What are you cooking today?

One pairs raw oysters with top shelf tequila.

Me neither, but it worked. The dill was hardly noticeable and did not detract at all. Go figure. FTR, it was actually Mr. Buddy’s idea and he’s a Tidewater boy, so who am I to question oyster prep? 😉 They were very good.

All sounds scrumptious. How was your Christmas fare?

For various meals I made

Fresh Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise
I used the traditional double boiler method. Too much stress but a real sense of pride to successfully make it.

Fresh Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise
I used the blender method. Sooooo much easier and it turns out a good sauce. I made it at home and then left it in the blender bowl and took the whole blender with us. Just before dinner I added a couple drops of hot water and spun it up again and it was ready to serve.

Potatoes Anna
I used a mandolin to turn 6 giant russets into paper thin slices. Then I layer them in a 3 qt unglazed clay cooker like potato phylo with a brush of butter and a sprinkle of kosher salt and white pepper between layers. I put some layers of thinly sliced onions and a drizzle of heavy cream in for fun.

Fried Potatoes
Minced some peppers and garlic and sauteed them. Then added leftover some of the leftover Potatoes Anna.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction and Dried Cranberries
Super easy and good. Thought I had over reduced the balsamic and turned it into balsamic caramel. It started to seize up and then the moisture from sprouts released into it and it loosened up.

Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Gratin
Decadent cauliflower? Maybe the most unhealthy use of vegetables ever. A head of cauliflower cut into florets mixed with Monterey Jack, Parmesan and 2 cups of heavy cream and then topped with goat cheese. Pretty darn good.

Apple, Cranberry and Walnut Pie
A proven winner.

Used the carcass from the Christmas bird to make stock this afternoon. Now using the leftover meat to make soup with the stock I made from the Thanksgiving bird.

tl;dr: I got a new stockpot for Christmas.

I use Garam Masala on everything these days. Awesome as a rub on chicken.

thicken with flour, like making a roux

I like the idea of cooking the whole bird and getting all its flavors like that. I often breast out my geese for convenience but I know I am missing some really good flavors.

Hollandaise? If so then no.


kuriti I will probably add some Dijon next time I make Hollandaise. Use extra extra large eggs or an extra egg making sure they are at room temp. I use an extra TBS of lemon juice because I like it lemony. Salt, pepper and a pinch or two of cayenne and Dijon or Coleman's English Mustard Powder. Not sure of qtys of the mustard but you are right, it would benefit.

Cold smoking!

This weather is perfect for it.

Cold smoking is smoking food at less than 75*, so you use very little heat and need cold outside temps. This is for smoking cheese so it doesn't melt (BTDT) and flavoring but not cooking sausage, salt, nuts, fish, jerky, etc. Anything that needs to be cooked can be finished in the oven where it's easier to manage the temps. But you can refrigerate cold smoked meats for a couple weeks before cooking, or freeze indefinitely in a deep freeze (NOT frost-free). Smoked cheese lasts forever in the refrigerator, first wrapped in wax paper then in a zip lock.

Although I have a plywood smoker I built, for convenience I also just use the gas grill. Really, any box will do--a large cardboard, and old refrigerator, any covered grill.

First I light about 4-6 pieces of charcoal--never Matchlight and never with lighter fluid. One trick is to light it from a burner on the gas grill (mine has a bottom burner with lava rocks; the new ones with the flame up high are pathetic). I also start my wood chunks on the gas flame. Once the coals are lit, turn off the flame, put all but 1-2 in the grill on a metal pan/box, put smoking wood on top. Put the food in; close the lid.

Take the other 2 lit charcoals and put them on something metal-hub cap, shovel, old pan. Put 4-5 unlit coals on them. By the time the coals in the grill are burned down, the new stack is lit and ready.

Smoke for 3-12 hours, even longer. It doesn't matter if the smoke goes out; just restart.

I use oak firewood, split in 1-2" wide sticks, then cut into 2" chunks with a table or power saw. The greener the better, so I always pull some out from a new delivery. if you don't burn firewood, just get a stick or two from a neighbor. The oak smells like bourbon--guess why?

Chips put up a lot of smoke but don't last.

Cheese: best to start with it at room temperature because if it's cold, it sweats, and sweat makes a sooty flavor. Cut blocks into smaller sizes for more flavor. Buy cheap rat cheese, but also hard cheeses like asiago, parm, manchego. Also gouda/edam. It only needs a couple hours.

Nuts: take several hours being hard. I smoked pecans for Christmas then roasted with butter, cayenne and salt.

Sausage: any case sausage, even hot dogs. Chorizo is awesome. You can make cheap meat great.

Oysters: Shuck them in the half-shell, eat the oysters, and go buy a can of smoked oysters. They aren't worth the trouble and never turn out right.

Meat and fish: I always rub them. Salt makes them "sweat" so dry them off before putting in the smoke (best way is to set in a breezy place). When I make BBQ I cold smoke for 6+ hours and don't worry about the temp getting up.

I'd rather have gravadlax, and no special equipment is required.

Pork and sauerkraut is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition for good luck in the new year. Usually we have a loin roast, but this year we're a little pressed for time, so it's 100% pork bratwurst.

Also on the menu are pierogi, which are not PA Dutch, but are certainly a traditional dish in Sue's 85% Polish home town. Also, it's our last chance to eat them before we resolve to cut everything white (except cauliflower!) out of our diet.