Inspired to cook: something I haven't really been, recently. I'm pretty sure I know why, but the why isn't important.

I haven't stumbled on many recipes this month, or not as many as I sometimes do, but the percentages that have lit a fire under me to try out have been greater. First it was Smitten Kitchen's takeout-style sesame noodles with ( Read more... )

For the last few weeks, tavella, zdashamber and I have been watching the extremely limited (seven episode) run of BBC/HBO's "Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency" for our Wednesday night Movie Nite. Knowing absolutely nothing about it before watching the first episode, other than Tavella enthusing about it because it's a female-lead driven show, it came as a pleasant ( Read more... )

Fresh lime juice is an acceptable citrus dressing for blanched asparagus when one finds the lemon to be moldy.
 

Dinner tonight was another "make shit up" night of 'Mexican lasagna'. Or if you feel like a purist, a Tex-Mex inspired pasta casserole, layering fresh egg noodle sheets with ( Read more... )

I decided since Valentine's Day is this Saturday and I obv would have no special plans, that I'd go ahead and do the special dinner for movie nite last night.

The menu:
- Protein: London Broil, which I nerdily pre-cut into heart shapes using a stencil made from waxed paper. Sadly, only zdashamber really saw the effort as she helped me by putting them into ( Read more... )

One of the (many) benefits of living two doors down from ebonlock is the sometimes unexpected bounty that falls into my lap ( Read more... )

The big accomplishment of note for this weekend was my first homemade ravioli.

( The results--we'll look at the bright side and say it was a valiant first attempt )

I had the remnants of a rotisserie chicken I wanted to toss out in today's garbage pick-up. So, yesterday, after stripping the carcass to freeze what was left of the meat, I hand washed the same 6-quart crockpot I'd made the rustic Italian sausage pasta sauce in the previous day (the only thing that hadn't fit in the dishwasher after that cooking ( Read more... )

The biggest news of the weekend was making homemade fresh pasta for the first time.

( Wherein I go into it in a little more detail )

So the verdict on the crockpot chili I mentioned prepping yesterday? At first I was like, "eh, this isn't so bad. Nothing thrilling but I'd make it again," but about halfway through the bowl I was like "Ermagerd this is SO GOOD." I served it alongside more of the Pioneer Woman's skillet cornbread since I still have buttermilk on hand from last week ( Read more... )