ness

Halloween 2002. That's #2 son. I think I should have gotten a Pulitzer Prize for this shot:

Alright...had a taste for some soup and wanted chicken and wild rice. Scoured the web and most all the recipes were for a creamy (read: high calorie) style. So, I struck out on my own. First off, started some wild rice because it takes about an hour to cook. Then, sweated some onion, celery and carrot in a little oil. After that, added in some flour to make a roux. Added in some chicken broth and dry thyme, parsley, bay leaves and seasoned pepper. Let that simmer for 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile I dismantled a rotisserie chicken. Can’t do that without sampling it a bunch. Let’s call it ¾ of a chicken in this recipe. Added the rice and chicken to the veggie and broth mixture and tasted it. Wanted to steer away from the cream, but this needed a little to make it shine. So, I added a some, but far less than the online recipes called for. Warmed it all up. This was very, very good. Love the nutty flavor of wild rice.

I knew what you meant. 😄

Yeah, soups and stews are like that. Made some soup last night that’s for dinner tonight.

That looks mighty good!

I like the way you cook -- on the fly! Some of my best meals happen that way. If it works, I'm big on writing it down so I can duplicate it. But sometimes I've tweaked it so many times I don't' get it right.

Made some spicy shrimp the other night. You guys are probably tired of my shrimp pictures, so I’ll spare you this time. What was different is that I served it over mashed cauliflower. Just boiled it in some chicken stock, drained it and added a little butter and a teeny bit of cheese. Looking for a lower-carb/calorie alternative to rice or grits (or potatoes for another dish). It was passable, but it wouldn’t fool anybody. Will tweak it with more seasoning next time.

Just don’t care for the flavor of liver. Some liver-based things, like braunschweiger, I love. Actually can’t think of other liver things I love now, and wonder if there are any. Can do without pate. Love chicken gizzards if they’re done right. ‘Go Chicken Go’ in KCK is the gold standard. Any of you hunters ever have venison gizzards? 😄

They are very moist at this point, and I’m actually worried I got a little heavy handed with the rum. Traditionally they’re sealed in tins and periodically get another dose of rum every month or so. I’ve got one that’s my tester. If I need to, I’ll unseal them and let them dry a bit.

Hmmm. Went to penzeys.com and they have them. They’re also an ingredient in their pickling and corned beef blends. Learned something new today. Not just for gin anymore. https://www.penzeys.com/search/#?q=Juniper

Juniper berries—interesting.

Agree!

Don’t forget the peas! Actually, sounds really good. I’ve been thinking about making that too. Threw together a quick steak soup the other day. Hamburger, veggies, broth and tomato juice.

Yeah, I can see spreading it on bread. I’ll make it again and just may keep it off to the side and try it. I’m sure no one else at the table will 😄

Compared to our ancestors, definitely a cushy life. 😄 Last time I made this I mixed the marrow in with the meat and sauce. Don’t really remember the flavor, but I remember thinking it was different — not good, not bad. Since I was feeding others, I left it out this time.

Thought about it, but just couldn’t pull the trigger. 😄

Dang, that looks great. I wish I could see a slice. How was it?

Did a beef shank with red wine, beef broth, onion, taters, and carrots and rosemary. 10 hours in the slow cooker. Dang, that’s a tasty cut of meat. Love the browning capability of this slow cooker.

I haven’t made this, but I’ve had it at their restaurant and it’s very good. The beer is an IPA. At a minimum, the recipe might give you some ideas. http://m.ljworld.com/news/2010/apr/05/free-state-classic-downtown-brewery-shares-its-leg/?templates=mobile

Just 13 beans? I'd go with a full pound or more if you've got a decent sized ham hock. I mean, I can swallow 13 beans, some hock and a hunk of cornbread all at once with minimal chewing.

Love me some risotto too.

Oops. Placeholder post not a great idea. Got interrupted and didn’t come back to edit/finish. Re: Soup. I wouldn’t even know how to approach it from the perspective of trying to win, so I’d just make something I like myself.

Love me some bread pudding.

Blah.

About all I can say is sourdough is....tricky. Really, to me, all baking is tricky, especially yeast based baking. I started with a culture that was supposedly from Italy. It's been grown, neglected, revived, neglected, revived.... and is currently being neglected after being revived a couple weeks ago. It's certainly not a laboratory environment, so I don't have any illusions that it's the same Italian sourdough culture at this point. But... the last time I did it I did get decent sour flavor. I do think there are things passed off as sourdough that may not really have the yeast and lactobacillus living together in a symbiotic relationship--which is what a true sourdough starter is. The acid prevents contamination of the yeast from other bacteria. Where did your starter come from? The loaves look great though!