Approved! I can't tell what you're rockin' there. . . orecchette?

Just some cheap shell shaped thingamabobs

Enough pad thai to feed an army...or me, just me

Kale (or kail?) and sausage. Not a dish that'll win you any prizes for culinary aesthetics, but a truly C&V dish (dates back to the 17th century, I believe) and real treat on cold winter days. Best eaten late in the season after the kale has frozen over.

(Not a good picture, but I was hungry)

We love kale in our house. I typically cook it with hamhock, onion, garlic and a touch of vinegar. We had kale and carrots as a side dish with yesterday's lunch. What else is in your kale?

Nothing much, really. Just a pinch of salt, some butter and a splash of milk. And potatoes of course. The ham hock sounds like it would combine nicely though.

Try kale deep fried, with a pinch of sea salt. Kids will eat it too.

Ah, it's potato.

Haven't had lunch yet. Not sure what I'll have.

I had a butter-and-Thai-red-curry-sauce sandwich for brunch. Yeah, it's weird, but I liked it.

Yes, it's one of our famous (or infamous, depends on whom you talk to) mashed potato stews. They typically come with kale, sauerkraut or carrots and unions. Best combined with well-seasoned meat with a bit of fat. Pork and poultry (with the sauerkraut) are my favorites.

I'm trying to imagine what that tastes like, but no, my frame of reference does not come up with any result.

I'm working on dinner now.... not sure if it's C&V, but my kitchen and stove are. I'm making Rivel soup the way my Mom makes it. I've never made it before, so I hope it turns out ok. Right now it is simmering and looks pretty disgusting.


IMG_5208 by mkeller234, on Flickr

Here you can see our old and tiny oven. You have to light the oven with a match.

IMG_5202 by mkeller234, on Flickr


IMG_5205 by mkeller234, on Flickr

We don't have much space to work in, our kitchen is very small. The good part is, it usually forces me to clean as I go because I need the counter space. This picture shows all of the counter space that we have.


IMG_5212 by mkeller234, on Flickr

I like the Dutch stamppotten, I should make the boerenkool one again.
The problem is that my wife (who normally cooks) does not like them (to greasy).

I love them, especially when I lived close to two of the best sausage makers in the kingdom. I'm the chef in the house, so I make it probably once a week in the winter. Try sauerkraut with potatoes and confit de canard (salted duck preserved in it's own fat).

I don't know if this is the right thread for this, but it's old, and I can cook lunch in it:



I've been looking for a smallish cast iron Dutch oven for a while, and found this one at a flea market on Sunday. It's a 78+ year old Favorite Piqua Ware, still needs to be stripped down and seasoned. Iron is real!

I don't know what you paid for it, but I'll bet it was a good deal. Put some white beans and a ham hock in that beast stat! I'll bring the cornbread.

You're right, I paid $15 for this one. And the cornbread is already done (hope you like jalapenos)



The cornbread is in a #6 Griswold pan that got me started with my cast iron collection, I found it at a yard sale for $5 and have been keen on them ever since.

Griswolds are nice pans.

Cast iron pans are just so nice. Out today to make that age-old "American" Classic: Mac & Cheese.

Yep, this one is surprisingly thin and smoothly finished on the inside, better than the two Wagners I have. Griswolds seem to command a premium on eBay, but I rarely find them locally.

Here is the finished rivel soup. It turned out ok, but I think I cooked it down to thick. It tastes right though.


IMG_5213 by mkeller234, on Flickr

I had to look that one up; never heard of rivel. Looks like what you made was essentially beef and barley soup, but with tiny rice shaped dumplings? What, you don't like parsley!?

I'm a little jealous. I have had to make do with modern electric stuff in the kitchen for the last 15 years, and while that's fine for the oven, I still really miss my gas range.

+100

But, what doesn't kill you makes your stronger. Now when I cook at someone's place with gas and have 4 or 5 burners going it feels like I'm cheating. What's worse is that I cook a lot and we don't have a hood; just windows and a ceiling fan. Sometimes the house will smell of stock, beef burgundy or a stir fry for days on end. I can cook with a wok on an cheap electric range; that's making do.

Nietzsche obviously never had to boil milk on halogen, or he wouldn't have been so sure of that.