6/04/2020

May Highlights In My Kitchen

 I left you with the brining  ham last time, so here it is cooked up

The highlights of May. My version of In My Kitchen! Sprinkled through the various meals I fixed are a few books, and I read some very good ones in May; several on my new Kindle and a couple from our newly re-opened public library.  Actually the ones I got through Kindle were via the public library Overdrive program. We now book an appointment at the library, then go to the front doors, wearing a mask, to collect our books.:)  These last two months have been just hilarious. Ha ha.

 A Roots Soup, which was absolutely delicious!

I read a couple of Martha Grimes' novels, her books are always enjoyable, several by C.S. Harris with her Sebastian St. Cyr, English Regency period mysteries, and a new favorite author, Donna Andrews, who has an iron-mongering artist sleuth, with a totally hysterical family, whose Crouching Buzzard Leaping Loon was my most recently read. I heartily recommend these for any of you who want less angst and dread in your lives, to be replaced by humor. 



Notable also were Peter Tremayne with his Sister Fidelma heroine, Celtic A.D. 644 era Irish mysteries, and Sheila Connolly's newish Museum mystery series, beginning with Fuhdraising the Dead.   All highly recommended by moi.

Together with food  you have two of the loves of my life - books and edibles.  Firstly we had lots of ham to deal with (see my last post).  At least lots for two older adults, cutting back on how much they eat, with only the occasional dinner guest, under certain conditions that some were more serious about than others.  Of course my daughter claims that I never worry about anything. ("Look she drinks water directly from cachment tank tap and picks wild mushrooms from the garden.")

So from the ham, we had ham on its own with scalloped Potatoes, ham hash, Mapo Udon with tofu amd minced ham (of course) and Ham Mac 'n Cheese, among other renditions from the beast.


 Ham Hash with Brussels sprouts and Scalloped potatoes with ham

For Cinco de Mayo I made Arroz con Pollo, and then after that a wonderful soup made from the left-overs along with other bits hanging about in the fridge.  I was surprised at just how good it was.  Guess we could call it Sopa de Arroz con Pollo.

Arroz con Pollo and the soup from left-overs 

Other notable meals were my Spinach Crepes with Marinara sauce, Croque Monsieur, made for the first time, despite having sat on the recipe for years, and Chicken Satay, marinated in and served with a yummy sauce, which made use of galangal ginger from our garden.  That recipe from Charmaine Solomon's The Complete Asian Cookbook, a great, and much used resource.
                      

There we have May's happenings In My Kitchen, which I'll be linking up with Sherry's Pickings for her event of that name.  Sherry blogs over in Australia, serving up all kinds of Down Under goodies. My post will also link up with The Intrepid Reader, Marg, who has taken over Weekend Cooking for Beth Fish.

8 comments:

Sherry's Pickings said...

thanks for joining in with In my kitchen this month, claudia... lovely to have you! it's great to catch up with a new (to me) blogger:) i must check out those books you mentioned. i'm always on the lookout for a good new series of mysteries. your meals look tasty. love scalloped potatoes; well, who doesn't? :) take care and hope to see you next month.
cheers
sherry

Mae Travels said...

You seem to be demonstrating the truth of the old adage that eternity equals two people and a ham.

be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Carole said...

Just saw that the Solomon cookbooks are quite a big series - will give one a try. Thanks

Marg said...

My favourite way to eat ham is cut from the bone, on really fresh bread and mayonaisse! But I do enjoy it cooked too! My husband makes mac and cheese with lots of ham which is delicious!

Tina said...

We are on our own, our son Tristan lives a thousand miles away and we don't have dinner guests, so I know what you mean about an abundance of a particular food needing to be used. We freeze it if it gets to be too much. But you have made some great dishes from the beast!

Thanks for the book suggestions. I have a lot of reading time these days. Maybe there is still time for me to join In My Kitchen!

Katie said...

I know what you mean about the ham seemingendless.in the same situation I mAde lots of fried rice and croque monsuir And ham and veg stir fry noodles.staysafe.im going to try your book recommendations thanks

Beth F said...

I love Martha Grimes ... I bet I'm behind in her series. I love working my way through a ham ... though we usually end up freezing a bunch.

Liz said...

I love the C.S. Harris with her Sebastian St. Cyr series, I have read all of them. Thanks for the other suggestions, I will check them out. I have been absolutely addicted to reading books on tape while I am out in the garden or on a walk or just sitting out on a deck chair watching the birds. One I have particularly enjoyed is the Maisie Dobbs series written by Jacquel Winspear. It's set between WWI and WWII. The main character is an investigator and psychologist. Highly recommended with a great reader if you listen as well as read.