https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...245457b502.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...82196379e6.jpg

Pepperoni pizza with roasted garlic and mushrooms. Appetizer of roasted cauliflower

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d823c3cc82.jpg

MOIST takeaway from Allegro Osaka (no seat availability) - still good, though

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d3aaf1637.jpeg

Well, I found out that the soup base smells and tests the same as a chinese branded mix.... definitely not worth it. I'll have to find an instant pho from a different brand to satisfy my 2am pho fix. :)

Pappardelle with shrimp, arugula, artichoke hearts
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...12d28dfb2c.jpg

This looks good AND healthy!

It was very good (tons of garlic)...and as healthy as regular pasta can be. I dont do whole grain pasta which would actually be healthier but yuck.

Fresh steak at Osaka Station Hotel Speciality Salon

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...846ac462f.jpeg

I went out to Overland Park to try a new (to me) place with a buddy of mine. It's called 1981 K-Chicken and was excellent, plus I felt like a good value for the price. We shared the beef fried dumplings and then I got the chicken spicy crispy thighs with spicy soy garlic and spicy sweet chili sauce.

https://photos.smugmug.com/FlyerTalk...IMG_8721-L.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/FlyerTalk...IMG_8722-L.jpg

Cookie exchange & Linner with my moms group

charcuterie
cheese plate
baguette & butters
prosciutto & Boursin wrapped asparagus
kale & quinoa salad
latkes & toppings

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0a68b3646.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c952d9016.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...13d366c41.jpeg

Folks, might be a tad early but I need Christmas dinner help.

I'll grill boneless short ribs, but my brother and his wife/kids are the issue in regards to most sides.

1-I will make mashed potatoes for the adults but white rice for the kids.
2- One kid likes corn, the other peas, so I have them for them.
3- The NYT Black Bean East bake will be one of my apps.

I'm clueless about sides for the adults. I have frozen cheddar broccoli and cauliflower in my freezer. Food&Wine * had a sweet potato with chorizo butter which I may use for the adults, but I don't know what else to make.

*So I believe for credit.

Cornbread?
Potstickers? (not quite traditional, but storebought and then fried at home makes it easy and handy)
Dixie Coleslaw (aka the KFC coleslaw)
Sushi? (Sounds weird, but a tradition amongst some of my friends)
A hearty stew?
Russian salad? (this is a favourite at a friend's Slava dinner.)

Basically I'd go one route... is it comfort food that can be shared? That's what would decide whether it goes on my table.

Back to Allegro for an eggy pizza

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fde1c1089.jpeg

Trader Joe’s cereal with fresh blueberries. I’m full from luncheon and have the stoned munchies.

You already have mashed potatoes so the sweet potato might be too much. Maybe offer chorizo butter with the mashed potatoes or rolls?
rolls & butter
that frozen cheddar broccoli & cauliflower or just steamed broccoli
if you have bandwidth, maybe Mac & cheese
Cole slaw if possible with the ribs
grilled lamb or boar sausage
grilled or baked onions
chips & dip
cheese & crackers
poached shrimp & lemon & cocktail sauce
Caesar salad

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f00ab40fb.jpeg

Short ribs are not the same as baby backs or spare ribs. Often they are braised...are you grilling them with some type of sauce?
Mashed is traditional so that will be good. I think all you need along with the potatoes is a simple veggie such as glazed or roasted rainbow carrots. Or sautéed garlicky spinach. Or balsamic grilled fennel. Or roasted Brussels sprouts. I am dying to try a recipe I found for latkes made with shredded Brussels sprouts.
Will you be serving a salad before?

Tiny carbonara pizza at Cafe Oasis, Nara - unfortunately, my ears aren’t bulging - followed by a very yummy cinnamon donut and okay salted caramel donut from Maedano Donut

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9228015b5.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d20ce3d40.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6dcf3a326.jpeg

I have pork/kimchi pot stickers in my freezer, so that's an option! Thanks. I have Jiffy mix here for cornbread for the boy, but the girl and her father love white rolls, which I have already. I have fried ravioli too just in case.

I have both a cheddar broccoli and cauliflower bake in my freezer. I have the NYT chorizo butter recipe since I saw it days ago. I have chorizo in the freezer.

I have a microwave Kraft dinner, but have ingredients for a 9x9 White chicken spinach lasagna too.
I have shrimp ready to steam for them before they arrive too.

They will be grilled with likely a soy based sauce. They don't eat salad as my folks don't eat them either.


They'll be here on Friday for an hour, so I will directly ask for their wants outside of white rice. Really, I appreciate and thank you all for suggestions.

Avocado cheese burger at Monks on the Moon, Nara - the fries were much better than they look

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dd5466109.jpeg

Souvla, sf:
carryout

chicken salad with side of pita
Greek fries

I then had more cereal due to stoner munchies

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...94f8c7be2.jpeg

I’ve been dreaming of this since last year - the egg and smoked mozzarella pizza from Pizzeria Brown Blossom in Kyoto - the chef is a maestro in my eyes

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d9bbaa6f1.jpeg

Dark chocolate and ginger cookie from Ben’s Cookies for dessert

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5b887e900.jpeg

early pre-supper:

French (sweet) baguette from noe valley bakery
Assd slices of salami
butter

I hope that this goes very well for you!

