What's for dinner?

[MagicaPractica]

I hope your little one gets well soon.

The pumpkin cheesecake intrigues me.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese
5 ounces canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave or even honey)
1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 4 ramekns in a tin and boils some water to pour in around them, 1/2 inch to an inch deep.

Make sure ingredients are at room temp before you begin or it will be lumpy. Start by beating the cream cheese until smooth then add each ingredient, stirring well between additions.

Spoon into the four ramekins and bake for 30 minutes.

I immediately use tongs to remove the ramekins to a towel. Then cool before eating. Though they aren't half bad warm.

 

[Handley_Page]

. . . Prepare 4 ramekns in a tin and boils some water to pour in around them, 1/2 inch to an inch deep.

Spoon into the four ramekins and bake for 30 minutes.

Though they aren't half bad warm.

Strange, that.
So there I was, a newly-widowed fellow, wondering about how to sort myself some food on an ad hoc basis.
"Ah ha", I thought. "I need a cook book for real beginners and small quantities" (Ever noticed how it's all 'serves four, or six', etc..?)

So there's this cook called Jamie, been on TV a time or three, has a book called "Cooking for one" (or similar).
A trip to the library got me a copy to check out.

The first one had me confused. It talked about a 'Ramekin'.
[pause for a mad scrabble in a dictionary - and failing.]

It made me wonder; what's wrong with the word 'dish' ??
Or, perhaps, a suitable translation chapter for idiots like me.

I could not be bothered with investigating further; it's obvious that the market in which I reside is simply not worth their efforts.
I now get my main meals from a supplier of complete meals which are frozen.

 

[Hypoxia]

(After midnight now so this is about yesterday.)

This was one of those drive-down-to-town days, 20 mountain miles and a half hour each way. A little shopping. A late lunch near the old courthouse -- we split a fantastic buffalo burger with trimmings, but no beer for me, alas. More shopping. We stop at Mumberly's on the way home for world-class ice cream cones; Pioneer Pistachio for me.

After such a day we only scrounge for dinner. Leftovers: roast chicken, Navy beans, caponata, toasted asiago cheese bread. And more fucking herbal tea. I miss wine already. Shoot me now.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Strange, that.
So there I was, a newly-widowed fellow, wondering about how to sort myself some food on an ad hoc basis.
"Ah ha", I thought. "I need a cook book for real beginners and small quantities" (Ever noticed how it's all 'serves four, or six', etc..?)

So there's this cook called Jamie, been on TV a time or three, has a book called "Cooking for one" (or similar).
A trip to the library got me a copy to check out.

The first one had me confused. It talked about a 'Ramekin'.
[pause for a mad scrabble in a dictionary - and failing.]

It made me wonder; what's wrong with the word 'dish' ??
Or, perhaps, a suitable translation chapter for idiots like me.

I could not be bothered with investigating further; it's obvious that the market in which I reside is simply not worth their efforts.
I now get my main meals from a supplier of complete meals which are frozen.

Oh HP, ramekins are small oven proof dishes you can bake an individual serving in and pretty enough to serve in, even on special occassions.

 

[loquere]

Last night I had chicken wings, steak, and lobster tails.

 

[Handley_Page]

Oh HP, ramekins are small oven proof dishes you can bake an individual serving in and pretty enough to serve in, even on special occassions.

Oh, right, thanks, Mags.

I think that such items should, maybe, have the word 'ramekin' printed on the side. after all, if you can get a Mug with the words "Coffee" or "Tea" thereon, why not a functional identity?

 

[loquere]

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 egg
2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave or even honey)
1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 4 ramekns in a tin and boils some water to pour in around them, 1/2 inch to an inch deep.

Make sure ingredients are at room temp before you begin or it will be lumpy. Start by beating the cream cheese until smooth then add each ingredient, stirring well between additions.

Spoon into the four ramekins and bake for 30 minutes.

I immediately use tongs to remove the ramekins to a towel. Then cool before eating. Though they aren't half bad warm.

