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- Thread starter Gutwrench
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And I love (Italian) winter peasant pasta dishes (pasta with fagioli, anyone?) - the sort you never, ever, (unfortunately) get to see on a restaurant menu, but (as has happened to me) you are sometimes blessed to receive an invitation to a dinner where an Italian cooks such a dish - deceptively simple, but invariably delicious - one they are almost embarrassed to serve and you are utterly bowled over (and are also, almost licking the plate/bowl....)
Pasta e Fagioli!! One of my favorites. Healthy, nutritious, cheap, easy to prepare!
I just combined a few spare ingredients I had in the fridge, lentils, russet potatoes, carrots, onions (which I caramelized) and made an incredible lentil soup. I used chicken stock in place of just water. Sublime.
Sounds delicious.
One country (and cuisine) that really "gets" lentils soup, is Turkey.
Even in Istanbul airport, you can find (and devour) delicious lentil soup. Not to mention the stunning lentil soup that you will invariably find in those lovely backstreet cafés and restaurants in downtown Istanbul.
Just recently in The Washington Post there was a really intriguing and delicious sounding recipe for a Persian Tomato and Lentil Soup. It was based upon a recipe used in an Iranian restaurant in Chicago. I'm no cook but I enjoy looking at recipes when I run across them and this one really did sound very, very good and not all that difficult to make.....I know I'll never get around to preparing it but I'll bet a lot of the newspaper's readers will. If I recall correctly it involved tomato paste, onion, lentils, rice and various spices and herbs along with with the liquid base being either vegetable broth or chicken broth.
Moving along to Italy: I adore Pasta e Fagoli, definitely a favorite here! I should have been born and raised in Italy, as my taste buds definitely lean in that direction time after time.
Moving along to Italy: I adore Pasta e Fagoli, definitely a favorite here! I should have been born and raised in Italy, as my taste buds definitely lean in that direction time after time.
Indeed, yes, the very recipe, when it was originally printed in the paper! Today's article was reprising some favorites from earlier printings and online presentations; I don't recall seeing the offering in the paper of that same recipe back in February but the one today caught my eye and tempted my taste buds. It really sounds delicious! One thing which was noted in the comments in response to the more recently-offered recipe is that apparently the restaurant (Reza's, which, yes, is an Iranian restaurant still flourishing in the Chicago area) uses barley rather than rice in their recipe.
In my post earlier I didn't include the link to the current recipe, as I know that there is a paywall and that those who are not subscribers to The Washington Post will only get frustrated when they can't access the actual recipe after all.
Eh, now I'm really getting a hankering for some lovely Mediterranean food; I know that recently a new restaurant has opened not far from me and maybe it's time to check that out.....
In my post earlier I didn't include the link to the current recipe, as I know that there is a paywall and that those who are not subscribers to The Washington Post will only get frustrated when they can't access the actual recipe after all.
Eh, now I'm really getting a hankering for some lovely Mediterranean food; I know that recently a new restaurant has opened not far from me and maybe it's time to check that out.....
One of the beauty of Italian cuisine is how simple ingredients are used to make good, simple food. The so called “cibo dei poveri” (Food of the poor). Several varieties of risotto, cotoletta, polenta, minestrone, farinata with garbanzo beans, castagnazzo and heck even pizza. Just a few cheap ingredients but prepared with love.
And if you want something relatively cheap but that will provide about the calories burned daily by the sun itself? Check this out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassoeula which is a typical winter food from my native region (Lombardia).
Uh....after reading the description of Cassoeula I'll just pass on that, thank you!
Risotto, minestrone, spaghetti, linguine, lasagne, ravioli,etc., -- bring 'em on!
Risotto, minestrone, spaghetti, linguine, lasagne, ravioli,etc., -- bring 'em on!
It’s an acquired taste. I can assure you that after 10 hours of work in northern Italian field during cold winter you’d crave for those calories! However now that most people are middle class, the recipe itself is less popular.
Yea!!!Risotto, minestrone, spaghetti, linguine, lasagne, ravioli,etc., -- bring 'em on!
Gender reveal parties.
I don’t get them. I truly don’t. And do these young future parents really think that other people give a damn about the kid’s gender?
Dunno. I just wonder what’s the purpose of broadcasting so many private elements of life to the world.
I don’t get them. I truly don’t. And do these young future parents really think that other people give a damn about the kid’s gender?
Dunno. I just wonder what’s the purpose of broadcasting so many private elements of life to the world.
I don’t think gender reveal parties had quite existed in 2016 when I had my last child but ‘baby showers’ had. My wife hates them and thinks it’s just a self indulgent event to get a load of gifts before the birth, only to get more when the baby is born. We didn’t jump on that train and avoided other peoples lol. Our gender reveal was telling our family and friends what we’d had!
Just received a message and now Poland is on my mind. Another moment in which I want to cry, but I still hope for the best. I have to.
Don’t worry. It’s not like attacking Poland has ever led to any fighting before. Oh wait……..
Yes on my mind to. Let’s hope this doesn’t escalate.
I am happy you enjoy your soups and all. But I'm having a break with that stuff.
Doing a fasting, see how long? I have done some lengthy ones earlier, so who knows.
