What's for dinner Thursday Dec. 6th?

[LiberalLoner]

Mine won't be all that special, just some kielbasa and frozen pierogies cooked in some butter and some veggies. Oh but I made that rye bread yesterday and it was really good so we will have some of that too. I was thinking of making some banana cream pudding for dessert, with the nilla wafers and bananas. Sometimes I get a craving for that, comfort food.

Do you guys ever have cravings for certain foods, especially around the holidays? You know, like foods you used to have when you were a kid? Nostalgic foods maybe I guess.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. Papa Murphy's pizza

I've got the freezer repairman coming in this afternoon, so I'm taking it easy dinner-wise.

*and yes, I go on serious comfort food cooking sprees around the holidays.

[LiberalLoner]

2. Pizza is really good sometimes! Do you ever get wings with your pizza? I swear I think

I like the buffalo wings better than the pizza! I don't like the new style breaded wings though, I like the old style ones that were fried and dripping with the terribly high calorie sauce of butter and hot sauce mixed.

P.S. I hope your freezer gets fixed quickly and the bill will be very low!

[GentryDixon]

3. I crave the elk steak gravy & biscuit

breakfasts my Mom used to fix. She is gone, and I don't eat much meat these days, but what a comfort food.

[LiberalLoner]

6. I'm sorry for your loss. (((HUGS)))

My Mom served me elk steak once too. It was truly a meal of love. It was the last meal she ever cooked for me and I will always cherish that memory.

It's good to have these memories to cherish, when the ones we love have passed, isn't it?

[GentryDixon]

13. Yes it is.

And thank you for your kind words. I am sorry for your loss.

I did not start my genealogy research until after both of my folks were gone. How sad I let that knowledge die with them. I have Moms brother & sister left, both in their 90's, but I have garnered loads of info from them. We take so much for granted, don't we?

[pinto]

4. So far - pork chop. Maybe broiled with peach salsa. Some jasmine rice. Green bean stir fry. ?

Just pulled one out of the freezer.

[LiberalLoner]

7. That sounds really good! :)

[pinto]

21. Ended up adding a bit of curry paste to the peach salsa, browning it as a glaze on top of the chop.

Had some mushrooms that had to get into a pan and some scallions, they went in to the green bean stir fry with peanut oil and spices.
Plain jasmine rice as a base for all. Odd combo, but came out great. Sweet and tangy. And, a big plus, simple.

[cbayer]

5. Leftover pork roast, yam and cabbage crepes and rice pudding with coconut milk.

Still loving that 2lazygourmets site!

[LiberalLoner]

8. Oh I will have to check that out! I'm noticing most of us are in a pork mood lately!

[cbayer]

9. I got a tenderloin for about $5 (!!) and then used a port wine/5 spice marinade

from the twolazygourmets cookbook. I swear, it was the tenderest pork I have ever had. Right up there with a perfect roast beef.

And the leftovers have been just as good.

[LiberalLoner]

10. Oh that sounds so good! I hardly ever make pork tenderloin because

I don't really know what to do with it except stuffing it with stuffing but I will have to go check that recipe out!

(I'm still kind of learning how to cook, I'm not great at it or anything.)

[cbayer]

12. Tenderloins can be a great value if you catch them on sale.

They are 100% edible, lean meat.

This recipe called for marinating for a long period of time, then browning and finishing off in the oven. The marinade was reduced on the stovetop and made a rich, delicious sauce. The pork was perfectly pink in the middle. One of the best recipes I have found.

You really don't have to do much to these things at all.

This is a great group to get you excited about cooking!

[LiberalLoner]

15. This is a great group!

And I'm dying to try that recipe, thank you!

[LiberalLoner]

11. Oh, may I recommend a cookbook author that I think is amazing?

I don't know if you guys have heard of her or her books, but Molly Stevens wrote a couple of books "All About Braising" and now "All About Roasting" that I think are great. Every recipe I've tried from both those books have turned out great!

There are some reviews of her books on Amazon. I always like to go read the reviews to see if it's a book I should think about getting or not.

[Le Taz Hot]

23. I braised a chuck roast

on Wednesday and man was it ever good and tender. One of the best ways to cook tough meats (along with slow-cook and pressure cook). I attended a culinary arts class at my local adult school several years back and it was taught by one of our local top chefs. We got lots of really good recipes and techniques include a braising liquid to die for.

[livetohike]

14. Deep dish taco pizza (using Yves ground) and an avocado-tomato-lettuce salad

I crave my Baba's homemade pyrohy (pierogies). I can make my own, but they never taste as good as I remember hers did . I also crave both of my Grandmothers' homemade kolaches (pastries) during the holidays. Nut rolls, poppyseed rolls, various other kolaches. I'm going to make some of this this holiday. If I had access to vast quantities of poppyseed, I would do a few rolls.

[LiberalLoner]

16. Oh I love Eastern European food!

I wonder if a restaurant supply store might have bulk poppy seeds at a discount?

[The empressof all]

27. That Canned Poppyseed Paste is actually ok

I've used it in a pinch. I brighten it up a bit with some lemon zest. It's quick and handy when you need a poppyseed fix. It's also good in muffins

[yellerpup]

17. Sushi at Niji!

Yep, we're going out!

[LiberalLoner]

18. Oooooh enjoy!!!!!!

[yellerpup]

19. That's a sure bet!

We're going to have some fun tonight!

[Lugnut]

20. Leftover meatballs and stuffed shells.

Pieroghi is one thing I crave around the holidays. Nut and poppyseed rolls that my mother used to make are the really big ones.

[LiberalLoner]

25. I love all those things too!

[Le Taz Hot]

22. Pizza!

Made some killer Maranara and grilled some pizza. Yummmm!!!!! Also made some more chicken stock which I use like crazy in the winter. Seems I use it up as fast as I make it.

[hobbit709]

24. I had chicken fried steak and potato salad. Washed down with lemon flavored fizz water.

[The empressof all]

26. Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage

Shredded cabbage cooked with ground beef, lots of garlic, some tomato sauce and served over brown rice.....

For some reason I found two heads of cabbage in the fridge today. The CSA brought one yesterday and I must have forgotten about the other one.... So I need to work on using it up....

[locks]

28. Holiday cookies

Don't do much cooking and baking any more at Christmas as I usually go to my daughter's. But MUST make Pecan Tarts, my family's favorite, handed down from my mother-in-law. You have to have a mini tart pan (or two) for my recipe which makes 48; takes a little time but well worth it. May make some English lemon bars and layered date bars too. And see if I can get everything in one ($20) checked bag!