Lemons

Oops - I forgot to take a pict until I was nearly finished so it is a little sloppy. Anyway, this is a recipe from the New York Times: Pasta With Fried Lemons and Chili Flakes.

I used Meyer lemons (75 cents each versus 50 cents for "regular") and they made all the difference. They are a cross between an orange and a lemon.

Quarter then slice the lemons. Boil in salted water for two minutes. Dry then fry in olive oil. Remove then add lemon zest, chili flakes and butter and cook until "fragrant".

Toss with cooked pasta (I used fresh and that was great too), lemons, zest, lemon juice, parsley (the recipe also calls for celery leaves but I didn't see the point in that) and (Romano) cheese. I had a taste before adding the cheese and thought that we would all go hungry but the cheese really transformed the dish. My only issue was that the oil for the lemons should have been really hot - think frying hot.

Meat Risotto

I was going to title this Dead Flesh Risotto but Meat Risotto sounds funnier.

Here is the story: on Saturday we had some friends over for (among other things) grilled lamb loin chop. The next night I threw four chicken thighs in the oven and one was left, the next night we grilled some flank steak. We normally don't have meat so often but it is what it is and there were leftovers.

With the cassoulet still in my head, I cut up all of the meat then made a beef broth risotto with some fresh parsley. I have to say, it was delicious.

Is That All There Is?

I started making this cassoulet at 11 am and it was finished at 8 pm. It really isn't as much work as that - you just have to be around your range and oven. Great for a cold winter day. The concept is to layer white beans and carrots with several meats (in this case duck, ham and pork sausage) then top with bread crumbs.

I was underwhelmed but - fortunately - four others disagreed (Cindy said that it was one of the best meals that she has had in a while - and she is the CEO of a company with plants all over the world).

Oops

I am a reasonably good cook, however, I made a big mistake last night and I am telling it to you, dear reader, so that you don't make the same horrible, life-shattering offense.

Soba noodles have salt in them. Do not salt the water so that it tastes like the ocean. The noodles will be inedible.

I roasted mushrooms, kale and shrimp (cover the shrimp in a separate dish with plenty of olive oil) then tossed everything in a delicious soy, honey, mustard, siracha sauce. All good but for the noodles. (: