Cookin again

[Dannyalcatraz]

I’m a dairy FIEND, but I have rarely had tea with milk in it. Once in an Indian restaurant. And EVERY time I go to Inlay, the Burmese restaurant up the road from me, I have their take in it, which uses sweetened condensed milk.

In fact, hot or iced, I generally drink my tea with only with lemon or lime juice. No sweetener, no milk.

 

[Zardnaar]

I’m a dairy FIEND, but I have rarely had tea with milk in it. Once in an Indian restaurant. And EVERY time I go to Inlay, the Burmese restaurant up the road from me, I have their take in it, which uses sweetened condensed milk.

In fact, hot or iced, I generally drink my tea with only with lemon or lime juice. No sweetener, no milk.

Yeah I think that's the way. Milk might be an English. The tropical tea was bleah tasted like soap. I forgot there were 4/5 left in bottom of box should have been a clue.

I didn't really start enjoying tea until a Turkish friend made me some.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Milky tea is, AFAIK, something invented by the Brits. If it wasn’t them, it was probably the Indians.

I don’t think it’s BAD, per se, but I find most teas, served straight or with citrus, really do a great job of cleansing the palate. And on a hot day, the bottom of a glass of iced tea that had lemon or lime in it just seems ...colder and more refreshing.

Ah! Forgot one other instance of milky tea in my life. Last year, I was at a chain restaurant that served soup, sandwich and salad buffet that included free soft-serve ice cream with the purchase of any meal. We were lingering, and I decided to try using the soft serve in place of ice in a glass of black tea. Essentially, a float using plain black tea instead of root beer or other carbonated drink.

...surprisingly, it worked! It had almost a dark chocolate on ice cream type flavor. I’ve done it a few times since the first time.

 

[Zardnaar]

Citrus is refreshing anyway. Works in beer as well. Well lagers.

Milk in tea, upholding that fine dining reputation British food has.

 

[prabe]

@Dannyalcatraz I think the food-beverage interactions you're talking about are the sorts of things sommeliers (and Cicerones, if you prefer beer) learn and talk about. The most-memorable one I've run into was an American IPA and a pizza with seriously spicy sausage on it--those just kept reinforcing each other; I have a couple of books on putting beer/s together with food, but I like beer so much on its own (and only have like one at a time because reasons) that it isn't something I so as much as I would prefer to.

 

[Zardnaar]

Dinner tonight cooked in air fryer.

Crispy chicken and bacon burger with egg and salad
Cheeseburger and smokey manuka BBQ sauce.

Not bad not bad. Washing it down with an APA.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Late night snack. Looks like a lot, but the plate is just 5.75” diameter.

Toasted Asiago Parmesan bread
Basil infused olive oil
Cracked black pepper
Cresenza cheese spread
Radish sprouts
San Marzano tomatoes

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Tonight’s dinner was “Chef’s Whim” Salad.

Baby Spinach
Romaine
San Marzano tomatoes
Castelvetrano Olives
Artichoke hearts
Green onions
Diced carrots
Diced celery
Diced Cotswold cheese
Diced Comte cheese
Sliced roll of Black Forest ham, chicken breast & Genoa salami
EVOO
Tarragon vinegar
Ranch dressing

For Mom

Mine (not pictured) added pickled red olives and radish sprouts, ditched the Ranch, and substituted mesquite-infused EVOO for the plain stuff.

 

[prabe]

Been a while since I posted a recipe. Dinner tonight:

Black Bean Stew (tonight's beans were vaquero beans from Rancho Gordo)

Serves ... I dunno, 4-6?

What you'll need
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound Spanish chorizo, diced
1 large onion, minced
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, chopped fine
8 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed (divided)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
[at this point, I use water and 1 tsp of Penzeys Pork or Chicken Soup Base]
1 cup water
1 pound black (or similar) beans, sorted, soaked overnight, and drained
2 bay leaves
1 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, minced (I usually use the ones in the resealable bags) [optional]
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced [optional]

2 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt
Pepper
Tabasco sauce

Specific Equipment
a large-ish Dutch oven (at least 5-quart)
a potato masher

What you'll do
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
3. Cook the chorizo in the oil, stirring frequently, until well-browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl (leaving the oil and grease in the Dutch oven) and set aside in refrigerator.
4. Return the Dutch oven with the drippings to medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and ~3/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes.
5. Add half the minced garlic, the oregano, and the cumin; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Add the broth, water, beans, and bay leaves [and the sun-dried tomatoes and the chipotle]; bring to a simmer, skimming any foam from the surface.
7. Cover and transfer to the oven; cook until the beans are tender but not splitting, 1 ½ - 2 hours.
8. Transfer ~2 cups of the beans to a mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher; stir back into the stew. [Or, do what I do now, and just mash around in the soup until you like the texture.]
9. Add the remaining garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and the chorizo.
10. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco and serve. I like to top it with Mexican-style crema and grated cheese.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Been a while since I posted a recipe. Dinner tonight:

Black Bean Stew (tonight's beans were vaquero beans from Rancho Gordo)

Serves ... I dunno, 4-6?

What you'll need
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound Spanish chorizo, diced
1 large onion, minced
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, chopped fine
8 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed (divided)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
[at this point, I use water and 1 tsp of Penzeys Pork or Chicken Soup Base]
1 cup water
1 pound black (or similar) beans, sorted, soaked overnight, and drained
2 bay leaves
1 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, minced (I usually use the ones in the resealable bags) [optional]
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced [optional]

2 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt
Pepper
Tabasco sauce

Specific Equipment
a large-ish Dutch oven (at least 5-quart)
a potato masher

What you'll do
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
3. Cook the chorizo in the oil, stirring frequently, until well-browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl (leaving the oil and grease in the Dutch oven) and set aside in refrigerator.
4. Return the Dutch oven with the drippings to medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and ~3/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes.
5. Add half the minced garlic, the oregano, and the cumin; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Add the broth, water, beans, and bay leaves [and the sun-dried tomatoes and the chipotle]; bring to a simmer, skimming any foam from the surface.
7. Cover and transfer to the oven; cook until the beans are tender but not splitting, 1 ½ - 2 hours.
8. Transfer ~2 cups of the beans to a mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher; stir back into the stew. [Or, do what I do now, and just mash around in the soup until you like the texture.]
9. Add the remaining garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and the chorizo.
10. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco and serve. I like to top it with Mexican-style crema and grated cheese.

That’s a good looking variant on the classic bean recipes I’ve seen over the years, no doubt. Sounds delish! Is yours more creamy or soupy?

FWIW, I was taught from the very first pot of creole red beans I ever cooked that you just mash a bunch of them against the side of the pot.