Supper with friends

Tonight was dinner with our friends, Dave and Jennifer. When I asked what we were having, Dave said that he and Jen had whipped up some enchiladas. Silly me, for not asking what 'some' meant. Turns out they'd made dinner for fifty. Good thing they have such a big house.

But as they say, a good time was definitely had by all!

Friday night fish fry

Okay, that's not really true. These fish came out of the freezer and were baked in the oven. Same for the chips that went with them.

Still, it's fun for me to think of a Friday night fish fry. When I was little, our grandma used to take us to the tavern around the corner for delicious fried fish and chips. Weirdly, in those much more innocent times, the tavern bore the now-impossible name, the Gay Spot.

Recycled, Reheated

There are other places where I've staked my claim as one of the queens of recycling. But I reckon tonight's supper ought to qualify me for another blue star on my crown.

George's workplace had a potluck lunch today (actually a 'Crock-Off' of slow cooker items). He took a slow-cooked beef stew with root vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots and parsnips). Although there was a bit left over, there wasn't really enough to feed both of us big-eaters. So I sliced up the rest of the mushrooms from the fridge and let the slow-cooker pot work its magic for a while. At the last minute, while we cooked up some egg noodles and tossed a salad together, I added a big dollop of sour cream. The result was a sort of stroganoff, albeit with stew vegies tucked into it.

Curried shrimp

Besides the fact that this is a good way to use up some of the bits in the fridge, tonight's the night we're going with friends to see Slumdog Millionaire. Something curry-ish, even if not very authentic, seemed like one of those set-the-mood things.

Rice with cumin and peas, plus a salad -- and now the four us are rollin' out the door.

A homely meal for a cold night

By homely, I mean the way the British use the word -- homey or cozy -- comforting.

It's cold outside, so in-the-oven food seemed like a good idea. The oven always seems to do a better job of deep-warming the food. Besides, it helps warm up the kitchen.

Last September, George and John made sausages (to be precise, bockwurst). They made packets and packets for the freezer, one of which we're having tonight.

I also cooked up a box of store-bought au gratin potatoes, but doctored them up with a bit of chopped onion and a sprinkling of dried honey mushrooms (ones we picked and dried last fall). Some beans and a salad, and we have ourselves a wonderfully comforting 'homely' meal.

Gung Hay Fat Choy -- and G'Day!

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, we prepared an assortment of dim sum tidbits. Not from scratch, these are another one of the miracles from the freezer of our local produce store. We had spring rolls, packets of sticky rice, and a variety of dumplings: chicken with vegies, shrimp, and several kinds containing pork.

For dessert, the celebratory feast acknowledged Australia Day, with a decidedly local spin on Pavlova. Besides topping it with kiwifruit and canteloupe, I used some hand-picked B.C. raspberries (frozen last summer) and some blackberries picked from our backyard last September. Oh yes, and a bit of blood orange -- both for colour and a bit of drama to suit the start of the Year of the Ox.

Restaurant extravaganza

Almost embarrassing to go out for such an overpriced meal, but a local restaurant was having a promo on seafood, so we decided to celebrate New Year's Eve again. After all, tomorrow is the Lunar New Year.

The lobster was messy, but pretty darn sweet. Besides, we were celebrating!