I don't always cook fancy..
spam sandwiches on a paper plate
spam sandwiches on a paper plate
It's like $2.50-ish a can here ($3.27-ish CAD). That's not terribly expensive, considering a can will make 6-8 sandwiches like those pictured.
Lunch meat is expensive everywhere. I was paying $4.99 a pack for 8 slices of pimento/olive loaf, and we pay $6.99 or $7.99 (on sale) for 8oz of sliced turkey - about enough for five or six sandwiches. It looks expensive when you're there in the store, but when you figure in the fact that a decent sandwich from any sandwich place is going to run you at least that much for one single sandwich, it helps to put it into perspective. Still hard to reach for $8 turkey, though.
Spam transports well, keeps for a long time, is easy to cook, and is EXTREMELY versatile. It's also a key ingredient in a lot of specialty foods from Hawaii and South Korea, though for different reasons. I'm not saying I'm a big fan ether, but I get why it has an appeal.
Smoked another couple of tri-tips tonight. This time I rubbed them down with mustard (cheap yellow) and a mixture of coarse ground black pepper, celery salt, and garlic powder. Then I let them sit in the fridge for about 6 hours before smoking over semi-indirect heat with mesquite chunks on the Weber kettle. Came out pretty good, a little peppery in spots. I'll have to slice them thin (I already have an electric slicer) and use them for sandwich meat, probably with Au Jus or a good beef gravy.
I agree with @Frank though, fall is coming - and I cannot wait for a day when I can roast something in my oven and still live in the house the rest of that day.
I agree with @Frank though, fall is coming - and I cannot wait for a day when I can roast something in my oven and still live in the house the rest of that day.
figmentPez
Staff member
Don't forget to sous vide things besides meat. I hear cheesecake has an amazing texture when cooked sous vide.
Dinner last night was at the Librije (3 stars, #2 in the Netherlands) for my grandparents' 90th and 85th birthday which are a week apart. 10 course dinner (15 with appetizers), extremely excellent service, but the highlight of the evening was, in particular, the duck course. First, they showed (and explained) the process by which they prepare the duck:
The duck is plucked, flash boiled, dry aged for two days, smoked, coated in paraffin wax with oranges, dry aged for 5/6 more days, wax removed, roasted, and lacquered with chocolate.
They proceeded to put a tiny little smoker on the table, in which some of the duck's offal was being finished:
Finally, the completed dish: Duck "t-bone" with broth, served with a beet and sambai vinegar salad with the duck's heart, tongue and stomach.
It is nearly 20 hours later and I am still losing my mind over how delicious this fucking dish was.
The duck is plucked, flash boiled, dry aged for two days, smoked, coated in paraffin wax with oranges, dry aged for 5/6 more days, wax removed, roasted, and lacquered with chocolate.
They proceeded to put a tiny little smoker on the table, in which some of the duck's offal was being finished:
Finally, the completed dish: Duck "t-bone" with broth, served with a beet and sambai vinegar salad with the duck's heart, tongue and stomach.
It is nearly 20 hours later and I am still losing my mind over how delicious this fucking dish was.
I've never heard of this, and my mouth is watering.
Cajungal
Staff member
My dad first introduced it to me at our favorite Thai restaurant back when I was in high school. It is now my go-to when I'm feeling sick.
Dang. We used to have a great Thai place near us in Queens. I'll have to start hunting for one around here.
I didn’t realize there were any Boston
—Patrick
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I walked into one once, tried to order, everything but the one that that didn't sound at least tolerable was out of stock. I left, never been back to one again, haven't seen one in years.
There's a lot of them around here. Did they file Chapter 11, or are they just closing elsewhere?
Many (most?) of them are franchises, so it's possible that the ones in my area just failed and didn't recover.
--Patrick
figmentPez
Staff member
The closest Boston Market to me closed a couple decades ago, when the company went through bankruptcy (Wikipedia says in 1998) , and I was under the mistaken impression that all their stores in the Houston area had closed. Much to my surprise, there are still 8 locations around Houston, just not anywhere I pass by regularly. I thought the brand solely existed as frozen food these days.
Chicken saltimbocca with mashed sweet potatoes
instant pot honey chicken
The original recipe originally called for the sauce to be honey, garlic, soy and spices. I started mixing away while the chicken was browning, and realized I couldn't find the soy.
So, for the 1/2 cup of soy, I subbed out: 1/3 cup worcestershire, 1tbs each fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, beef stock, and kosher salt.
I didn't tell my wife what I was making, and when she came home from work, I was on the phone working. I heard her go "what the hell is this?" from the other room. So I left my office to see what was the matter. Her eyes were all wide, and she goes "this is freaking amazing!" and gave me a high five.
I don't think she's ever high-fived me for dinner before
The original recipe originally called for the sauce to be honey, garlic, soy and spices. I started mixing away while the chicken was browning, and realized I couldn't find the soy.
So, for the 1/2 cup of soy, I subbed out: 1/3 cup worcestershire, 1tbs each fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, beef stock, and kosher salt.
I didn't tell my wife what I was making, and when she came home from work, I was on the phone working. I heard her go "what the hell is this?" from the other room. So I left my office to see what was the matter. Her eyes were all wide, and she goes "this is freaking amazing!" and gave me a high five.
I don't think she's ever high-fived me for dinner before
I love dressing up my shitty "ah crap, I need to use X up" meals. Block of expiring low moisture mozzarella, handful of almonds, hot sauce. Had a big lunch.
