Other than football, the leaves, and the cool weather, the best part of it getting colder is that I can start making some of my favorite meals again.
Tonight, potatoes, ham, and green beans in a crock pot, with apple cider and pumpkin pie for dessert.
Next week- corned beef and cabbage.
Rome Again
Poor John, I guess being Conservative means you have to wait until Autumn to eat these fabulous meals? Why? While I agree that it may be hard finding Apple Cider at other times of the year, all the other meal ingredients you mentioned are available year round. I guess me being a Liberal makes me realize I don’t have to wait for a certain time of year to indulge in these things.
I’ve always found the excuse that “we don’t do that during this time of year” was overrated.
goonie bird
Falls when leaves turn color and football begins and the eco-freaks cower in the homes afraid to listen to the kids stepping on leaves becuase the eco-freaks only hear the leaves sreaming as their crushed
Slide
very domesticated John. You will make someone a nice wife someday.
Pb
mmm. I just had some bison meatloaf myself, with mashed potatoes and green beans–over at Ted’s Montana Grill.
guyermo
Rome Again,
My mom insists that chili is only a winter-weather food. She’s about as liberal as they come. I think some people just compartmentalize their comfort foods to specific seasons.
I know plenty of conservatives who will eat any kind of food any time of the year, like making a full-blown thanksgiving dinner in June.
regardless, this thread is making me hungry even though i just finished a 12 inch pizza.
RSA
Gah. Give me spicy food to combat fall and winter: a good vindaloo, a Thai curry, or maybe just some hot wings.
Nathan Lanier
I’m a big fan of getting to wear sweaters.
John, you’d probably like my apple crisp recipe…
stickler
One presumes that when Mr. Cole says “apple cider,” he’s talking about the home-made kind with real honest-to-goodness alcohol in it. Easy enough to make and probably still part of the indigenous culture of a place like West Virginia.
When I think of fall, I think of brewing winter beers. Yesterday was a strong ale, nice and hoppy. Should be ready by Thanksgiving.
Rome Again
I’m not sure what John was thinking of, but I was thinking of that huge jug (with the small hole for the thumb in the glass handle)of cider that comes out about the same time as “Ginger Snap” cookies (in October).
My father used to love Apple Cider and Ginger Snaps in October. The only reason why I think that is a timely thing is because it is so hard to come by both those items during other times of the year.
Karla
Yum. I’m coming over for dinner.
jobiuspublius
For instance, at the WH, it’s Hide the Salami season, or whatever it’s called, all year round.
Ancient Purple
Here in Phoenix, the temperature has dropped to a frosty 86 degrees today, so we are all moving up from tank tops to short sleeved shirts to keep the chill away.
So, what else is there to do but have a big Mexican food feast today. My menu is homemade green chile stew, tortillas, chile rellenos, homemade salsa and fresh chips. Dessert will be a Kaluha cake I threw together.
We don’t need cold weather in Phoenix to put on a feast.
(But John’s menu does sound quite yummy!)
TalkLeft
No fair. You have to share the recipes. (As I sit here, waiting for my pizza to be delivered.)
John Cole
Jeralynn- That is the recipe- ham, green beans, new potatoes, onion, thrown into a pot and simmered for hours with a little salt and pepper and some fresh parsley.
I absolutely love it.
The cider is just fresh apple cider from down the road. Sometimes I mull it if I want it hot.
SkepticalCentrist
Just came across this site. Very nice.
There’s nothing like crock-pot cooking. Warms the heart.
DougJ
That is eerily similar to what I’ve been making. Love those chile rellenos.
rilkefan
“Next week- corned beef and cabbage.”
You cook enough to last you a week of leftovers? Don’t think I’ve done that since grad school…
I’m looking forward to winter soups with lots of garlic and to osso bucco and polenta and risotto and to cassoulet and to sausage and sauerkraut or rotkohl and kugel… I treated myself to a Le Creuset pot with winter in mind. Now if I could just get winter to show up here in Palo Alto for at least a few days…
gswift
Leg of lamb rubbed with seasoning, and several spears of garlic pushed into the leg. Good lamb at Costco here in Salt Lake City.
stickler
John:
1. Buy 5 gallons of it if it’s fresh-pressed. Mixed varieties (sour/sweet) are best, depending on your taste.
2. On the way home buy a 5 gallon fermentation bucket (or, a Home Depot version and rustle some foil to cover it).
3. Dose the cider with real cider yeast (from Wyeast or White Labs). Paranoid types might warm the cider up to scalding temperature (over 160) to kill any natural beasties.
3a. Ignore (3), go for “spontaneous fermentation,” and hope the local flora contain yeast that will ferment tasty cider. Your ancestors probably did this, although their taste buds may not have been as picky as ours are nowadays. Lots of folks still do it and it (often) turns out fine.
4. Wait a week or two.
You should have a delightful effervescent beverage with between 3 and 5% alcohol. Bottle and allow to condition, or rack it to a keg. Secondary cold conditioning optional but likely to further refine the flavors and mouthfeel.
jim murray
What’s your address?
What time is dinner?
Steve S
BEEF! Cause the west wasn’t won on salad and new potatoes.
Actually, this week I am going to try to make Lamb Biryani.
stickler… Ahh, one thing I miss from London… besides the good Indian food on every corner… was the cider on tap at every pub.
*sigh*
demimondian
Actually, stickler, John’s acestors (at least, if they were anything like mine) moved the fermenter outside after the end of fermentation, allowing the beverage to freeze. They they strained out the water ice from the resulting slush, obtaining a non-effervescent beverage referred to as Apple Jack — containing between 15 and 20% ethanol by volume.
Ice distillation yields a much broader spectrum of volatiles than heat distillation, BTW.
Vlad
Curries are nice, but nothing beats a good corned beef and cabbage.