What's For Dinner Tonight: Episode 2021 – A New Hope

Wait, there’re mint M & M’s???

I got back from Tuscany last week. A whole lot of really awesome stuff was what was for dinner most nights there (except for the days when lunch was the big meal and we were too full to have a real dinner).

We had the bistecca Fiorentina. And yes it was awesome (one of these is for two people):

Google Photos

Tonight back at home, dinner was a bowl of chili and some clementines.

Yeah, baby!: M&M'S Candy Flavors | M&M'S

Drool! Also, for a minute, I thought I saw “chili clementines” and I wanted more info on them.

The closest thing I think I’ve ever seen to this is a recipe for chili-crusted salmon with clementine salsa. I’ve never made it but it does sound interesting.

Grilled salmon served with riced cauliflower, cilantro, and lime. Iced vodka to drink.

Ham salad sandwiches, Coleslaw and a pot of coffee

Bacon, eggs, peppers, and cheese burrito. Decaffeinated espresso.

Spaghetti with marinara sauce, chopped hamburger and grated parmesan cheese, with a tossed salad and garlic toast, washed down with glasses of merlot and ice water. No dessert tonight.

Pizza, salad and a bottle of nondescript Italian red wine. Chocolate-pumpkin cake for dessert.

Shepherd’s pie with chicken instead of beef. Not bad at all.

Sausage and bean soup. It started as sausage and bean, then other veggies were added, and finally some pasta. An IPA to drink.

I made beef nihari last night for late snack and my morning breakfast, after having a rather disappointing one at a Pakistani wedding reception. I’ve usually had really good niharis at such events but this one was underspiced, gloppy
soup with no identifiable chunks of meat or bone I could see. I have a go-to recipe I use and all the crazy spices at hand (including long pepper) so it was like 30 min of prep and then an hour in the pressure cooker. Serve with lemon, fresh ginger, green chiles, and cilantro, and I was a very very happy boy last night and this morning. Even my wife liked it, and she’s hit-or-miss with well/spiced and spicy stews. (I was kinda hoping she wouldn’t—more for me! But I had a bunch of nihari masala left over, so most my work is done for next time I make it.)

It sounds intriguing! Can you share your recipe?

I use this one:

The tricky ingredient is long pepper and maybe black cumin seeds. I happen to have both because I just collect herbs and spices especially if I haven’t seen them before. You can still get a good stew without all the spices, or you could look for nihari masala at a South Asian shop. I know Shan brand sells one in a box, which is where I first ended up learning of nihari, but there may be other concoctions.

Popcorn shrimp with cocktail sauce, couscous with teriyaki sauce, and a glass of ice water. For afters, too few of my wife’s world-famous ginger drops and a glass of milk.

Thanks!

Sockeye salmon fried in olive oil/butter, with an orange, soy, garlic and honey glaze. Roasted potatoes with garlic and fresh basil (I was out of sage).

Juicy Weeknight Pork Chops from Cook’s Illustrated and Parmesan Brussels Sprouts.

Dijon shrimp with linguine, homemade biscuits and some watermelon.

Dessert was a piece of chocolate-pumpkin snack cake with a schmear of chocolate coconut dessert topping, and a small glass of port. This is the first time I’ve made this cake - the texture and moistness were excellent, and the topping really made it sing.