Dinner--or Dessert--Tonight

[RatGuy]

A friend requested that I make Skyline Chili for a gathering this weekend. After reading the recipe I'm highly suspicious of the whole thing.

[ab_grp]

Stockmann, thank you!

RatGuy, I looked up the chili and have definitely heard of it before.  I hope someone here has had some experience with it that they can share with us, because there is a lot going on there.  So are you supposed to make the base chili and bring all the accoutrements so people can have whichever crazy version they prefer (hot dog buns, spaghetti, cheese, onions, beans, mustard, ... almost forgot hot dogs)? Are you sure this is not a prank? ;-)

[Stockmann]

Stockmann, thank you!

RatGuy, I looked up the chili and have definitely heard of it before.  I hope someone here has had some experience with it that they can share with us, because there is a lot going on there.  So are you supposed to make the base chili and bring all the accoutrements so people can have whichever crazy version they prefer (hot dog buns, spaghetti, cheese, onions, beans, mustard, ... almost forgot hot dogs)? Are you sure this is not a prank? ;-)

You're welcome! Forgot to mention that I also added some flour and cornstarch as thickeners.

[RatGuy]

RatGuy, I looked up the chili and have definitely heard of it before.  I hope someone here has had some experience with it that they can share with us, because there is a lot going on there.  So are you supposed to make the base chili and bring all the accoutrements so people can have whichever crazy version they prefer (hot dog buns, spaghetti, cheese, onions, beans, mustard, ... almost forgot hot dogs)? Are you sure this is not a prank? ;-)

I don't think it's a prank -- I just think she's got warm fuzzies about her time in Cincinnati. Some of the friends in the group are gluten-free, so I don't think I'll serve it over spaghetti. Spaghetti squash, maybe. Or one of the GF attendants suggested Ore Ida fries. Or maybe rice?

Or I could just not add the extra water -- make it thick enough to eat on its own? I haven't decided

[ab_grp]

Thank you for the addendum, Stockmann!

RatGuy, any chili updates?

We made shrimp saganaki (w kalamata olives, tomatoes, onion, feta, ...) last night for the first time in years, and we put it over a new (to us) brand of heart of palm pasta.  It was very good and filling. 

[Puget]

Had a couple friends over for dinner tonight --

Butternut squash soup
Quiche with broccoli and feta
Homemade bread
Salad (brought by the guests)

(long digestive pause lolling in the living room in front of the fireplace )

Dutch apple pie, made with apple pie filing I canned from apples from my own tree (turned out a little messy but extremely delicious)

Perfect for a cold night! And we all get leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Nothing like leftover pie to brighten a snowy workday.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Had a couple friends over for dinner tonight --

Butternut squash soup
Quiche with broccoli and feta
Homemade bread
Salad (brought by the guests)

(long digestive pause lolling in the living room in front of the fireplace )

Dutch apple pie, made with apple pie filing I canned from apples from my own tree (turned out a little messy but extremely delicious)

Perfect for a cold night! And we all get leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Nothing like leftover pie to brighten a snowy workday.

Sounds delicious!!!

[RatGuy]

Thank you for the addendum, Stockmann!

RatGuy, any chili updates?

We made shrimp saganaki (w kalamata olives, tomatoes, onion, feta, ...) last night for the first time in years, and we put it over a new (to us) brand of heart of palm pasta.  It was very good and filling. 

Chili was a hit. I didn't use as much water as the recipe called for so it wasn't so saucy. We ate it over gluten-free waffle fries, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. One person thought it could have been spicier, but otherwise I'd make it again.

[ab_grp]

Thank you for the addendum, Stockmann!

RatGuy, any chili updates?

We made shrimp saganaki (w kalamata olives, tomatoes, onion, feta, ...) last night for the first time in years, and we put it over a new (to us) brand of heart of palm pasta.  It was very good and filling. 

Chili was a hit. I didn't use as much water as the recipe called for so it wasn't so saucy. We ate it over gluten-free waffle fries, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. One person thought it could have been spicier, but otherwise I'd make it again.

That's great to hear! Sounds delicious.  I'm glad it worked out.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Thank you for the addendum, Stockmann!

RatGuy, any chili updates?

We made shrimp saganaki (w kalamata olives, tomatoes, onion, feta, ...) last night for the first time in years, and we put it over a new (to us) brand of heart of palm pasta.  It was very good and filling. 

Chili was a hit. I didn't use as much water as the recipe called for so it wasn't so saucy. We ate it over gluten-free waffle fries, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. One person thought it could have been spicier, but otherwise I'd make it again.

Nice! I used to have Skyline Chili when I was up in Cincy.

[ab_grp]

Due to a shipping mishap that turned into quite a customer service thing, I ended up with bitter (Seville) oranges by mistake.  We decided to make the most of them and found that duck a l'orange can be made with bitter instead of sweet oranges.  We made it last night, and wow.  First, what a pain in the butt to make the sauce.  My husband decided to be the brave one and make the caramel and so forth as part of it, and I think we learned some lessons, but the sauce was so freaking delicious at the end.  We had a whole duck so have some leftover for another meal or two.  We had the sauce in ramekins for dipping, and I think we each dipped all parts of the meal in it.  The caramel added a toasty flavor... just mouth-watering! We saved the duck bones to try to make the mushroom soup shared by Stockmann.  We also used an orange or two to make a salad dressing for lunch that we thought was okay, but the sauce was definitely a winner.  We were going to try to make some vin d'orange with remaining oranges, but we ran out and actually had to use part of a cara cara in the sauce.  Maybe next mishap.

[secundem_artem]

Yesterday I made some fresh fettuccine.  Had that with a rosemary-brown butter.  Some asparagus on the side that I steamed and then rolled around in some lemon juice and garlic and dusted with some finishing salt.  Washed it all down with a New Zealand (Marlborough) Sauvignon Blanc.  Pretty good if I say so myself.

[ab_grp]

That sounds wonderful, secundem_artem!!

We grilled steak and bang bang-ish shrimp Thursday night, and then my husband made paella of the land on Friday.  We are still living off that adventure! So yummy.  He included rabbit, duck, and chicken.  We didn't have it on Easter out of respect for the Easter bunny.

[AmLitHist]

It was 80 degrees here on Easter and Monday, but in the low 40s today. Seems to be a good day to pull out that bowl of chili left over from the last batch, and have it for supper.

[darkstarrynight]

I took a bagel making class today! That was really fun, and now we have bagels we actually made to enjoy at home.