That’s funny, @abasket, I don’t think of myself as a salad maker. But last night we had so many vegetables I thought something different from dh’s usual was in order. (His usual is lettuce, carrots, cukes, cherry tomatoes, radishes if we have them.) His current usual salad dressing is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and zahtar.
@megpmom what does an avocado cost in London nowadays? (I shudder to think)
Holy Moly emilybee ! That is some expensive lobstah ! I think it’s 1/3 the price per lb here , cheaper for culls ,
Having a small group of fellow foodies over for dinner, H spent the last two days making a French Cassoulet.
This is the recipe–will report on the results.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/10/traditional-french-cassoulet-recipe.html
That looks delicious. We are cassoulet fanatics. I have tried to make it twice, both times with duck. The first time it was entirely too dry, even though i used duck and kept adding additional water, the second time was better—I think it was because I used duck confit and plenty of duck fat. Do report on the results.
I do use the following recipe for a kind of “faux” cassoulet (made with pork)that my H loves:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pork-cassoulet-240817
By far the best cassoulet I’ve ever had in my life was at Chez Panisse. She uses lamb in addition to the duck confit and pork sausage. Many years ago, I made the recipe from the Chez Panisse menu cookbook, and it was insane how difficult it was. The recipe was a hoot – it included strict adminishments that the most important part of the recipe was the duck stock but then the only instruction for making the stock was to use the leftover duck feet from the ducks used to make the confit and make a stock out of them. No instructions on how to make said critically important stock – let alone what to do if your ducks didn’t come with the feet still attached. We were making it for a crowd and required twenty-four cups of duck fat, which we had fed ex’d from D’Artagnan because at that time it wasn’t available locally. It was sublimely good, but didn’t match the restaurant’s.
I didn’t make this tonight because I am holding it off until my oldest daughter comes home on Sunday. I am making braised boneless leg of lamb.
I am all about using my le crueset this winter , and braising is such an amazing way to prepare red meat IMO.
If I was a wealthy woman, I would have a kitchen well stocked with their cookware
When we were in grad school we used to make a dish called “shortcut cassoulet”. It might have used the crock pot. It was delicious, but I’m pretty sure it was nothing like the real thing - not a duck went near it! And certainly not in the form of confit!
I made a turkey breast stuffed with mozarella and spinach by the local market. Roasted beans/tomatoes and garlic for ds, roasted cauliflower for us. Just a normal salad today.
Oh and I rolled out some ginger cookie dough I made last week and cooked a tray of them.
LJE, I too am a fan of Le Creueset cookware. Last April, when my sister was visiting, she went o use an original orange (flame) pan. I pointed out that it was in bad shape. So, we mailed this 60 year old pan back to the company, and received a new pan.
I have given a piece of this cookware for wedding and holiday gifts for years.
love, love my Le Creueset – old as the hills…early marriage stuff , well used, well loved. Tonight’s dinner was take-out pizza. One kid out of college leaving after a short stay and one kid in college arriving for winter break after two early schedule exams and some papers to ‘send’ in by tomorrow at midnight from home.
Tonight had my S and future DIL over to celebrate her b-day which was earlier this week. I made this delicious Butter Lemon Chicken - the sauce is SO good I could drink it! Baked potatoes, tabbouli and sauteed kale dish as sides!
The chicken recipe:
http://damndelicious.net/2014/12/31/lemon-butter-chicken/
I use boneless breasts without skin. 
@musicamusica Avocado prices aren’t too bad. I get them from our greengrocer for about £1 each. I think they are from Israel. I love, love, love the fruits and veg in Britain. They are so much fresher and tastier than I could get in Dallas. Tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes! I am only confused by the number of varieties of potatoes and apples. On the other hand, I would kill for a big Idaho baking potato.
Take out sushi tonight.
I’ll slave over the stove to boil edamame for 3 min. I like to shake Cajun seasoning on them.
that’s funny megpmom, although the produce has improved greatly in the last 20 years in Sweden , there was only one variety of potatoes ( and I was in two different cities getting them )
Very odd to me since it is such a staple in their diet
Just the potatoes in my local shop: Maris Piper, King Edward, British White, Yukon Gold (ok, I’m familiar with that one), Charlotte, Rooster, Duchy, Apache, Desiree/Mozart, Roseval and plain old white Jacket Potatoes. And I’m supposed to figure out which ones are good for baking, which for mashing, which for roasting, etc. I’ve bought some Maris Piper for Christmas because I heard they were good for mashing. We’ll see.
Only one pound! wow!! That’s cheap. I tried to make guacamole in Paris last month( 3 EU each!) and thought a second mortgage might be in order.
BTW–I think Yukon Golds make great mash potatoes.
Every Friday is sushi night for us. Tonight as a pre holiday gift to us we are going splurge on live uni, sweet shrimp and toro!!
I am making chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. The carcass from last night’s roast chicken is simmering away, with some carrots, ginger, and onion in there too. I’ll strain the broth (which will be rich with the gelatin from the bones), then add the rest of the meat from the carcass, some grated carrots, and rice noodles for a few minutes at the end.
“Holy Moly emilybee ! That is some expensive lobstah ! I think it’s 1/3 the price per lb here , cheaper for culls”
I assume the lobster was just the tails.
We had it again Tuesday night and H was out of town yesterday so I had it again last night, and there is still some left (he made enough to fill a 9 x 13" pan.
Nothing important cooked here for a few days as I am gathering the strength for many meals --all to be gourmet ;;), of course, as S and family arrive tomorrow.
I will open with Ina Garten’s slow 7 hour pork butt and au gratin potatoes so that there will be some leftovers for lunches.
Other nights include: marinated flank steak, Garlic Shrimp, Penne Vodka with meatballs.
Many sides: gratin cherry tomatoes, snowflake cauliflower, salads.
And do not forget the appetizers: gently sautéed Brie with scallions, spring rolls, cheese spreads.
Lunches: left overs, egg salad, tuna salad.
Gads, I am probably exaggerating! But they are young, do not take the time to cook, and her family does not either. I am flattered but this year I plan on using paper plates for at least the lunches and snacks!
At least they are biodegradable. The paper products…well the people too, I guess!
I still need to learn to work with lobster!
H brought home Costco mac and cheese–1st time. I fried some pancetta, added Swiss and gruyere, smoked paprika and thinned it. I still did not care for it—realized later it needed mustard. But anything to not
cook last night.
Family comfort food–put your tossed salad with a vinaigrette on top of the mac and cheese. In a pinch drizzle a balsamic on the pasta.