So let's get cooking

Had a guest last week from gal and her husband..she and I went to Stuart Hall together....ohhhh, about 60 years ago...bet you thought that we were all dead one senile by this time....nope...we're just the one collecting social security and Medicare....we're the know-it -alls....at least if it was worth knowing.....a lot of ...been there and done that's......

And for the next three months the government is going to see just how far you can go on socsec...where ever penny goes and why...record today's outting for the cat,,,pins and needles
Then latter took Daisy and Pepper for their weekly trip to,Mickey D's,   With shouts and twists through two rooms..out the door and into the rain they bounded into the truck for the front row seats..although they really prefer standing looking out the window ."..To make sure we are going the right way and to also,any dog or person that they pass they canv just go,home.  It'a horrid to do this on an. iPad as it mades so many mistakes that are almost I possible to correct.  so what did I do for food today...
Oppps..what I did not was to pull the meats from the freezer for Sunday...will do tomorrow.  That will be por, beef, and beef steaks....have to decide on the sauces. But today I did make 4 x2.25# of Mac and cheese with cauliflower......really rich..cheesy....into the freezer....Sunday made about a gallon of my corn chowder with tomatoes...lovely...that packed,up for the freezer.  Saturday will be prep formthembig egg grill on Sunday...check back for the menu

AT&T trying to hold on..a drowning ship

They sent a notice that I was due a refund...well..a credit...so what do you do,if someone cancells their service.....they DON'T a CREDIT.....they want their money back....they want the shipping label to,send thenbox of stuff back.......the youngest and brightest do NOT work for att ...guess it will be time ti start with better business bureau or help desk with local tv....

 

AT&T ! Recommend them,HELL NO

I can hardly contain my anger...have had buzz on the line for a week...the digital line...I also have a land line....have been on the phone to them for more than four FOUR HOURS this week...like a gnat or mosquito in your ear...five days ago I said..turn the digital line to a land line and disconnect the land line...the time given. Five days to be sure that the change over from digital and six days before the disconnect of the land line....the problem with the buzz was in the modem..but they would not fix the modem that also carries the tv and Internet as theybsaidnI was changing that lint from digital to analog....so buzzzzzzzzzzzzz in the ear.... Can't really talk as the noise drives me nuts..the att person then wants my s.s. number as says I am new for service.....and will be five days before I can expect service changeover...Sat on the phone for another ONE HOUR TEN MINUTES....he says didn't have to do it that way..can be just rolled back from digital to analog....today is Sunday...and NO SERVICE oN the digital line and they are supposed to shut down the other line tomorrow...and the fellow says from what he can find I won't have service one that line til July 3.....so....on top of no one doing a decent job...some asshole sales person had the line disconnected so that they could make a sale and get a commission....AT&T has no customer service..they just service themselves, and the customers can go to hell as far as thy are concerned...so it is really more than a total of FOUR HOUR ON THE PHONE.....THE WRONG PHONE DISCONNECTED AND NO PHONE SERVICE COMING UP.....Would I recommend AT&T.....not only NO, but HELL NO...

Where have I been? Steelhead trout

You would think that someone who made their living with a camera would remember to take photos of food. Enforce they ate it!!! Well not so..So...what was for supper...yup, steelhead trout....it has become available more often now. So..easy...not new...mix mayonnaise and some yellow mustard together and slather on the fish fillet and broil..yup...till it's done..flakes..if sauce looks nice and sort of browned and fish isn't done..two choices, turn the broiler off and let it sit in the oven til done or you could turn the oven to bake...but really, the oven will be hot enough to finish..and did bok choy..a little water, could use stock, little soy, baby bok choi, sesame seeds and a couple drops of sesame oil. if you like, you can do the same thing to a piece of salmon..if skinless..it mayo mix in both sides. Grill..yes,can use low fat mayo..or at least I used to until they took the brand I liked off the market..have. Even barbecuing pork butts on the egg..but must tell you....really great on the gas grill with a packet of soaked chips to make the smoke...also....will put the recipe for the rub up later...we found the best way for pulled pork was..rub it...smoke it uncovered for two hours, cover and finish in the oven at 225 for three hours. The butts that we did on the grill fun covered the whole time we great for slicing but not for pulled. How many butts you ask...8...or maybe 10.....then wrapped and into the freezer for the party we we going to have last month but will have in the fall....been cooking off a number of dumplings..Chinese that is....really Korean since that is what I seem to be able to find...usually the vegetarian..or some say with bean curd..the last several have been rather nice..saves lots and lots of time if making them by yourself. Not much new...couple weeks of vertigo..trying to get grass to grow and have taken in a spoiled. Small girls he mom gave her up as only one pup could go to assisted living. so......trying to keep peace between the cat and our new member..if the cat would just slap her silly instead. Of running...life would be more less complicated at the moment... So fix the fish...also leftovers will make a nice salad or salad for sandwiches..add a little onion..celery..whatever..easy..yrs, steelhead is e same color as salmon but not as pricy Yes...I do know what to make a comment about..some magazine had a photo of a female holding up a fish poacher along with the comment about utensils that would be a waste of money...indeed, I do have one...and why is it downstairs at the moment? Because I uses to poach whole salmon..and when was the last time you have seen a window full of whole salmon?...used to have specials fairly frequently...Now that I have all the oriental markets Ican used said poacher for whole poached Chinese fish....Have to put that on the list to do again...used to smoke whole salmon lots of times...then chill, made a dill sauce...great for parties...serve with toasts or could use crackers...