Mostly water, some kombucha, tea and of course, some clean wonderful espresso to charge up at times.
We realize how much time we put into food and everything around it, when we fast. The rest gets deeper too, not bad.
It was a few years since last one. I love how it also frees up a lot of time, that I gratefully can use for other things right now. Time management and focus can always be better, I think, though I am quite good at it.
Just was out on balcony, and ventilated some stuff. Saw my neighbor had bought, or just moved into a visible position for me, a very large TV. Wow, I am so glad I don’t have any of those mind-killers.
My Studio Display are large enough to watch some series, movies and sport at times.
The whole Russian / Ukraine war is horrible to say the least. But I try to stay out of most horrible world news, just reading a small text service our National TV has. I don’t want a bigger portion of the horrible and dark. I recall I once read a website with good news, more enlightening. I don’t have time for that either unfortunately. I get a good portion of good news in the communities I engage in, this included.
Anyway, I figured if darker news doesn’t affect me personally, and if can't do anything about it, I don’t need to read about all tragedy’s in the world. I get enough, hear enough, about it absolutely anyway.
My priorities, my focus, is where I can have some impact.
Doing a fasting, see how long? I have done some lengthy ones earlier, so who knows.
Mostly water, some kombucha, tea and of course, some clean wonderful espresso to charge up at times.
We realize how much time we put into food and everything around it, when we fast. The rest gets deeper too, not bad.
It was a few years since last one. I love how it also frees up a lot of time, that I gratefully can use for other things right now. Time management and focus can always be better, I think, though I am quite good at it.
Just was out on balcony, and ventilated some stuff. Saw my neighbor had bought, or just moved into a visible position for me, a very large TV. Wow, I am so glad I don’t have any of those mind-killers.
My Studio Display are large enough to watch some series, movies and sport at times.
The whole Russian / Ukraine war is horrible to say the least. But I try to stay out of most horrible world news, just reading a small text service our National TV has. I don’t want a bigger portion of the horrible and dark. I recall I once read a website with good news, more enlightening. I don’t have time for that either unfortunately. I get a good portion of good news in the communities I engage in, this included.
Anyway, I figured if darker news doesn’t affect me personally, and if can't do anything about it, I don’t need to read about all tragedy’s in the world. I get enough, hear enough, about it absolutely anyway.
My priorities, my focus, is where I can have some impact.
Honestly I have heard conflicting stories about what happened - jumping to conclusions with the lack of info won't help anyone.
Let’s hope this situation ends soon. War is terrible at the best of times. But to be at war in winter in those areas is not good.
Distracting myself with an evening of work anyway.
I have just received a pop-up add for 15 bottles of Jumbo Red wines for AU$8.50 a bottle.
Just what an almost total teetotaller needs - 15 bottles of undrinkable wine...
I know that because of trade disputes we can't unload our crappy wine on China, but what makes these guys think they can unload it on me???
Just what an almost total teetotaller needs - 15 bottles of undrinkable wine...
I know that because of trade disputes we can't unload our crappy wine on China, but what makes these guys think they can unload it on me???
I'm in total agreement with both of you on this, @yaxomoxay and @Apple fanboy.
I must say that I do not understand this concept at all, and the attraction of this practice leaves me completely baffled.
Who cares?
And why broadcast such an intimate aspect of your own private life?
My sympathies lie entirely with your wife, and she is perfectly right; they are a self-indulgent, attention seeking, occasion to justify getting (obtaining, demanding) gifts. Ugh. I can't stand them, either.
Sigh.
Yes, this crossed my mind, too.
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Again found myself with some random ingredients, so I made an incredible beef stew.
Bacon: cut in small pieces, put it in pot, let it fry a bit. Remove when crispy. Pancetta is probably better.
Remove bacon, add beef (small pieces, cut) using bacon grease. Let it stay there for five or six minutes until ready depending on meat size.
Remove beef, add a tablespoon of oil, add sliced/diced onion in pan to caramelize using the bacon grease and the beef juices. Let it brown and caramelize on low heat about 30 mins. Stir a few times.
Add sliced carrots. Add diced potatoes.
Add previously cooked beef.
Add previously cooked crispy bacon.
Add hot beef stock/chicken stock if available. (Otherwise try with hot water)
Add barley.
Let it cook at medium-low for 45ish minutes. Just check that the barley is ready once in a while, stirring.
Result: life is great.
Bacon: cut in small pieces, put it in pot, let it fry a bit. Remove when crispy. Pancetta is probably better.
Remove bacon, add beef (small pieces, cut) using bacon grease. Let it stay there for five or six minutes until ready depending on meat size.
Remove beef, add a tablespoon of oil, add sliced/diced onion in pan to caramelize using the bacon grease and the beef juices. Let it brown and caramelize on low heat about 30 mins. Stir a few times.
Add sliced carrots. Add diced potatoes.
Add previously cooked beef.
Add previously cooked crispy bacon.
Add hot beef stock/chicken stock if available. (Otherwise try with hot water)
Add barley.
Let it cook at medium-low for 45ish minutes. Just check that the barley is ready once in a while, stirring.
Result: life is great.
I had a hot dog.
Well, I love hot dogs. With caramelized onions and mustard. Possibly with bacon pieces.