:)

I use a dash in crabcakes, stew, soup, braises...and it's great in Chex mix, naturally.

I love cold meatloaf sandwiches on squishy bread w/ mayo even more than hot and fresh from the oven.

Now YOU're killin' me. Nice!

Mouth watering...wow.

Cheesecake sounds really good. Might be time to break out some ice cream.

helen_m, you'll have to fill me in on the produce box options. I'm curious to hear about how it's going (well, so far, it sounds!).

Do you recommend the Beefeater Summer? I saw a bottle on sale and almost jumped...

So many delicious dinners...more than I can comment on all at once! Need to catch up.

Tonight's dinner was borne of necessity to use up some nice andouille sausage and fresh okra we had handy. Jambalaya seemed like a good solution, and it worked out nicely.

I browned a link of diced andouille a big enameled cast iron in bacon grease, removed it to a bowl, then browned skinless bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with Badia Adobo seasoning (Latin seasoned salt), half-sharp paprika, thyme, granulated garlic, toasted onion powder, and s&p. Pulled the chicken out, sauteed 2 c. of jasmine rice in the drippings with a couple bay leaves and about 1 1/2 c. of chopped onion, some garlic greens, and three chopped scallions. Added the rest of the trinity (celery and green bell pepper), some butter, a Tbsp. tomato paste, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce, and more of the seasonings and some red pepper flake. Then in went a mostly drained can of diced tomatoes, 3 c. chicken broth, a good handful of sliced okra, and the meats. Simmered until the rice was almost tender, then set a lb. of shrimp on top to gently steam. Let it finish cooking through with just residual heat and stirred it all together to meld the flavors.

Served up with hot sauce and lemon wedges, it really hit the spot. My first time making jambalaya from scratch, and a success.

Sounds great. Did you use a recipe posted anywhere online?

I, too, love fruit in salads. Plums and strawberries are a favorite.

It is very good. Be warned, it gets more fishy-pungent as it ages.

Nice! Good repurposing. I like thrifty.

Good eats! Welcome to What's For Dinner. I'm looking forward to more posts from my neighbors!

I was going to say! Men...

Thank you! Without going too off topic...I liked it, didn't love it. The happy hour is tough to beat, and I love the opportunity to try unfamiliar wine varietals or Balkan interpretations of styles I know. I'm familiar with the flavor profile of the food thanks to my time spent in Central/Eastern Europe, but given my druthers, I like more vibrant flavors. I'd go back if I were in the neighborhood, but probably wouldn't make a special trip.

What are some of your favorite DC spots? Maybe we can pick this convo up in a Washington, DC thread instead...

That sounds very, very good. Kind of a chicken and ratatouille.

Thanks! Sounds good :)

I think I'm going to make cole slaw to go with mine...

I got some fresh crab on sale that needs to be et, so we'll have crabcakes tonight, along with some farmer's market asparagus. I need to muster the will up to make some mayonnaise, but until then, I'm curling up with a Martha Stewart Living and trying to forget that tomorrow's Monday. At least it's a short week to look forward to.

Just the apple pie is likely to cost close to $10, between the fruit, shortening/butter, and sugar.

I'll be visiting an old high school friend over Memorial Day weekend and would like to bring him some goodies from the Maryland/mid-Atlantic area, where we both grew up. He lives in Charlotte, NC, and I thought it'd be nice to bring some local items he might miss down South.

The caveat is, whatever I bring has to be non-perishable, as I'll be visiting him at the tail end of a road trip through Virginia and other parts of North Carolina. I'll be on the road starting Thursday night but won't reach Charlotte until Monday. I can't count on access to refrigerators, so this is probably going to end up being pantry items only.

The only local, nostalgic food I can think of at the moment are UTZ chips, but I'm sure there are more!

That looks very good!

Wonderful, thanks! That's about how I pictured it, but it's helpful to hear the technique from you directly. Thank you again.

By the way, do you serve it hot, warm, room temperature? I'm guessing it's at least warm, since the cheese is melted.

wish him a happy belated from your foodie friends :)

Great meal, lucky friend! My mouth watered reading that salad description.

I am already a fan of the family recipes you've shared...could you give us this one as well :)?

That's so sweet!

Sounds good, stealing that beef idea.

You are killing me, man.

< For those who didn't check giorgionadi's link, carmine is cochineal, which is made by boiling dried insects in water.>

Yeah, I dunno. This doesn't faze me. I'm not a huge fan of eating insects, but frankly, I'd rather have something that's natural than a bunch of synthetic chemicals produced in a lab. Anyone who drinks Campari or other orange/red-colored bitters has been consuming this without issue for a while.

Oh no! But it sounds so delicious, can you blame the pooch for being unable to resist?