11/28/15

A lot of cooking! Michael and Kristen came for lunch. Green chili macaroni and cheese (my old standby) and Genius chocolate mousse. I over-whipped it AGAIN. I will get the timing right! Even over-whipped, it is chocolatey and rich. It was fun to see baby Mercer and I am always glad of a reason to eat macaroni and cheese.
Then my parents came to dinner! Bo ssam, round 3. This time I think I cooked it perfectly and salted it a bit less. We have tons of leftovers but I think everyone enjoyed it. Dessert was maple pudding (chomeur), from Food52. The first time I made this, I did them in individual ramekins, which I think worked a bit better, as they absorbed more sauce.

porky goodness

11/27/15

Dinner at Jennie and David's. We brought samosas and tamarind chutney (both from Saveur website). The filling I thought could have been a little more flavorful, but they seemed like a success. Also made another pecan pie; although I was out of the golden syrup called for and subbed in maple syrup and dark corn syrup instead. Jason proclaimed it even better than the previous one so I think I will stick with that variation.

11/26/15

Thanksgiving. We brought a yellow cake made (from Martha Stewart): it was a little heavy, but I think I didn't beat the butter and sugar long enough. I did like the flavor, though. The chocolate frosting was the milk and flour slurry kind. I like it because it isn't too sweet and is easier to make than real buttercream. Also made a pecan pie (SK) that I thought was absolutely delicious. It was a fun gathering at Jay and Jodi's house (Jay smoked the turkey out on the grill and it was great).

11/25/15

Pizza made by Jason (onion, peppers feta and pepperoni-mushroom). Good, and even better re-heated.

11/24/15

repeat of pasta with lemon, bacon, parmesan and nuts. Not quite as good as the first time (not enough lemon; I forgot to cook the bacon on the stovetop), but pretty tasty. Also, it was a joy to wash the dishes:

It won't stay this pretty forever.

11/23/15

Dinner at Jason's parents with his siblings (Bertucci's pizza; always a hit with me). Rumor has it that we will have a sink by the end of the day.

11/22/15

Used up some leftover eggplant in the freezer to make eggplant parm grinders. More cheese next time! Otherwise fine.

11/21/15

dinner with Jennie and David---delicious bread, a lemon-lime pudding (from the NYT) that I am sure I have made before, and rosemary shortbread (also NYT). The custards were tart and satiny (as the recipe said they would be), and the shortbread was not-too-rosemaryish and good with the custard. My butter was a bit too warm so they could have been a little sandier.

11/20/15

Carter's pick of the week, chicken shwarma and naan. Served with cucumbers, the last of the zhug, and a quick sauce made of yogurt, tahini, lemon and sriracha. Still messy, still delicious.

11/19/15

Carter and I had a quiet, simple dinner at home while Jason was off giving an exam. Spinach/cheese ravioli (store bought) and tomato sauce. We both loved it.

11/18/15

Dinner in Whately, where we continued to reap the rewards of turkey dinner---turkey pot pie, plus green beans and almonds. I brought some caramel blondies from David Lebowitz: regular blondies are topped with shards of caramelized sugar that melt into the batter and form little chewy pockets of caramel. One of my favorite blondie recipes yet. I ran out of milk chocolate and threw in some white chocolate. The only thing I might do differently is maybe sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on top.

11/17/15

Given the choice between going out and staying in, Carter chose home. That is because we had his favorite, burritos. And they were pretty good.

11/16/15

So, the sink and countertops we expected today will not actually arrive until next Monday. So with a heavy heart I prepared turkey sandwiches (with hummus, meunster cheese, and sweet and sour onions). The onion jam is a great condiment but I would rather have a sink.

11/15/15

Birthday dinner for my dad: early Thanksgiving! I think the Stevens/Stokes household consumed several cups of gravy. Looking forward to being able to repay some of my parents' hospitality soon.

11/14/15

Usual dinner with J & D, usual bread from Jason.  I made my regular brownie recipe, and added mint topping (throw dinner mints on top, let them melt, spread. Voila). Perfectly baked for once and minty delicious.

