Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

Making a poblano grautin tonight along with a salad and pan fried boneless pork chops.

 

I do like frog's legs. It has been wet enough recently that maybe I could score some.

But then I would have to cook something else for everyone else. Trump steaks with ketchup?

 

Tonight I am making "corn-and-tomato scramble" (sauteed scallions and corn mixed with tomatoes marinaded in olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper) to go with grilled chicken legs and garlic mashed potatoes. The scramble is great when you can get fresh sweet corn and fresh vine ripe tomatoes.

Sunday we will have a crew coming over to watch the game and I am in charge of dinner. I am wavering between smoking a pork shoulder for Western NC style pulled pork sandwiches or doing Memphis style dry rubbed ribs. The only real difference is that the pork shoulder is a day long investment and the ribs only take the afternoon. I will need to decide by tomorrow so that the rub has enough time in the frig on the meat to do its thing.

Or I could do both!

 

Got the important part of Sunday's menu set. I am smoking St. Louis cut ribs and chickens. That way I can take the morning off and leave the pork shoulder for pulled pork to another day.

North Carolina cole slaw as a side for sure: cabbage, Vidalia onions, vinegar, oil, celery seed, touch of sugar, bell pepper, dry mustard, carrots are optional, no mayo. Yum. Even Yankees like this.

Maybe a big pot of baked beans? Or if someone asks what they can bring I can have them stop by Sonny's for the baked beans. It is the best thing that they make and a lot less work than making them myself.

 

Agreed.

But there is a pretty good chance that one guest will be bringing her famous creamed corn.

 

Tonight I made making pasta (farfalle) with a sauce made with sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, crushed red pepper, heavy cream, garlic, basil, and lots of shrimp.

Crunchy bread and a baby spinach/baby arugula salad with cucumber and tomato on the side.

A really nice Pinot Grigio (Santa Margherita) is chilled.

 

Baseball watching grub is in progress: chicken and St Louis ribs just started smoking, slaw is made and in the frig getting better by the minute, decided to make our own baked beans and they have been in the slow cooker making the house smell great since 9 am. My MIL is bringing a salad (OK) and her mocha cheesecake (OMG is it good). The light of my life will be making corn bread.

Running low on beer, though. Only two cold Stellas left. I've got to decide between filling some growlers at our local microbrew or heading off to Publix. Nice to have problems like this to decide.