Thanks you!

 

[MagicaPractica]

Thanks you!

Check for the edit, barefootgirl pointed out I forgot the pumpkin in the recipe.

 

[KimGordon67]

Strange, that.
So there I was, a newly-widowed fellow, wondering about how to sort myself some food on an ad hoc basis.
"Ah ha", I thought. "I need a cook book for real beginners and small quantities" (Ever noticed how it's all 'serves four, or six', etc..?)

So there's this cook called Jamie, been on TV a time or three, has a book called "Cooking for one" (or similar).
A trip to the library got me a copy to check out.

The first one had me confused. It talked about a 'Ramekin'.
[pause for a mad scrabble in a dictionary - and failing.]

It made me wonder; what's wrong with the word 'dish' ??
Or, perhaps, a suitable translation chapter for idiots like me.

I could not be bothered with investigating further; it's obvious that the market in which I reside is simply not worth their efforts.
I now get my main meals from a supplier of complete meals which are frozen.

You're really eating frozen food because of a lack of appropriate labelling on cooking dishes and a lack of recipes 'for one'.

Take a recipe that says 'serves four' and quarter the ingredients (or half them, and freeze half of the results - your OWN frozen complete meal that has actual food in it!). I love cooking for myself because I can have whatever I want without worrying about others - e.g. I'll often just eat a steak or a piece of fish and a HUGE pile of asparagus (when it's in season), because I love asparagus. Omelettes, pasta, curries (with leftovers for lunch) ... there's a heap of stuff you can cook single portions of, or 1.5 portions and eat the rest for lunch.

 

[ChloeTzang]

ChillI and rice tonight. Sweat beaded across the forehead chilli, hot enough to give Satan second thoughts about dropping in, and then the demon who lives in the same house pulled out the extra hot sauce from the fridge for his. I did not spontaneously combust from the fumes but if either of us smoked.. ... and it was just some random chilli recipe of the web that I ran with and spiced up a bit... as in, hey, why not throw in some cayenne pepper and what's this sauce, chilli, sure, throw it in... the good thing is, whatever I can take, the big guy here can always take a little further.... it was wonderfully spiced. Woooooooo

HP - just cook it, divide into meal sized portions and freeze. Those frozen meals are poison. It's all gmo rubbish, additives, filler and sugar or cornflour and it's just plain bad for you. What do you like? There's easy recipes out there. I do them all the time when I'm rushed.

 

[beachbum1958]

.....

 

[ChloeTzang]

.....

Sounds delicious. I always liked those ... 's lol. Is this a new diet?

 

[loquere]

Last night I had poutine with bacon.

 

[beachbum1958]

Sorry CT, I did post about our dinner party tonight, but figured no-one would be interested in what we're having, so I binned it

 

[loquere]

Sorry CT, I did post about our dinner party tonight, but figured no-one would be interested in what we're having, so I binned it

I'm interested, please do go ahead and share.

 

[beachbum1958]

We're having friends over to dinner tonight, and they're adventurous and cosmopolitan when it comes to food, so rather than some local cuisine, or standard French thingy, we're mixing things up a little, with Pork Satay and peanut sauce with steamed Coconut Rice, and little squid stuffed with pork, steamed, then dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried for starters. The main course is Lori's grandfather's Jambalaya, Crackling Cornbread, and Boudin Blanc.

For dessert we're having 2 courses, baked and set curd tart and Almond Langue de Chat biscuits, with a sweet lemon coulis, and Lori's own pickled Morello Cherry and Bourbon ice cream with Caramel-bourbon sauce and a spun-sugar crown to finish. Everything, with the exeption of the jambalaya, cornbread, and crab, is coming out of the fridge or the freezer, the lemon coulis takes 5 minutes, ditto the caramel, so we're not stressing, because it's just coming up to 15:30 here and dinner is already prepared. Time for a Dubonnet and soda or three...

