2019

The Year
in
Brett Food

This was as good as anything I'd get in a restaurant... and probably even better. Certainly, I am happy to eat this whenever it is being served.

Um, yeah, so when is this being served, next?

You do TV Dinners your way and I'll do them mine, which in this case includes all you can eat Surf & Turf. Yeah, I think most of the Surf items (crab, lobster, and so on) are overrated, but it's a nice combo.

And oddly, with all that meat on the table, it's surprising how much buttered bread I ate.

So, this one is more like a TV Dinner Done Normal. Only, it too was pretty special. I mean, sure, everyone gets pizza now and then. But ribs were on sale that day (i.e. at The Pizza Place). And then, spaghetti with sausage and meatballs sounded pretty tasty (also, from The Pizza Place). So, we got all three.

If only I drank beer...

Well, I like it.

Often times, even better than hamburger.

So, go figure.

Q: What's better than a BLT?

A: A BLT with Extra-Extra Bacon!

And this isn't one of those marketing shots with all the bacon pushed to the front. It's half a package. Nothing more. Nothing less.


{Edit: We have a correction. I forgot that Half an Avocado was prominently featured in this sandwich. But personally, I would have preferred even more bacon, still.}

Hey! Do you remember last year? Do you remember how this entire post series was inspired by a Home Cooked Scallop Supper? And how I said, 'You can do that anytime you like?'

Well, sometimes such encouragement pays off.

I do not believe pictures do such a dish justice.

Yes, the meat looks burnt.

Yes, that part was probably my fault.

Yes, it tasted awesome.

Yes, I would do this again.

And finally...

Yes, I enjoyed eating this so much I added potatoes halfway through to extend the dish.

I do not like biscuits as a class. And these were not my favourite biscuits ever (a distinction held by some frozen bake and serve speciality brand with an amazingly crunchy crust on the bottom). But these can come in second place with just the right amount of biscuit overloaded with sausage, egg, and cheese.

There is a pile in the freezer. They are growing on me.

Yes!

Again and again.

This is right up there with leftover pizza.

It's what This Man will eat while His Girl is away.

It's what's for dinner... again... and again... and again.

I told you this was on the menu... a lot.

It's sort of like a BLT, but the Lettuce & Tomato is on the side. And there's more Bacon that usual.

It's getting to the point where I can't eat that much bacon, anymore. I remember back in the good old days when I'd go out for a breakfast buffet and eat a pound or more of bacon.

Good Times!

Let us spend a moment giving thanks to the Lamb Curries of Yesterday, who gave us their spicy all.

I am not one for straight-out candy, says the man who hardly ever leaves the house without a pocketful of suckers, these days. But this stuff is about as good as it gets. And it looks pretty darn cool, as well.

What you got here is your typical Feast: two types of meat (ribs and wings) with two types of fruit (apple and cherries). If it is missing anything, it's those two types of vegetables. Shall we say corn and coleslaw?

This is the sort of living I could get used to.

The chili was mine. Everything else just sort of magically appeared.

I mean, it wasn't just a salad for lunch. It was a Salad!

They look fantastic, don't they? Very photogenic. It was a first try, so they were not perfect... but darn close. Good enough to lick the bowl and make an Ice Cream Sunday out of the sauce for dessert.

A Wonderful Chef Salad!

Bowl Licking Good!

So, there are these baked potatoes that are squashed and then re-baked. They are crispy, delicious, and out of this world.

I mentioned the possibility of making a hamburger with these as the buns. And apparently, My Wish is Unto a Command, around here.

Hot Dog!

Er, Hot Smashed Potato Burgers!

After long thought, the Official Name became Cherry Fool with Biscoff Cookies and A White Chocolate Drizzle. It was far from great. But the sugar sure hit the spot. And I am never going to knock Home Cooked anything.

Glorious Chinese Take-Out, made fresh just for little old me.

Why Thank You!

There were a lot of things wrong with this meal that we need not get into (the beans were not de-veined and the dessert was a little overdone). But with those minor (or not so minor) complaints out of the way, what remained was worthy of note.

Home-made Lamb Meatballs!

Home-made Curry!

Home-made Braised Fruit in Sour Cream and Sugar!

Let me tell you, that last was a lot better than it sounds.

My Wish Is Unto A Command!

So, there's always that.

I was sick. And as such, Chicken Soup magically appeared. Obviously, not out of thin air, someone has to make these things. Almost all of the things on this page are made by A Special Someone. After all, that is the purpose of this page, a bit of thanks, not nearly enough, for making all these wonderful dishes.

Anyhow, on this particular day, that particular person was sick, as well.

So, there were bones in that there soup... a comical number of bones... almost as if the bone removal step had been omitted... well, not that bad... so almost as if someone had separated the bones... and poured some of them back into the soup rather than the garbage pail.

I liked the soup.

No need to trash talk it.

There was so much soup that the solids were separated and frozen and the stock reduced by half. Oh, that broth was heaven.

And then, Pot Pies were made out of the remainder. There are dishes which only require scant commentary. This, too, would be one.

But then, on reheating, after adding cheese to the top, toasting that brown, and adding sour cream and salsa to the lot... well, after all that, we indeed had a winner.

But then, as in life, it is the journey that matters... and this journey was fun, hence, the retelling of it all for your amusement.

Hedgehog Cheese Roll made with Cream Cheese and Sun Dried Tomatoes with almond sliver fur.

Glorious Vegetables braised with Balsamic.

Ducks cooked to perfection.

Stuffing, the good kine, made with Chestnuts and love.

And along with the usual chips, sodas, and other snack foods, the entire meal was topped off with a Chocolate Silk Pie (too sweet for me, so perfect for others) and a Pumpkin Pie, which took nutmeg and cinnamon spice to a wonderfully new level.

A solid delight.

Would do again.

Maybe, we should make a big fancy meal like this a yearly tradition or something.

The dish was very similar to up-scale Macaroni & Cheese... but being upscale, it was nothing like actual Macaroni & Cheese.

Angel Hair Pasta was smothered in a Heavy Cheese Sauce, which was in turn tricked out with Shrimp, Onions, and Peppers.

A True Delight!

The Log Cake (a.k.a. a Buche de Noel) was the clear winner in The Most Photogenic Food Dish Category this meal. The orange spice chocolate frosting was divine. And the mushrooms were melt in your mouth meringue.

I think, coming at it blind, I would have raved about the dried fruit stuffing (for the duck) a bit more. It was a simple recipe (apricots, cranberries, and onion, maybe more) diced and shoved inside the ducks prior to cooking. Very easy. Very tasty. A last minute surprise addition, after stuffing the duck with fresh oranges (as was done last time around) was vetoed... on account of cooked orange peel imparting a bitterness to anything it touches. Whereas, this fruit melody tasted divine.