Cooking with LMNO

[Kai]

Kai, I'd like to point out that these recipes are both easy and adaptable. This thread ain't about bragging.

Yeah, I can tell they are.

I'd just love to have some bok choy stirfry but its so hard to find that stuff when in podunk, SC. Could probably do it with collard greens or some other tougher leafy green. I do a lot of adaptation in my cooking, adding and subtracting depending on what I can find and afford. Having the hardest time finding Nam Pla though.

[LMNO]

Hmmm.  There must be a chinatown somewhere in that state.  Looks like there's one in Columbia...  But it's a big state.

I don't know if collards would work, as the bok choy is actually pretty tender.  some swiss chard might work?

[Kai]

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to drive 2-3 hours to columbia for Nam Pla 

so not collards, then spinach? spinach isn't really crisp like bok choy is.

haven't seen any swiss chard at the grocers.

[LMNO]

If yr gonna use spinach, sautee everything else first, the throw the spinach in at the last minute, and turn off the heat. Let the residual heat gently wilt the spinach, without it getting too soggy.

If possible, use baby spinach.

[Kai]

If yr gonna use spinach, sautee everything else first, the throw the spinach in at the last minute, and turn off the heat. Let the residual heat gently wilt the spinach, without it getting too soggy.

If possible, use baby spinach.

Thanks! I actually found bok choy today, made me happy. Didn't buy any yet, but I plan on it.

[LMNO]

Delicata squash with spinach salad (and some lamb on the side).

But first, a drink: The Hearst.  You need gin, sweet (red) vermouth, regular bitters, and orange bitters.


2 parts gin, 1 part vermouth, a few dashes each of the bitters.  Ice in a shaker, stir gently, let it get cold, serve it neat in a frozen rocks glass.


Now, onwards.  Some ingredients:


In a bowl, make the vinaigrette.  Lemon juice and zest, mixed fresh herbs, red wine vinegar, salt/pepper, minced garlic (careful with that one: it's raw, so it's pretty strong).  Whisk together, and slowly add olive oil until it comes together.


Slice and core the squash, and on a baking sheet, arrange with diced onions. Drizzle some oil, season with salt/pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes at 425, flipping halfway.


Meanwhile, season lamb arm chops with oil, salt/pepper, and cumin. 


Get the broiler cranking, and sear the lamb for a few minutes on a side, depending on the thickness of the chops (these were about 8oz each, so it only took 3 on one side, 2 on the other).

Toss the spinach with the dressing, arrange squash on top, sprinkle the feta and chopped olives over top. 

[Cainad (dec.)]

I came.

Cainad,
Likes lamb

[Jenne]

Ooh, a new way to make squash, most excellent!

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

That looks amazing as usual!!!

Oh and a "for the record"  anchovy paste with a dash of olive oil works as an excellent replacement for tinned anchovies in oil!!  A bit saltier, but that was easily rectified!

[Kai]

made a bok choy stir fry tonight, with chicken. not quite as fancy as LMNO's but bok choy is OH SO TASTY.

just did some garlic and onion in a wok with some olive oil, added the bok choy and some soy, wilted it all,

then added in the chicken with some cayenne pepper. served it over rice.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I love bok choy

YUM YUM YUM!

[Kai]

and its for dinner tonight TOO.

[Triple Zero]

hey LMNO. this reminds me, you seem to swear by roasted cumin, right? now I recently read something, that actually made a lot of sense to me. roasting ground cumin is a real good way to get rid of a large part of the aromatic chemicals. it smells really good, guess why? because all the aroma is up in the air, playing happy fun time in your nose, not in the food. so in the end, it's the cook enjoying the aroma of cumin in the kitchen, and the person eating the food getting only what's left of it, plus the smell/flavour of toasted plant matter.

i dunno, but this really makes sense to me. after all, it's not like some types of food or spice/nuts, where you really require the roasting in order to "unlock" the specific flavour (like peanuts, coffee beans, etc).

your thoughts?

[East Coast Hustle]

no, roasting cumin seeds does change the flavor profile. That's why almost all curry recipes with cumin call for it roasted and all southwestern recipes call for it raw and ground.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It makes a huge difference... roasted cumin seeds in Indian food have a completely different flavor than raw ground cumin in taco meat.