(This is us being excessive, because it's a special occasion, with special friends; because it's so cheap and plentiful, we tend to eat a lot of lobster in various incarnations, crab, squid, and prawns, and langoustines by the bucket-load. Marseille isn't that far away, and the fish market there is a seafood lovers paradise, plus living here means Lori has ample opportunity to indulge her one weakness, cuisses de grenouille, fried frogs legs.)

 

[loquere]

Wow this sounds beautiful, if I'm ever in France may I stop by?

The Jamablaya sounds great, Does that contain seafood? The lobster and crab you mentioned? The cornbread is a good basic touch.

I can't analyze half of what you mentioned, this will be a great dinner party.

We're having friends over to dinner tonight, and they're adventurous and cosmopolitan when it comes to food, so rather than some local cuisine, or standard French thingy, we're mixing things up a little, with Pork Satay and peanut sauce with steamed Coconut Rice, and little squid stuffed with pork, steamed, then dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried for starters. The main course is Lori's grandfather's Jambalaya, Crackling Cornbread, and Boudin Blanc.

For dessert we're having 2 courses, baked and set curd tart and Almond Langue de Chat biscuits, with a sweet lemon coulis, and Lori's own pickled Morello Cherry and Bourbon ice cream with Caramel-bourbon sauce and a spun-sugar crown to finish. Everything, with the exeption of the jambalaya, cornbread, and crab, is coming out of the fridge or the freezer, the lemon coulis takes 5 minutes, ditto the caramel, so we're not stressing, because it's just coming up to 15:30 here and dinner is already prepared. Time for a Dubonnet and soda or three...

(This is us being excessive, because it's a special occasion, with special friends; because it's so cheap and plentiful, we tend to eat a lot of lobster in various incarnations, crab, squid, and prawns, and langoustines by the bucket-load. Marseille isn't that far away, and the fish market there is a seafood lovers paradise, plus living here means Lori has ample opportunity to indulge her one weakness, cuisses de grenouille, fried frogs legs.)

 

[barefootgirl69]

We're having friends over to dinner tonight, and they're adventurous and cosmopolitan when it comes to food, so rather than some local cuisine, or standard French thingy, we're mixing things up a little, with Pork Satay and peanut sauce with steamed Coconut Rice, and little squid stuffed with pork, steamed, then dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried for starters. The main course is Lori's grandfather's Jambalaya, Crackling Cornbread, and Boudin Blanc.

For dessert we're having 2 courses, baked and set curd tart and Almond Langue de Chat biscuits, with a sweet lemon coulis, and Lori's own pickled Morello Cherry and Bourbon ice cream with Caramel-bourbon sauce and a spun-sugar crown to finish. Everything, with the exeption of the jambalaya, cornbread, and crab, is coming out of the fridge or the freezer, the lemon coulis takes 5 minutes, ditto the caramel, so we're not stressing, because it's just coming up to 15:30 here and dinner is already prepared. Time for a Dubonnet and soda or three...

(This is us being excessive, because it's a special occasion, with special friends; because it's so cheap and plentiful, we tend to eat a lot of lobster in various incarnations, crab, squid, and prawns, and langoustines by the bucket-load. Marseille isn't that far away, and the fish market there is a seafood lovers paradise, plus living here means Lori has ample opportunity to indulge her one weakness, cuisses de grenouille, fried frogs legs.)

Did you make the Boudin yourselves or is there a local market?

 

[beachbum1958]

Wow this sounds beautiful, if I'm ever in France may I stop by?

The Jamablaya sounds great, Does that contain seafood? The lobster and crab you mentioned? The cornbread is a good basic touch.

I can't analyze half of what you mentioned, this will be a great dinner party.

Stop by any time.