Spiazzo, sf:

mixed salad
rigatoni cinghiale (wild boar ragu)


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4e667a198.jpeg

Pizzeria Brown Blossom and Ben’s Cookies again - though, this time, I had the triple chocolate - headed back in to the Ritz as it was raining to play some Zelda (guess I can explore the Japanese countryside that way) ;-)

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b2d7314d5.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...059e58d18.jpeg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...85a6d83510.png
Chicken, Kale and fries from Milestones. :)

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6a9288c21c.jpg
Frozen pizza. It wasn't horrible. :D

Pre-supper leftover pizza

dragon well, sf:
won ton noodle soup
crab rangoon

fried rice
mongolian beef
kung pao chicken


Which brand?

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...39e2d5a9d.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...852fa83e3.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...beea32b3e.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...df61b9f38.jpeg

Safeway rising crust. I was feeling particularly cheap so gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised.

I've tried many frozen pizza as of late... sadly they didn't pass the test. And in many of them, you couldn't even save it by adding ingredients.

I wanted pasta, but all I had handy was cod. Did some Googling and decided to take a jar of marinara sauce and add fish stock. I added spinach in lieu of making a salad.

I experimented with making the pasta in the sauce which used up a ton of fish stock. But the sauce was very flavorful at least.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c908f6114.jpeg

Christmas meal update:
When asked about sides, my brother and sister-in-law were passive-aggressive in telling me they don't care, but just have the vegetables which the kids like (corn for one, peas for the other). They also asked what to bring and I will tell them nothing partly due to their Thanksgiving actions and how spare that meal was.

Sounds like a lovely Xmas dinner with you punishing them for Thanksgiving. :rolleyes:

Smoked mozzarella pizza from Cascorosso, Hiroshima - aggravating as many seats were free, but it was “all reserved” - would have taken me 5 minutes to eat the pizza while it was hot

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...39b453dc0.jpeg

Tamales estilo Veracruzano para todos. Just like the baby jesus ordered for dinner two thousand+ years ago.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3b8ccc4efb.jpg

They're going on a seven day Carnival cruise on the 28th and I have no keep their cocker spaniel for two weeks. Their punishment is that while in this house the dog hangs around me and not them because at his home, none of those four walk him. They just open their patio so he'll do his business in their miniscule backyard. Here he gets walked and gets to eat wet food mixed with his kibble so he actually eats. He knows when they hit the driveway someone actually cares for him, and I have never owned a dog. But since 2001, I seem to take care of other people's pets over Christmas as I worked at universities and rarely went home. For two weeks, I will be lucky to get $60 from them as they think I'm a free kennel.

Back to food, the rib marinade was soy, red wine vinegar, garlic and onion. I made the pesto chicken lasagna tonight to bake tomorrow, but I forgot to add riced cauliflower to the ricotta mix.

Christmas Eve:

poached shrimp
cheese & crackers with quince jam and Peruvian pepper jam

wild fresh dungeness crab
King red crab legs
Caesar salad with smushed anchovies
pasta
brocollini
Costco baguette

cookie platter (from my cookie exchange - my wife mentioned that it’s from my moms group which is different from hers)
Too full for ice cream

I’m stunned by how easy and delicious poached shrimp can be. The crab was really good. I loved the Caesar. it’s a very difficult leftover and I’m not stoned so don’t have late night munchies.


you are absolutely amazing with your parents and the brother’s dog. I have read (and non-obsessively recalled) your posts and how you take great care of your parents. Caregiving is an extremely thankless activity and I appreciate your great work.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c61736683.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9f27c75e4.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...356e837b0.jpeg

Pot stickers, black bean dip, wings, and bagel dogs for appetizers.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b981b42058.jpg


But sister-in-law was not in attendance for the forth consecutive year. One year she has to move her parents, two years she had to work as she works conventions for the Gaylord Orlando. But today she not showed because she apparently has stomach flu after their family's annual Christmas Eve steak and lobster dinner at an Orlando Flemming's steakhouse.

Short ribs are resting now.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e48b3eb55b.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...64bb073781.jpg

Delicious ham and egg pizza from Parco della Pace, Hiroshima, finished with an affogato - the staff was lovely, and they had me sign an atlas guestbook with all of their foreign guests and where they had come from - the walls were also decorated with foreign currency

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0d48c77f9.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f4857df4c.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3e54ed1aa.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7a33b5572.jpeg

Christmas supper at our friends’ house:
turkey
ham
sides

zanze cheesecake
carrot cake
cookies from my cookie exchange
NAMA Japanese chocolates from their nyc shop

fresca

i drove and was sober for the meal. I’m now home and high and I might eat more seafood if I get the munchies

good - one fewer guest to host. I invited my mother and her granddaughter and my mom declined on Saturday. Two fewer guests makes life easier.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f93a2d537.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...600c5ef1e.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3bc695115.jpeg

I recognize that Matcha green tea chocolate. :D