Ginger ice cream, and some shopping

I am eating homemade ginger ice cream. For this one, I heated the milk to a simmer, steeped pieces of ginger root (about a 2-inch piece, peeled and cut up) for 20 minutes, strained it, chilled it, and then proceeded to follow the ice cream maker's instructions for vanilla, but with only 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. I meant to add cut-up crystallized ginger shortly before the ice cream maker was done, but didn't watch the timing, so I mixed it in my hand when I moved the ice cream into containers to freeze.

I'm happy--the basic ice cream is somewhat gingery, and the pieces of crystallized ginger work well.

After making ice cream, I went out to buy groceries. I didn't get heavy cream, because the Stop and Shop is charging even more exorbitant amounts for it than the local C-town. I did get bananas (the small red kind), a can of pears that I intend to turn into sorbet, and cat food.

Then I stopped into the Sleepy's (mattress store, part of a chain) next to the bus stop. I tried out a couple of Posturepedic mattresses, and think they'll work for me, if cattitude likes them. I let the saleswoman talk me into putting down a refundable $25 deposit, to keep a sale price of about $400 off. As far as I can tell, what the store gets out of that is that I, or we, will walk in again and they can try again to sell me the mattress. I put the deposit on a credit card, and if we don't buy from them and they make a fuss about it, I will dispute the charge with Visa.

I'm also back in the research mines, and reminding myself that Wikipedia isn't really appropriate in this case.

Ginger ice cream, and some shopping

I am eating homemade ginger ice cream. For this one, I heated the milk to a simmer, steeped pieces of ginger root (about a 2-inch piece, peeled and cut up) for 20 minutes, strained it, chilled it, and then proceeded to follow the ice cream maker's instructions for vanilla, but with only 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. I meant to add cut-up crystallized ginger shortly before the ice cream maker was done, but didn't watch the timing, so I mixed it in my hand when I moved the ice cream into containers to freeze.

I'm happy--the basic ice cream is somewhat gingery, and the pieces of crystallized ginger work well.

After making ice cream, I went out to buy groceries. I didn't get heavy cream, because the Stop and Shop is charging even more exorbitant amounts for it than the local C-town. I did get bananas (the small red kind), a can of pears that I intend to turn into sorbet, and cat food.

Then I stopped into the Sleepy's (mattress store, part of a chain) next to the bus stop. I tried out a couple of Posturepedic mattresses, and think they'll work for me, if cattitude likes them. I let the saleswoman talk me into putting down a refundable $25 deposit, to keep a sale price of about $400 off. As far as I can tell, what the store gets out of that is that I, or we, will walk in again and they can try again to sell me the mattress. I put the deposit on a credit card, and if we don't buy from them and they make a fuss about it, I will dispute the charge with Visa.

I'm also back in the research mines, and reminding myself that Wikipedia isn't really appropriate in this case.

Red stuff over rice

More improvised cooking: this started as a variant on my "chicken a la something or other," which is basically strips of chicken, sauteed, onions, ditto, and flavorings including tomato paste. I decided that it doesn't count as chicken a la something or other without the tomato paste.

I cut about 2/3 of a red bell pepper into large chunks, and a large yellow onion into middle-sized ones, then went for a walk while the air in the kitchen cleared.

When I came back, I started the rice (long-grain white rice), then heated our covered frying pan. Next, I cut up about a third of a pound of chicken (the smaller part of a package of chicken cutlets) into middle-sized strips. I added olive oil to the pan, still on a fairly high light. Then the onion went into the pan, and sauteed for a while; some of the bits turned brown.

When the rice had about eight minutes to go, I put the chicken in, and browned it on all sides. Once it was brown, I added some white wine (I'd been going to use sherry, but it didn't smell right for this), let it boil off for a moment, then added a good couple of squirts of hoisin sauce. [Somewhere in here I reduced the heat.] I stirred all that, added a bit of water, then put in the red pepper pieces and a generous handful of dried cherries. Stirred that, stirred in some lemon juice (bottled, hence no pulp), and covered it until the rice was ready.

It was good. A slightly stronger flavor to the sauce might have been better--more lemon juice instead of the water? spices?

[cross-posting to off_recipe]

Red stuff over rice

More improvised cooking: this started as a variant on my "chicken a la something or other," which is basically strips of chicken, sauteed, onions, ditto, and flavorings including tomato paste. I decided that it doesn't count as chicken a la something or other without the tomato paste.

I cut about 2/3 of a red bell pepper into large chunks, and a large yellow onion into middle-sized ones, then went for a walk while the air in the kitchen cleared.

When I came back, I started the rice (long-grain white rice), then heated our covered frying pan. Next, I cut up about a third of a pound of chicken (the smaller part of a package of chicken cutlets) into middle-sized strips. I added olive oil to the pan, still on a fairly high light. Then the onion went into the pan, and sauteed for a while; some of the bits turned brown.

When the rice had about eight minutes to go, I put the chicken in, and browned it on all sides. Once it was brown, I added some white wine (I'd been going to use sherry, but it didn't smell right for this), let it boil off for a moment, then added a good couple of squirts of hoisin sauce. [Somewhere in here I reduced the heat.] I stirred all that, added a bit of water, then put in the red pepper pieces and a generous handful of dried cherries. Stirred that, stirred in some lemon juice (bottled, hence no pulp), and covered it until the rice was ready.

It was good. A slightly stronger flavor to the sauce might have been better--more lemon juice instead of the water? spices?

[cross-posting to off_recipe]