The squid is stuffed with ground pork mixed with minced ginger, a touch of garlic, a splash of Chinese rice wine, chopped scallions, Chinese 5-spice powder, and a little salt, mixed by hand and stuffed into the squid, de-boned and the tentacle ring off, steamed for 20 minutes, them cooled, dipped in Japanese Tempura batter made with white flour, cornstarch, iced soda water, a splash of rice vinegar, mixed to a thick but runny consistency, roll them in flour and dip them in the batter, then straight into hot sunflower or peanut oil and fried until white/pale golden and crisp (you can also make tempura prawns, mussels, clams, asparagus, carrot sticks etc with the same batter mix.)

If you want the recipes for satay, Boudin (a kind of Cajun sausage) and her own family Crackling Bread I can send them to you. The jambalaya has clams, mussels, crab meat and claws, shrimp, crayfish tails, chicken breast, and chorizo, so something for everyone.

 

[beachbum1958]

Did you make the Boudin yourselves or is there a local market?

Lori makes her own Boudin; there is a local charcuterie version, but it's 'weird' according to her, so I've never actually tried it.

 

[barefootgirl69]

Lori makes her own Boudin; there is a local charcuterie version, but it's 'weird' according to her, so I've never actually tried it.

It sounds like you're going to have a very nice dinner with friends

 

[MagicaPractica]

We're having friends over to dinner tonight, and they're adventurous and cosmopolitan when it comes to food, so rather than some local cuisine, or standard French thingy, we're mixing things up a little, with Pork Satay and peanut sauce with steamed Coconut Rice, and little squid stuffed with pork, steamed, then dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried for starters. The main course is Lori's grandfather's Jambalaya, Crackling Cornbread, and Boudin Blanc.

For dessert we're having 2 courses, baked and set curd tart and Almond Langue de Chat biscuits, with a sweet lemon coulis, and Lori's own pickled Morello Cherry and Bourbon ice cream with Caramel-bourbon sauce and a spun-sugar crown to finish. Everything, with the exeption of the jambalaya, cornbread, and crab, is coming out of the fridge or the freezer, the lemon coulis takes 5 minutes, ditto the caramel, so we're not stressing, because it's just coming up to 15:30 here and dinner is already prepared. Time for a Dubonnet and soda or three...

(This is us being excessive, because it's a special occasion, with special friends; because it's so cheap and plentiful, we tend to eat a lot of lobster in various incarnations, crab, squid, and prawns, and langoustines by the bucket-load. Marseille isn't that far away, and the fish market there is a seafood lovers paradise, plus living here means Lori has ample opportunity to indulge her one weakness, cuisses de grenouille, fried frogs legs.)

That sounds amazing, and inspirational. I tend to cook the same old things over and over but occassionally I experiment, when I have time.

 

[beachbum1958]

It sounds like you're going to have a very nice dinner with friends

These are very old friends, and they came all the way from Paris to see us, so we want to give them something really nice, and completely informal; we all have to attend enough black-tie/rubber chicken dinners down here that we wanted to make sure this night feels nothing like that. In a couple of hours I have to go and start making spun sugar while Lori gets her curd tarts ready for baking, and I have to go and look up how to make the perfect Mai-Tai...

 

[beachbum1958]

That sounds amazing, and inspirational. I tend to cook the same old things over and over but occassionally I experiment, when I have time.

Because we work such long shifts at the hospital, we tend to eat on the run, or whatever we can find from anywhere that's open; in this part of France, most restaurants don't really open until after 11 PM, so we tend to eat whatever is available on the way home; after 12 hours in the OR, neither one of us has the energy or inclination to cook when we get home, so dinner is usually cold-cuts, bread, salad, and fruit. We work 36 hours in three shifts, sometime 48 hours over 4 shifts, so we usually have 4 days off, which is when we actually have our lives, do our entertaining, engage in our hobbies, or just lounge by the pool and wait for alcohol to appear...

 

[ChloeTzang]

It sounds like you're going to have a very nice dinner with friends

Sounds marvellous doesn't it. Yum! I'm going to try jambalaya again soon after that inspiration. Just finished making some fresh bread and that first slice fresh out of the oven and still warm with butter and homemade jam is yummy. Hot coffee coming up for the next slice.