Overall I made 26 things in October.
October 1
Sausage (Dinner)
With tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella
Olympia Provisions Bratwurst
October 3
Cheese Toast (Lunch)
I mostly call these toasties, I'm not sure why. Ham & cheese here.
Avocado Toast (Lunch)
Crispy Pan-Seared Salmon Fillets (Dinner)
Mixed success - skin could have been crisper. Maybe the pan wasn't hot enough?
I've cooked this just once before
Pomarola Sauce
Turned out better - I let it emulsify for quite a while (15 minutes, maybe?) until the oil was really in. It seemed to work better.
Canned for 40 minutes, not 20 as in the recipe.
October 4
The Best Italian-American Meatballs (Dinner)
Used my pomarola.
Kale (Side)
Did the kale in a slightly different style - added it to the pan, poured in some water and covered for maybe 5 minutes to get it soft. Then uncovered and crisped. I liked it. The recipe I took this from (not sure where) recommended white wine instead of water, that sounds good too.
October 7
Rosemary-Brined Pork Chops with Apples and Potatoes (Dinner)
From the Lost Kitchen cookbook page 169 (recipe).
Wow did these come out great. Second time I tried it; the first was lackluster, this was great.
About 24hr in the brine, I dried the chops then put them on a rack to come to room temp. Pans at full wack, although interestingly I got a great sear only on the side that was down when they went in the oven - but, a nice crust on that side, great flavor throughout.
I didn't bother with the apples or potatoes.
Sushi Rolls (Lunch)
As I've been making it, but also a little bit of black sesame seeds.
October 11
Bread
Kind of a mess of timing - I went hiking during the rise, so I couldn't do as many turns. Then I was off to my parents for a bit, and the loafs went it too late.
| time | activity |
|---|---|
| 2200 | mix leaven |
| 710-730 | mix dough (water 80°, 750g) |
| 855 | rest |
| 1230 | bench rest |
| 1930 | 1st loaf in |
| 2020 | 2nd loaf in |
Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes (Breakfast)
Salmon (Dinner)
Couldn't find the recipe I was looking for, but it went something like this:
- Brought the salmon out 30 minutes early, olive oil, salt, pepper
- Seared (skin-side-up) for ~2 minutes in a preheated pan on medium high
- Flipped, then into an oven at 425 for ~7 minutes (one piece was particularly thick); 5 might have done, though
It was nice. The skin turned out crisp, the fish was beautifully cooked. Simple. Easier than the other recipes I've tried recently with a better outcome.
October 12
Crab Hands (Dinner)
Doubled the crab hands recipe (particularly the beans portion) so it'd last a few more days.
Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs (Side)
I liked the sauteed green beans. I left off some steps, but just sauteeing, steaming in the pan, then adding butter & garlic turned out really nice.
October 14
Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs with Lemon and Oregano (Dinner)
These were a hit! Super easy, super great, well received by everyone. From Simply Zov, page 233.
I made Zov's hummus as a side, with some pita. It goes great with the kebabs.
Zov's Hummus (Side)
October 17
Beef Fajitas (Dinner)
October 18
Zov's Asian Chicken Salad (Dinner)
Zov's Lemon Chicken Soup (Dinner)
October 20
Pomarola Sauce
Canning went weird - the two taller cans looked totally full when I pulled them out, but they quickly settled down to normal (maybe a bit chunky looking).
I thought of refrigerating them, and was going to when they looked full (I assumed water had gotten in), but now that they've settled out I'm going to leave them out and double-check when opening.
There wasn't quite enough sauce to fill the small jar, so I added a bit (maybe 1/4 cup) of water to make it fit.
Adding notes on all of this directly to the jars.
Update 10/21- One of the jars unsealed while I was removing the clip. I think if I'd been more careful it would have been fine, but the clip grapped some of the gasket that was sticking out and pop! Oh well.
I've cooked this just once before
October 21
Risotto (Dinner)
October 22
Pasta & Pomarola (Dinner)
With Cook's Illustrated's Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs Recipe
October 24
Rotisserie Chicken Ramen (Dinner)
I've cooked this just once before
Ramen Egg (Side)
Same recipe as last time: Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago).
The recipe I tried after this, in November 2022 was easier and just as good.
I've cooked this just once before
October 25
Panko Fried Chicken with Lemon (Dinner)
October 28
Momofuku's Bo Ssam (Dinner)
Turned out well - really delicious, pretty easy.
The outside burned a little, next time cover it with foil.