Lamb Stew and Cookies

[ase]

My roommate's prescient ability to tie up the shower five minutes before I'd like a shot at the bathroom - at all times of the day, every day of the week - never fails to astonish me.

Tonight's adventures in food: modified lamb stew with spinach and garbanzo beans and butterscotch nut cookies.

I picked up discount meat at the store today without noticing that it was 1.) a tough stewing cut and 2.) bone-in. So my tentative plan for quickie poached-ish lamb got shot. New rule: NO BONE-IN CUTS unless you plan to throw the whole cut in and let the meat soften and melt off. Trust me, hacking the meat from a spinal cord with lousy dull knives is no fun.

Actual modifications to the recipe: skipped the spinach and garlic because I was out. Out of chicken stock; found some chicken... jelly-ish stuff separated out in the (brand new) fat jar, and made up the volume with water. Used a gigantic pot instead of a large, or even a medium - I've learned my lesson - and reduced the simmer time by about 15 minutes. I was expecting a more soup-y stew, but this is definitely stew. Even with all the modifications, the stew turned out more than edible. I'll probably serve it over some mix of green salad and/or couscous.

Butterscotch cookies: it seems like every time I make these cookies, I reduce the oven temp a bit more. 375 is now down to 300; either my kitchen's way hot (ah, summer) or something else is up. No more scanting the salt for me!

Comments

[ashcomp.livejournal.com]

Having lived in a home with one bathroom for over 30 years--much of that with one or more roommates, I can only sympathize.

[ase.livejournal.com]

It turns out one of my roomies does have the master suite - distinguished by her own bath - so it's just two people who are on nearly identical schedules. I can only imagine what having three people trying to hustle through one bathroom before school/work must be like.