Color Me Gone...Maybe

If you haven't guess....I live to travel to see and eat..the learn about the foods and lives of different people. It has been al ost a year since going back to china for a month...came back and was sick...then turn out to have two types of lung cancer...one. Ery rare and in truth, that one had been giving me trouble for about four year..who know...made the dr check me for malaria...she did but willing so....fortunately my new dr, asked for a couple tests....and was everyone surprised...two major ones, thankfully caught early, one common, and then the very rare one causing thencarsinoid syndrome...so, missing most of the left lung has made it a little slew getting back to work. I was only able to get back on the torch to work with glass...my hands had shaken so bad earlier that I could not even carry a glass of water across,the kitchen...actually it was funny to see..the water would start to rock,back,and forth...then faster..and faster...until it was slopping out both sides..I did a lot of reading and living the life of th slug.... sooooonow.....I have signed up foe two classes at the old folks home...digital,camera....after using film for,25 years and a large format camera...why oh why do I want a camera that can talk,to,me...that takes movies....that has more choices than fingers,,,and that I have to spend hours looking at a monitor....qi have tried the duo load on the computer several times...what ho...a glitch...then don't know what's where and always end up with not enough on some and too many of others......" The second class at the old people's center...geneology....I should have my head examined...you think people lie now!?!lkyou should get a old of then....and in my family...lots of duet has been swept under the rug...and no one talked about it til later...I didn't know there were cousins til I was in my 50's. And still later thought those who had been dead for years hadn't been dead til recently...... So wat does this have to do with the price of beans...I aam trying to pare down things a littl in the freezer..as in testing..I pulled a piece of green tomato pie out..of the freezer..looked goog, the nibble tastes good....mlkladt light I had chicken lasagna...was okay...tomorrow will be Oslo bucco with mashed potatoes ans chives....got to get this freezer down...a new ice maker coming in on order next week to. Change out...got wild hair tha it would just liffey up the arm and leave it up so it would not to have to make more ice summer will come and the hunger generation will be T the beach to show the younger ones how to work some of this stuff...like why does it ,mess up, when my fingers don't even touch the thing Oh, besides back in the metals,smithing , the learn how to use a digital camera on things other than auto...and geneology. Have planes to head back to Vietnam and Cambodia....should be great,,,,and found another tour company with office in calif...explore!!! Sme just awesome trips to places that I want to go to Kp ickes up a package o tofu pouches at H.Mart..going to test them out..Marie went to a get together for work and a Someone brought them,,,,goggled up...refrigerated section A Week

Photos....

 
Yes, working again on trying to figure out layouts...but adding the photos of the hot Shrimp and Pasta and the Bstilla...well found out how to make them smaller...but not side by side..next the shrimp...

Okay!  side by side!  I can cook...I can shoot when I take the time and remember....but I would just rather cook...tonight is going to be marinating two cornish hens..made my mother's Shrimp Creole last night but just prep the dish..the peas are added and the shrimp but not cooked...that will happen at service time.  Also it can be thawed as is after being frozen and then gently heated...love good food...hate to cook at night..and only cooking for one in a pain.  Probably will send what I don't eat at one meal across the street.  I did have mac, cheese and cauliflower for dinner last night.

Mac, Cheese, Cauliflower:  Yes, make a white sauce..add the cheese...pour over the pasta..I like the 'screwy ones with the hole in the center', and the cauliflower which I have had in the pot of boiling water for about three minutes...don't want it 'cooked and really tender'....I did put it in the oven frozen, lid on for about 40 minutes and then lid off for about 20...I usually make enough for one pound of pasta...toss it all up and put in aluminum container, freeze...this is great to make ahead...I use cheese that is in the fridge...usually a couple of different types...if you have some for the top or crumbs...great...you don't need a recipe to cook everything.....

Also, same photos here but better layout than whoshotthechef.blogspot.com

Bstilla, Feta and Haricot Vert Salad

How about them words....really Feta and Green Bean Salad...no recipe....made a dijon mustard vinaigrette ( o.o. and canola and apple and rice vinegar)...use the taste test, verts, feta and red onion.  More details on Who Shot the Chef blog.

The Bstilla that I made a couple weeks ago...remember the small one I made from the 'leftovers'?  That one went into the freezer, out two days ago to thaw and into the oven this afternoon.  Then out to rest, decorate, and prep for Marie and her friend to take to the 'gathering' tonight.  What a wonderful thing it is to be able to pull something out of the freezer to looks like it took hours...well the first cooking the chicken was the only thing that took 'hours'.  Putting the pie together do not..and baking it off...about 45 minutes....

