but I know dessert will be coming soon). We've got a huge crop of shishitos, this dish used about 1/4 of what I picked the other day -- about 10 big ones chopped in thirds or quarters.
    Six button mushrooms, quartered
    The last shrimp from a bag in the freezer.
    Two cloves garlic, two big slices ginger, both chopped fine.
    About a dozen Facing Heaven chiles

    Marinate shrimp in a little dark soy, shaoshing wine, a pinch of baking soda, a few grinds of black pepper, a bit of potato starch.
    Make sauce with a little water, more potato starch, black vinegar, sugar.
    Heat a carbon steel pan on high with a tablespoon or so of leftover bacon fat.
    Toast the dry chiles, remove to a bowl. Cook the shishitos and mushrooms until a little browned and soft.
    Add the garlic and ginger, stir fry for a minute, then add the shrimp and marinade, and the toasted chiles. Stir fry until the shrimp are just pink, then add the sauce. Stir until thickened. Serve over rice, on the patio 'cause it's nice out this evening.
    Image
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang

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