Lamb Rogan Josh

An employee of mine once told me that I cook lamb more than anybody else he knows. Why not cook lamb? It tastes way better than beef, in my opinion. And you've got all the cool cuts - rack, shanks, chops, neck.

I've been craving stewy braisy things lately, which kind of sucks, since it's in the 90s, and doesn't start cooling down until at least 7pm, if at all. But, screw it, I said, and made Lamb Rogan Josh, from Vikram Sunderam, via Food & Wine.

This is probably the first time I've made an Indian dish that I was happy with. Not just "hmm, it's ok", but completely happy with. Tender lamb, tangy spicy sauce. Good over rice. And pasta. And then use the leftover sauce to dip tortilla chips into.

I'd love to show you a picture, but...I'd hate to show you a picture. I don't even want to try to describe what my pictures looked like.

Just trust me. This recipe rocks.

So, no photo of lamb rogan josh, but here's an egg I cooked for the animals.
















Picture me (I'd be interested to know how some of you picture me!), sitting on the floor, surrounded by a yellow tabby,
















a tan chihuahua,
















and a brown lab/chow mix,
















all vulturing for a piece of egg. And I better feed them in the correct sequence (big dog, little dog, cat), otherwise they'll get upset. Just when the kids are almost "all grown up", I realize I have 3 more that never will.

Asparagus, Cauliflower, and a Puppy

Once again, I'm too lazy to take pictures, edit pictures, etc. But "dinner" tonight was delicious. I feel sorry for people who scroll through a post looking for food pictures, then automatically click off if there aren't any. 'Cause they're missing out. 

Update 5/4/11: Added a picture of roasted cauliflower.

First, the happy asparagus. This works best with thin spears.

Soy-Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

Snap off the woody ends of your asparagus. Toss with olive oil, a little salt, and black pepper. Roast at 350-400 until it's done to your liking. Throw in a little butter, and equal parts soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Next, the cauliflower. My Hubby and MIL who both hate cauliflower love this. Even Youngest eats it.

Roasted Cauliflower

Cut cauliflower into small pieces, thinner is better for good crusty browning. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until almost done to your liking, tossing half way through. Toss through some minced garlic and some grated parmesan, and return to the turned-off oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, add more cheese, and a handful of chopped parsley.

And, finally, the promised puppy. Complete with tiny goggles, tiny helmet, and a satchel to keep him safe. Happy puppy was barking ecstatically the whole way down the freeway. I wish I knew where the owner got the safety gear, because I'm sure my chihuahua would love a ride on our Vespa.

Non-Food Post - Flowering Fruit Trees, and a Bonus

Will somebody please talk to my fruit trees? Tell them that it's still early February.

Peach tree - almost full blossom:

















Fig tree - the leaves just barely finished falling off:

















Orange tree - I still have oranges ripening, for God's sake:

















Bonus - wet dog:

Pet Post, with a Mention of Dinner

Somebody took a chunk out of Bad Kitty. I am not pleased.















It looks like whatever did it broke the skin a little, but she doesn't shy away from me touching it, so I think it's ok. Will just have to keep an eye on it for a few days...

And now the honorable food mention - I came home today from a grueling day at work, to find the most delicious chicken salad I've ever tasted waiting in the fridge. Made a sandwich with toasted wheat bread, provolone, peperoncini, and sprouts. Mmm...

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to elevate my knee(s), and do absolutely nothing for the rest of the evening.

Pet Question

My chihuahua really hates her dry kibble. And the flavor or the brand doesn't matter, she just do not want. When I mix it with canned, she eats that, leaving the kibble. If I go so far as to smash up the canned stuff so it coats the dry food, she licks off every bit of canned food, even picking up the pieces and rolling them around in her mouth, then spitting them out.

She's not starving, she'll eventually eat the dry stuff if she's hungry enough.

But she loves Bad Kitty's dry chow, practically inhales it.

Question: Is it OK to feed a dry cat food (Purina) to a small dog?

Another Non-Food Post

I like this picture of Bad Kitty. She almost doesn't look like a cat.

Puppy Post

My chihuahua, Chula, with her favorite toy, a miniature tennis ball. For size perspective, those are 13" tiles.

No Food, Just Pets & a Camera

I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't walked in on it.

I walk into my bedroom and see my 12-lb orange tabby, affectionately known as Bad Kitty...














...on the bed, with my 4-lb chihuahua...















...grooming her. Cat licking dog. In a nice, friendly way.

WTF?

And thanks to the government's "stimulus package", I finally have a camera! I splurged and bought a Canon XS100IS. See the picture of Bad Kitty? Taken with old camera. The picture of Chula? New camera. I like.

Post #38 - MicroChula

Before you PETA-people get all upset, I never even closed the door.














I just figured, because she's so tiny (micro), and it's a microwave, ... well ... yeah.

Post #18 - Chihuahuas like tomatoes

She ate the whole thing.

Post #16 - Cheese and Green Onion Scone

I plucked this recipe from Farmgirl Fare ages ago, and finally made them. While my photos are not, on any level, comparable with hers, my dog's cute. Enjoy.

Oh, by the way, the scones were great.