Both dishes off with a beautiful handmade pottery bowl for the beans...leave the bowl...and a plate for the pie...leave the plate..this time did not send serving utensils...that way easy to leave...bring my knife and the ring that was used to protect the pie in transport...what will I make tomorrow?

Big Green Egg customer service

There in it is sadly lacking...never a call back at the end of yesterday...nor was there any return call today....after several calls....will have to pass on a couple of quotes from their manager of the retail store in Tucker, Georgia....was really on the edge of having them just pick the thing up...lot less trouble and a lot more fun to book another trip to Europe or Asia!  and for the same price!  "We pride ourselves on customer service but can't always please everyone"...How about returning calls in a timely fashion...if there is a glitch....let the customer know when it happens..don't leave them in the dark...when asked what he could do to make it right...listen to this...I said write a little...said he could if he could have my email address...when I said I would like it US mail..he said " I can't, we are running a business here"....gotten a love a guy who thinks he is more important than the customer...and told the guy who is going to bring the parts they didn't send the first time...he, yes, manager Terry McMillian, said well he would trade me the old style handle for the new one which was one the show room sample!  Duh!  I bought what was shown! ..."and maybe that would make me happy".....Like a car with last year's driver's seat....probably have more business sense...been self employed for 40 years...graduated from CIA in NY at 52..still have cooked a 125 pound pig in the back yard over coals....and traveled a lot more....glad he never worked for me...wouldn't any longer with that type of attitude.....nothing like a smartass young person who things he is brighter than anyone older..

Big Green Egg short parts

Well, I took the dive last Friday and bought a Big Green Egg...the big egg..the extra large egg....and the cart to put it in...and no, didn't put in the back of my truck.  Yesterday the gentleman who contracts with them brought the egg and cart in a number of boxes...and guess what?  Yup..short parts...short the ceramic top...didn't get the rounder handle to open the egg that was on the showroom model...and no plate holder....still sitting around at 5 this afternoon...haven't heard from a sole...or is a for a shoe?  Can't cook tonight...will I be able to cook tomorrow?  or for the weekend?  not sure what is going on..will call...don't you love a phone recording that is three months out of date?  They want you to sign up for the cooking academy class in January...for tailgate parties for the football games...guess no one likes to answer the phone at the end of the day either...probably figure that I can wait...so will post while I am waiting for this 'great customer service'....

bstilla, Mocorro pigeon pie,

Back up and running.  This heavenly pie was baked off yesterday and taken to a friend's house for a dinner party.  In this case, my pie was made with chicken and not pigeon...alas...I also prepared it ahead...froze it, thawed it, baked it.  My pie is like the one I had in Algeria 40 years ago and finally found a recipe in Claudia Roden's book A Book of Middle Eastern Food several years later.  Rememer...no internet then and the cook books were the ones that the book seller thought he could sell...not many people going to North Africa back then.

This savory pie is layers of phyllo, almonds, eggs, phyllo, savory chicken and eggs and phyllo....baked and then garnished with cinnamon and sugar...If you can find a copy of the out of print book it would be wonderful for your library...if not you will be able to find some recipe on the web.  I can't vouch that it would be like the one I had in Algeria....but perhaps close to Ms. Roden's.

One very wonderful aspect of this recipe is that I have made it in smaller 'packages' and frozen all sizes to be thawed later and then baked off.  This has always been that special recipe that will be able to be made in all sizes.  I have made then first off in cast iron skillets for the form and then later in a ring that was sold for a deep dish pizza...worked great for this.  I have always used a form...the pie is built with the first layer being the buttered roasted nuts...I have made it with spray butter flavor in the can, melted butter in a spray bottle and then melted butter with a brush....I prefer the phyllo in the larger sheets...most grocers now are carrying the package with two smaller individually wrapped portions...they are about half sheets...but just allow enough time and work quickly when using the phyllo..

In any case, make it, serve it, and enjoy your pie being the center of attention.

Parsnips and Pastilla

Parsnips...check out whoshotthechef . Roasted, olive oil, salt and pepper. And the pastilla or also known as the bstilla which is the pigeon pie that I ate in Algeria and later cooked at home. Find out about this wonder pie in my other blog!

Who shot the Chef

There has been a time since the last ...for one thing, found two types of lung cancer but successfully removed both...been a long, slow time for recovery. Not long ago also my blogs were block and I started all over...so I am going to jump back and forth...I will try to keep you all caught up...the other blog is www.whoshotthechef.blogspot.com ..now why that didn't make it so you can double click, I don't know. However, just posted there is a great Hot Shrimp Pasta Salad made from things in the fridge...

So, back to work on the blogs...never said much about the month in China last summer...sick after, basement flooded, found cancer, tested from one end to the other, operated on, and finally getting back to semi-normal. After waking up I had terrible tremors..I couldn't pour from one thing to another, couldn't work on the torch with the glass...so I read a lot, a lot, and then a lot more.

So, now I am going to try to catch up on all the food, pictures and what have you...and I will do a much better job keeping up this year with the photos...trying not to eat before I shoot.