11/13/15

The Kitchen Project is winding down, but since we still don't have counters or a sink, cooking remains challenging. So, making Finnish meatballs was maybe too ambitious and messy. But the results were good, so who cares about a utility sink full of dishes? I tweaked the recipe slightly this time by putting the meatballs in a large baking dish (instead of the called for dutch oven), adding the chicken broth, and baking them. This kept them from falling apart and worked well. We also had egg noodles and peas.

11/12/15

AMAZING dinner at my parents. Pasta and chicken with Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce, bread (courtesy of Jason)  and cauliflower roasted with figs and chorizo  (talk about upgrading your cauliflower!). I hope we are able to repay their kindness when our kitchen is done. Also, grilled cinnamon buns, which Carter is unexpectedly enamored of. But who could blame him?

11/11/15

Salad, cheese and crackers, deviled eggs (no messy, scary frying). A quick and tasty meal.

11/10/15

Chicken and broccoli stir-fry with scallions and noodles. We were so scared to fry in the kitchen that we put towels over the counters. Or where the counters will be, more accurately. I am liking keeping the scallions in bigger pieces, as they add more flavor.

11/9/15

Muffaletta sandwiches; I cheated slightly by buying the gardiniera instead of making my own (and it was quite spicy!)

There may also have been chips.

The cupboards look lovely but we aren't allowed to put anything in them. There are rumors of a countertop.

.

11/8/15

I took advantage of a special offer from Bertucci's to order out two party size pizzas. Dinner plus several lunches solved. I don't care if no one else in my family loves Bertucci's as much as I do.

11/7/15

Family Relaxation Night at home. Hamburgers, salad, tots. I will come out and say it: I think I like tots better than french fries. Or at least just as much. Carter requested two smaller (fast food style) burgers with ketchup and onions, which he devoured with astonishing speed.

11/6/15

Dinner with Jennie and David. I felt guilty for the store bought dessert last time, so I made the (flawless) chocolate pudding from SK. I did buy some Bordeaux cookies, but who doesn't love those? With the kitchen work happening, Jason has had to adjust the cooking time for his bread, which means we get to eat it still a bit warm. It's fabulous.

11/5/15

Used the crockpot to make spaghetti with meat sauce (well, just the sauce, of course), and I was very pleased with the results. I just want to remember to leave the lid off of the pot for the last hour or so next time. We also had vegetables, keeping scurvy away for a little longer. I am getting used to cooking on two floors. I could become a scullery maid in a wealthy British household if this library thing doesn't pan out.

11/4/15

Mom to the rescue again, with delicious soup (with german bread dumplings!), asparagus and cheese and crackers with chestnut honey. The kitchen is coming along, but is not what you would call operable.

11/3/15

Another meal at home; how novel! Quesadillas with beans and onions, plus I even managed to make some guacamole. This was much easier to prepare than the pasta, although washing the dishes is still a pain. I am brainstorming ideas for other easy to make meals. Probably a lot of sandwiches.

11/2/15

I decided that with proper planning, dinner could be made at home, so I made a batch of pasta with broccoli pesto, plus some chicken sausage sauteed with onions. Well, it can be done, but it wasn't easy: many, many trips up and down the stairs, dishes everywhere, trying to drain pasta in the bathroom sink, and food processing on top of the desk. As least the results were good! I think the boys appreciated it. I may even try again tomorrow.

What a mess!

11/1/15

Mom comes through again! Pulled pork banh mi, red beans and rice, delicata squash. And leftovers for Jason! We are very lucky.

10/31/15

Pizza and candy for dinner.

Quite a haul.

10/30/15

Dinner with Jennie and David; Jason determinedly made bread (which was great); I lazily bought ice cream and cookies from Trader Joe's.  I don't honestly think I could have made anything tastier.

10/29/15

Dinner at the High Horse in advance of the Amherst Trivia Bee. Great burgers; fries could have been a bit hotter.