unc∞rdinated: kitchen

Appetizers: Locally sourced nacho chips (olive, black pepper, basil flavors) with guac, ranch, and warm queso dips. Honeydew melons and procuitto Mains: White corn tortilla Oven roasted chicken, shredded Bassa fish, butter fried Mango Jalapeño salsa Fresh guac Shredded cheese Salad ~~~ 20th December 2020. Ad hoc dinner party planned out of whatever was in the fridge+ a quick trip downstairs to the marche. Decided against making the tortillas myself.

Fall off the bone BBQ ribs.  Potato salad. Boston Lettuce salad with rosemary infused olive oil. Fresh handmade corn tortillas. ~~~ December 13th, 2020. I substituted pressure cooking for slow cooking the ribs in pho broth, and glazing with spicy BBQ sauce in the oven to finish. Alternate glaze: maple syrup, salt, rosemary infused olive oil. Good option for dinner parties because it can be made ahead of time. Make the tortillas just before the guests arrive, and glaze the ribs before serving. Instapot+oven glaze gives it something like a BBQ smoker bark. Tip: use tortillas as an edible handkerchief to deal with the sticky ribs.

Roast half-chicken.  Garlicky creamed spinach and corn. Salad with ranch dressing. ~~~ December 12th, 2020. I needed something I could fix quickly while Aditi and Lara are out, and I need to split time between laundry and the paper I'm writing. I have a half-chicken in the freezer, along with a block of chopped spinach, and can of corn kernels in the cupboar. Ergo, this. Chicken marinade from sour cream, paprika, garlic, pepper, oregano and salt. In the oven in the cast iron skillet for ~40 minutes at 400F. I also thickened the spinach with a touch of cornstarch slurry.

First Course: Pâté de bouef with toasted garlic naan sticks. Second Course: Consommé with salad with cucumber, feta, and citrus-infused olive oil. ~~~ December 9th 2020. I found a marrowbone on sale at the marché downstairs. I made a consommé out of it with a carrot, garlic, shallot mirepoix, and fortified the final dish with small cut mixed ved. The bones had quite a bit of meat on them so I made a rustic pâté, mixing in some mayo, and the strained mirepoix minus the carrots. Garlic naan strips toasted in the over were the carb. I didnt make a dessert, but this light but satisfying meal could be finished with a nice fresh berry sorbet.