Pantry, fridge, and freezer...


On a whim, I went south of town to the Nob Hill grocery this afternoon, which had (gasp) pasta in stock, and not just that frou-frou organic gluten-free spinach crap. I passed on the boxes of lasagna noodles, though, because if I made my lasagna, I would eat the entire thing before it had time to cool; it’s that kind of week.

They also had 5-pound bags of rice, and plenty of packages of curry roux, which will come in handy given the promise of thunderstorms all week long. I’ll likely make dry curry rather than the usual sauce-y stuff. (I didn’t need another bag of rice, but I might as well extend my supplies until at least mid-June)

Their selection of onions and peppers was better than either of the nearby Safeways. No raw chicken, but plenty of beef and pork in various cuts, and about two dozen cooked rotisserie chickens. Also plenty of lunch meat, cheese, and bread, which I didn’t need.

I did round out my stock of canned tomato products, and bought two packages of Italian sausage to throw in the freezer with the ground beef and pork I already had. Half of the Costco strip steaks in the fridge will get grilled tomorrow, and the other half vacuum-sealed and frozen, to be cooked sous vide sometime.

They even had significant quantities of milk (limit 2/customer), but the only non-organic whole milk was in gallon jugs, and I only use the stuff for cooking. I’ve got some ultra-pasteurized and a big can of dry whole milk in the pantry, though, so I’d rather wait for the next truck than buy too much fresh and have it go to waste.

I resisted the twin siren calls of Honeycomb and Reese’s Easter Eggs. I can only spend so much time on the elliptical.

Amazon has confirmed shipment of my monthly order of canned fruit and coffee, and I’ve got a big bag of Costco oranges to work through.

Now all I need is a new job! (yes, I was laid off over the phone last Monday; I’d speculate on how a public company plans to get by with only one senior system administrator who didn’t know it was coming, but I signed the non-disparagement agreement…)

(And in case you’re wondering, it’s actually improved my mood considerably. I’ve been on call 24x7 without a break for more than 13 years, and I’ve never had an honest-to-gosh forget-your-laptop vacation. I have plenty of cash in the bank and no debt but the mortgage, and once the severance check arrives, I’m good through at least September.)

NHK Dry Curry recipe after the jump (the link went stale):


NHK Dry Curry

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 400 grams ground meat (mixed beef and pork)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 green peppers (or red/yellow/orange if you don’t like the bitterness)
  • 60 grams curry roux (store-bought)
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander seed
  • 3 sprigs basil (fresh)
  • 3 sprigs Italian parsley (fresh)
  • 3 sprigs rosemary (fresh)
  • [A]
    • 1 tbsp ketchup
    • 1 tsp Worcester sauce
    • A pinch of salt
    • A pinch of pepper
  1. Coarsely mince the onion. Remove the stems and seeds from the green peppers and coarsely mince.

  2. Coarsely chop the curry roux. Grind the coriander seeds in a suribachi grinding bowl. Remove the tough stems from the fresh herbs and mince.

  3. Warm the vegetable oil in a frying pan placed over medium heat and quickly stir-fry the ground meat.

  4. When the meat changes color, add the onions and continue to stir-fry.

  5. Add the curry roux followed by the curry powder and coriander. Once the roux has melted, add [A] and season. If using dried herbs, add them now.

  6. Add the green peppers and stir-fry. Add the fresh herbs, stir briefly and turn off the heat. Serve with steamed rice.


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