Jan really loves turkey and she has been running her legs off at work (literally, yesterday she walked 7 miles back and forth across campus, as recorded by her Fitbit). I decided to surprise her tonight with roasted turkey, stuffing and green beans, but I wanted to keep it to a weekday’s level of effort.
Karl’s Weekday Thanksgiving
Filed under bread, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces and Spices, Side Dishes, Vegetables
I lived on the West Bank of New Orleans (Gretna) for a couple of years in the 70’s. I have eaten my fair share of real Cajun food, and I have a good idea what it should taste like. If I am just cooking a dish for a weekday meal I will usually just use a Paul Prudhomme’s “Magic” blend. One thing I will not be doing is using the Prudhomme recipe I saw him make on TV one time. While I am sure it was delicious, I am too much of a Californian to follow a recipe that starts, “when the two pounds of butter has stopped frothing, add the three cups of onions.”
Karl’s Cajun Spice Blend
Filed under Other, Sauces and Spices
Adapted from Jolinda Hackett, About.com Guide
For this Sunday’s feast I am making Jambalaya. Jambalaya is really a one pot meal, but it is heavy on the meats and starch. I wanted a green vegetable side dish to balance out my meal. Jan and I are in complete agreement about okra. It may be one of the classic Cajun/Southern vegetables, but despite our Southern roots (Virginia and Mississippi) we both dislike it. Many of the things calling themselves “Cajun vegetables” on the internet were just regular veggies with some Cajun spice thrown on top. I finally decided on collard greens, another classic Southern vegetable. I would not, however be cooking it in the Southern fashion, the way our mothers did, boiling it down to a sludge. California-Style, braising until just tender, is my plan, with a little red pepper for color.
Karl’s Braised Cajun Collard Greens
Filed under Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables
In the 1970’s I was working for a diving company based in Belle Chasse, LA. I have been thinking about that time lately (it probably has something to do with Lent and Mardi Gras). I can’t think about N’Orl’ns (one word) without thinking about the food. For two years I lived off of Muffulettas, Shrimp Etouffee, boiled crawfish, and Jambalaya. I have had a sudden desire for the flavor. Louisiana food generally falls into two main cuisines Creole and Cajun, which roughly corresponds to city and country.
Karl’s Cajun Jambalaya
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork, Poultry, Seafood
I overslept today, so Jan invaded my kitchen. Jan loves to tweak her anthropology student’s by telling them that the kitchen in our house is a very gendered space. They all go “yeah, yeah, of course that’s right.” Then she drops the punch line, “No Women Allowed!”
Jan’s Muesli Cinnamon Swirl Mini-Muffins
This morning Jan had a hankering for Schat’s Bakery Cinnamon twists. Jan’s parents were living in Lone Pine when she was born and she has taken many field classes through Eastern California, so Schat’s has a very special place in her heart. It is not the gooey sweetness she misses, but the bite of the amount of cinnamon that they use. Most bakeries and recipes are very shy in their use of cinnamon. Jan wanted the spicy heat of the cinnamon, but she did not want it to be drowned out by the sugar. She also wanted to make it healthier, but still to be like muffin Red Hots.
Filed under bread, Breakfast, Side Dishes, Starches
Tonight’s dinner was jiaozi (gee-aw-za, dumplings). This was a weekday meal so I did not make them myself. Jiapzi making is a major operation. The rolling out of dozens of little bits of dough becomes a social activity for a gathering (it is not really possible to make just a few jiaozi). To the Chinese, it is very similar to Mexicans and Christmas tamales, an activity that brings people together. For an everyday meal the Chinese cook will run down to the corner, where a jiaozi seller has parked their bicycles truck, and pick up enough for their meal.
Karl’s Spicy Chive Stem and Giant Bamboo Stir-fry
Filed under Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables
When your refrigerator and freezer are getting cluttered with bits and pieces, it is time to make Stone Soup. This is not entirely in the spirit of the story, but Stone Soup sounds so much better and classier than; “What is in the refrigerator soup?”
Karl’s Stone Soup with Bread Dumplings
Filed under Main Dishes, Poultry, Soups
Jan has put up with my meat eating for 35 years now (30 of them in the married state as of this month). She considers herself a born again carnivore, but she still misses being a vegetarian. Since she let me have lamb on Easter, I planned on a tofu stir fry for dinner tonight. Eilene, however, had some friend over and so I had to add some things to what I was planning to make to have enough for two adults and three hungry teen-aged girls. They must have liked it because they cleaned it down to the last noodle and scrap of vegetable.
[no picture, it disappeared too fast]
Filed under Main Dishes, Vegetarian MD
This Sunday is Easter, and around our house this means barbecues lamb and barbecued lamb means Greek. The combined flavors of garlic, lemon and herbs are always a big favorite. I decided to have Greek mushrooms, rice pilaf, and spanakopita rolls to go with the lamb and Jan made a lemon bundt cake for dessert. It has been a long 40 days and I am looking forward to the end of Lent.
Karl’s Greek Barbecued Lamb
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork
This week is barbecued lamb for Easter and the kids (except Eilene) love mushrooms. I am frequently trying to find new ways to spice them up.
Za’atar is an herb blend found (in various blends) throughout the Middle East. Apparently no one agrees on how to spell the translation (there are 9 variations) or which herb go into it (there are 4 possibilities for the primary herb, depending on the region of origin), but everyone knows they love it.
Karl’s Greek Mushrooms
Filed under Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 