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My next vacation is going to be a DR food tour w/ Varis!

We did some simple flank steak tonight. Sesame soba noodles; broccoli roasted with some garlic, sesame oil, soy and Chinese 5 spice. I've been using the gasser so much lately that I emptied the propane tank when the steak was about 1/3 done. Fortunately, had a spare that was about 25% full. Guess I'll be hitting the Propane Taxi app in the next few days.

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A small pork shoulder, braised in red wine, sherry, tomatores, 'shrooms, onions, garlic, sage, thyme, served over egg noodles; roasted artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives, topped with grated Manchego cheese; Swiss chard sauteed with onions, then braised, seasoned with gochugaru pepper. I wish I were a better photographer!

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Last night the wife requested a seafood night, specifically a Scallops Scampi recipe I developed many moons ago. I haven't made this in years -- the sons don't like scallops, so I stopped making it. The remaining scallops in the bag (buy in larger lots, frozen) wasn't quite enough, and I discovered this recipes works great with shrimp!

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I've posted the Scallops Scampi recipe on my web site. The salad is spinach, Mesclun mix, Roma tomato, bell pepper, and chick peas. The wife put Aldi's Caesar dressing on hers, and I made a vinaigrette (sprinkle of salt, few drops Worcestershire, vinegar [last night white wine vinegar], and olive oil). The rice is brown basmati rice with Herbes de Provence (1 tsp in 1 cup rice, I think).

I also took the time to record the Baked Chicken & Rice recipe I described a few days ago.

When I was first out on my own, a friend lamented that her grandmother had passed, and a huge number of family recipes died with her. Thinking about it, I realized that a large number of recipes my Mom made when I was growing up existed only in her head OR the version she made differed from the written recipe. For most things she didn't measure (a habit I have) so simply writing down a recipe wasn't going to work.

For the next several years we had a project -- we'd choose a recipe, and she'd make it while I measured and recorded. It was a fun project. She's been gone for more than a decade, but I have memories of our project, plus my family has her recipes.

Take the time to write down recipes, either your own or within the family. No one is here forever and recipes can be a valuable thing to hand to succeeding generations.

EDIT: I was adding the Baked Chicken recipe to my database (I'm an IT guy, yes I have a recipe database! 😋 ) and discovered I HAD recorded the recipe, probably 15 years ago. I had named it oddly so I missed it.
 
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Savoy cabbage with sauteed onions, stock, soy sauce, and marjoram; broccoli rabe with garlic slivers, EVOO, and Calabrian peppers; and coq au vin [using chicken thighs, with the usual bacon, onions, garlic, thyme, tomatoes, 'shrooms, carrots, red wine (of course), and stock], served over white rice.

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55 and sunny today, so I had to fire up the charcoal grill. Half of a rather large, Prime NY Strip from Costco with Montreal Steak Seasoning (sous vide for a few hours at 132, then seared), arugula salad with cukes and tomato, tossed with black pepper, EVOO, lemon juice, shaved parm and just a kiss of Pinot Noir salt. Roasted cauliflower that was tossed in EVOO and Dizzy Pig "Mediterranean-ish" rub, roasted and then hit with grated parm and lemon zest. Finally, some zucchini spears that were tossed in EVOO and the aforementioned Dizzy Pig rub, then grilled. Nice eats for a weeknight. Commence food coma...

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I didn't take any pictures, having much, to much fun. We invited over a couple we haven't seen, probably since covid started. Cooked fillet mignon, which we had purchased and friar about Christmas time grilled some romaine lettuce and made some roasted potatoes and onions. Along with some three year old Chambourcin. We also tasted the winexpert Primitivo we bottled two months ago or so. That is going to be a wonderful wine in a year or so. Cherries and Plums on the nose and then in the taste, the Cherries hit the front of the palate, with a great plum taste afterwards.
 
@geek

Do they have "Conch" in the DR? We had that in the Bahamas when we went a few years back. Had it in a cold salad with onion and tomato, deep fried. When they have to use a sledge hammer to tenderize it that should tell you something. I would only eat it again if I was marooned on a deserted island. If I had not have just swallowed it I would still be chewing it today!
 
@geek

Do they have "Conch" in the DR? We had that in the Bahamas when we went a few years back. Had it in a cold salad with onion and tomato, deep fried. When they have to use a sledge hammer to tenderize it that should tell you something. I would only eat it again if I was marooned on a deserted island. If I had not have just swallowed it I would still be chewing it today!

I'm sure they do, I just didn't check but all kind of stuff from the ocean can be ordered for sure, not whale though... LOL
 
@geek

Do they have "Conch" in the DR? We had that in the Bahamas when we went a few years back. Had it in a cold salad with onion and tomato, deep fried. When they have to use a sledge hammer to tenderize it that should tell you something. I would only eat it again if I was marooned on a deserted island. If I had not have just swallowed it I would still be chewing it today!

I remember having conch fritters and conch soup in the keys many years ago and enjoying it. Maybe they grow tougher down in the Bahamas.
 
Let the weekend begin! Green Chile Cheese Burger with Tater Tots (not pictured.....)

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The burger was some Private Selection "Prime" Ground Chuck and it was awesome. Everything you would want in a gourmet burger!

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That's a good looking burger for sure, mouth watering now....
I took out of the freezer a small pack of Costco wagyu ground beef 2 days ago and it's been in the fridge.... :-(
Will try today.
 

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