Food What's For Dinner Tonight?

The location we were at has been around forever, is always crowded, and probably 80% of the crowd at any given time are folks who have been in numerous times. We've been to that location several times, but sporadically spread over many years. The overworked waitress I can understand, but the support staff being slow and favoring the regulars not so much so. My wife, who has been a waitress, gave our waitress a 15% tip, who didn't seem happy about it. We normally tip accordingly, usually 20%, sometimes 25% for truly excellent service.

I should do a Google review and mention what happened.

 

I tip depending on the service, if it's really bad I'll go 10%. Once, I left nothing, it was that bad, and I spoke with the manager and explained myself before I left.

I'll also speak up when service is exceptional. Mrs. Lance & I went to The Keg, a popular chain that we had been skipping because it seemed to have gone downhill. The food was excellent and the service was top notch. Our waiter was attentive without being intrusive, which in my experience is rare and a pretty fine line to draw. I talked to his manager as well, and he came to the table and thanked me for doing that. I told him he deserved it and to keep up the good work. We tipped 25%.

 

I had it for lunch at a ramen bar earlier this week, with sliced ribeye bulgogi and roasted/seasoned kimchi

 

I love making ramen. I make a Cambodian version with a shrimp and roasted pork broth, that made the hubs sick to his stomach while it cooked. But God, the flavor.

 

Three pounds of pork ribs in the slow cooker and finished off in a 325*F oven with the best bbq sauce ever (and it's paleo) for a half hour. Broccoli fritters (roasted broccoli, egg, S&P, curry powder and a little coconut flour to bind) and oven baked yuca fries. I'm stuffed. Hubs is ridiculously full. And in heaven. He chose the recipe when I handed him the 'Down South Paleo' cookbook. Sorry to those who already saw this on Faceyspace and instagram but I am damn proud.

 

Homemade. So easy and so freaking amazing. I'll pull the recipe and post it soon. Simple and authentic. The caramelization is ridiculous.

 

Last night was:

Pork butt cooked about 9.5 hours in the Crock Pot. My wife did the seasoning, not sure what all she used, but it tasted great. I now understand why pork butt is popular for smoking (cooking, that is ), very fatty, moist & tender after a long cook time.

Baked potato and baked onion, cooked in the small convection oven .

Turkey Hill ice cream, Colombian Coffee flavor, with fresh blackberries.

 

Last night was pinto beans, with the usual seasonings and (of course!) a ham bone with some meat on it.

We tried a new recipe for Mexican rice, which was good, but it was a little too complicated for what should be a simple side dish. It came from one of the America's Test Kitchen cookbooks (complicated recipes aren't complicated when you have a large staff of assistants to do most of the work ).

 

We have a whole chicken slow cooking in the crock pot.

My wife (with some help from me) is doing a home-made carrot cake. Oops, I'm needed!

 

Tis the season for fresh grilled Alaskan salmon and asparagus. Kept the salmon simple with just a little Adobo seasoning because it's so good it stand on its own.
Grilled the asparagus next to it with a drop of olive oil and sea salt.
With horse radish or chutney as a side for dipping, and Israeli couscous.

 

I'm cooking chicken laksa tonight. Won't be too spicy as youngest son won't eat it.

 

We had the slow-cooked chicken, baked potato, & steamed broccoli & cauliflower cooked al dente. Not aesthetically pleasing on the plate, but it tasted great.

And of course some of the home-made-from-scratch carrot cake for desert.