Two goulash tests: a first-principles pork version on the 14th that came out better than expected, then a v2 on the 29th with oven-roasted pork, soaked dried mushrooms and smoked paprika. Alongside it, chicken Milanese from freezer-marinated cutlets, a more acidic batch of sweet pickled red onions, and the start of research into a cornmeal-breaded chicken patty. The backlog is mostly curries (butternut squash, Japanese, Instant Pot chicken thigh) plus a list of recipe sites to work through.
Wednesday, September 30th
Recipe hunt #todo #p0
- Vegetarian patty (peas, beans, potato, etc.) find a pattern here Veg patties #todone @2026-10-06
- Cornmeal-breaded chicken patty → this needs research
Bruce loves to cook site #todo
- Image thingy doesn’t swipe on mobile #todone @2026-10-10
Tuesday, September 29th
Research:
This week’s menu:
- Chicken Milanese (from freezer-marinated cutlets)
- Pork goulash v2 (another test of this recipe)
- oven-roasting the meat worked well (seasoned, rested, 233C quick heat)
- started onions/spices, then added dried mushrooms (soaked), garlic, carrot, celery
- fennel, coriander, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, anchos, salt, pepper
- white wine
- tomato paste
- beef stock (paste), chicken stock (homemade), mushroom soak water (strained)
- browning (1 tablespoon)
- salt/msg to taste
- Sweet pickled red onions (balanced more acidic with 1.5c vinegar to 1c water and 1c sugar)
- used pickling spice that may be a masala (coriander, bay, peppercorn, clove, etc.)
Monday, September 28th
Recipe book review pass
- Cornmeal-breaded chicken patty → this needs research
- chase the dark, mealy, crunchy breading from Chicken mall guy (see The impossible quest for the perfect chicken burger); try it on the Pan-fried chicken burger patty or a brined breast
Friday, September 18th
Food ideas
- butternut squash curry → Butternut squash curry
- beef thai curry → chicken thighs → Instant Pot chicken thigh curry
- Japanese curry → Pressure cooker Japanese curry
- One pot meals
- Chinese sausage rice
- Enchilada pie
- Chicken curry (simplified recipe, but likely good weeknight meal)
- Chicken pho
- TODO: Chutney recipes
- TODO: Dry vindaloo spice blend (write it up; offer it in Vindaloo wing sauce as an alternative to the paste)
Do a deep dive on mennonitegirlscancook and The Woks of Life
Example recipe sites (above, and …):
Monday, September 14th
The food log has moved!
Goulash from 1st principles
Made this as a prep day hack. Turned out better than expected.
- 1 pork shoulder (trimmed into 2cm cubes)
- 4 onions, rough dice (white, purple, shallot, leek)
- head of garlic, rough dice
- 6-10 large cremini mushrooms, sliced
- Salt, pepper, MSG
- 2 heaping tablespoons of sweet paprika
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 500ml chicken/beef stock
- 1 teaspoon of crushed fennel or caraway
- 1 large tin tomatoes (diced, or hand-crushed whole)
- 30ml tomato paste
- Browning sauce (15ml)
- Worcestershire sauce (15ml)
- Sherry (125ml), cider vinegar (50ml)
Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper, and toss in oil. Broil on a pan until one side browns nicely. Remove and set aside, keeping the pan drippings.
Add the mushrooms to a large pot with some neutral oil and add 100 ml of water. Cook until the water evaporates and the mushrooms brown. Add the onions and carrot, and cook down. Add the garlic and continue to cook. Add tomato paste, and cook until it starts to stick and the veg continues browning. Add the paprika and fennel or caraway, heating them (but not burning).
Deglaze with sherry and add the stock and Worcestershire. Add the tomatoes and crush if needed. Add the pork and pan drippings. Do not waste the pan drippings.
Hold a bare simmer, stirring regularly. Cook until pork is fork-tender (2-5 hours).
Add browning as needed. Balance with salt and cider vinegar.
Wednesday, September 9th
New foods