[122] 2011 Christmas Dinner Bone-In Prime Rib Roast

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

Last year, Bill and I accidentally started a tradition. At least, it felt that way to me earlier this month, when I was thinking about what to cook for dinner.

Apparently, I felt that way last year too. Even though I made some mistakes last year.

This year was also good, but not as good. I didn’t like the wine as much (a Washington State Malbec vs a Chilean (I think) Pinot Noir). This was a bone-in roast, and also had substantially more fat on it. The rancher (same as last year) had also had the bones cut off the meat, then tied back on. I do not know why, but it prevented carving the way Mr. Bittman suggested.

Anyway, I thought you guys might want a quick look at what we had.… Continue reading →

Merry Christmas

I love Christmas. I can’t lie. I think Christmas lights are the best thing ever, and I love the stories that go along with the ornaments that hang on our tree. Even the unremarkable “we totally bought them at Macy’s for our first Christmas together” ornaments. They’re remarkable to us.

Our tree has very few ornaments that are just there for filler. There’s one or two, purchased years ago when we weren’t together or that first year we were together. (Of course, those ones, over the few Christmases since, have been upgraded.) Mostly the ornaments on our tree tell the story of us. Mostly, to be honest, the story of Bill or the story of Tasha before we were Bill plus Tasha. I love it. I love that we are blending our histories together via history, Christmas ornaments & holiday traditions.… Continue reading →

Pork tongue salad

So, once upon a time, Bill & I purchased a hog with 7 of our friends. We knew we were in for something else, but we didn’t know exactly what.

One thing no one anticipated was exactly which “weird” cuts we’d get. I figured we’d end up with a heart, maybe a couple of kidneys. And we did. We also got the tongue, which was not something I had ever considered eating before.

This is funny, once you stop to think about it. A tongue is just a muscle, and a well-used one at that. It’s probably damn fine eating. But not once in my time on this earth had I ever considered the possibility that animal tongues might be food.

Now, of course, I realized when I saw it that there was no guarantee we’d end up with the tongue.… Continue reading →

Food blogs

What food-related blogs do you guys, my readers, also read (or write)? Or my husband. He can comment too. I know he reads a bunch of good ones, but I end up failing to remember the ones he mentions.

I have been feeling, recently, that I don’t read enough food-related blogs. Then, of course, I wonder if I am sublimating my desire to buy a cookbook into feeling as if I should read more food blogs. The fact that I probably will never buy a cookbook again in my life may have a little something to do with this concern.

In any case, I’m curious what I’m missing out on, and so I’m asking here for links you write and/or like. And how many food(-related) blogs you read.… Continue reading →

Individual turkey pot pies.

I have to admit, guys, that part of the reason I was so motivated to post Pioneer Woman’s mashed potatoes was because this thing I threw together didn’t make sense without them.

Well, that’s kind of a lie. It made SENSE, but wasn’t as much fun. So, I bided my time & insisted on doing it “in order”. And so here we find ourselves.

As you may have realized by now, one of the things I’m worst at is coping with leftovers. I’m constantly pushing leftovers on people who come over for even just a normal dinner. With a meal like Thanksgiving, where the foisting of leftover is not just normal, but practically required? Feh!

This is, in fact, a huge part of why I was so worried my initial turkey wasn’t big enough and so acquired a bigger one.… Continue reading →