OT - What are you doing right now?

WeberWho

^^ Sorry, that was written in a hurry. It's super garbled and not exactly clear. (I quickly wrote the post while I went and grabbed our vehicle and the short time I had before Grandma and the family came out of the restaurant) I didn't have a chance to go back and read my post until now. 

Overall It was a descent meal. Much better than I anticipated. I even managed to post the wrong fruit in the post above. *Fresh squeezed lemon. Not a lime. Overall, Grandma was happy. That's what counts! I'll even make Lutefisk a yearly tradition if Grandma wants to go again next year!

Botch

Like you, I grew up with lutefisk and strongly disliked the jelly texture (it basically slid down your throat without a chance for you to swallow, blech) but your picture looks okay, I'd give that one more try.  
There is a village in central UT with a predominantly Scandinavian heritage, I guess if I want to try it it'll have to be this weekend.    

dbCooper

@WeberWho - Good on you, all the way around.  The Swedish meatballs would be a definite add-on for me.  Viking surf-n-turf. 🙂

dbCooper

Had to sweep up somebody's crack pipe from my driveway this morning.  Hope it wasn't their only one...

fishlessman

WeberWho said:

Just in talking with my wife's Grandma last year, I somehow mentioned that I haven't had lutefisk since I was a little kid. She mentioned that their was a Swedish restaurant the next town over that serves it around Christmas. My wife's grandma reminded me a few weeks back about the Lutefisk as I've been wanting to try it. (Not a very fond memory of it when trying it as a kid.) So I had to give it a go with my wife's 100% Swedish Grandma. My thoughts.....

I was expecting the absolute worst but was pleasantly surprised after the first bite. I was expecting a jelly like texture but it was almost more of a rubbery texture. (Calamari came to mind) I didn't wasn't mask the flavor with the white sauce or butter. It was pretty flavorless/tasteless. The butter helped. It was descent with butter and a fresh squeezed lime. The potatoes were the clear winner on the plate. Overall It was a good. My wife's Grandma even brought homemade hot mustard along. She said the mustard is sometimes needed depending on how it was made. Since I didn't know the difference between good Lutefisk and bad Lutefisk, she assured me that this was really good flakey lutefisk. So I'll take it as a win. I got to retry lutefisk and my wife's Grandma got to eat a staple of her heritage!

Do some work over the next year and make it for her next year. Bet you can make it taste better. Modernize the recipe....make it yours, bet she appreciates that

WeberWho

Botch said:

Like you, I grew up with lutefisk and strongly disliked the jelly texture (it basically slid down your throat without a chance for you to swallow, blech) but your picture looks okay, I'd give that one more try.  
There is a village in central UT with a predominantly Scandinavian heritage, I guess if I want to try it it'll have to be this weekend.    

Yeah, I think it's one of those foods where the person has to know what they're doing when preparing/making it. No jelly consistency. Almost rubbery in texture. I think the biggest key factor is that I had zero prep in making it and I didn't have to be around it when cooking it. I'd imagine the smell of the lutefisk cooking isn't the most flattering scent. The lutefisk magically showed up if front of me and all I had to do was eat it. So it was a pretty painless meal. Very plain and tasteless when eating it by itself. The butter and lemon really gave it a boost. I'd have no problem eating next Christmas. It's no steak or burger by any stretch but definitely better than I ever imagined. 

Botch

WeberWho said:
I think the biggest key factor is that I had zero prep in making it and I didn't have to be around it when cooking it. I'd imagine the smell of the lutefisk cooking isn't the most flattering scent. The lutefisk magically showed up if front of me and all I had to do was eat it.

Oh yeah, I completely forgot that part.  Like scrapple and rocky mountain oysters, the further away you are from the sights/smells of prep, the better.  

WeberWho

dbCooper said:

@WeberWho - Good on you, all the way around.  The Swedish meatballs would be a definite add-on for me.  Viking surf-n-turf. 🙂

I was told Swedish meatballs need to be served or be an option at a true lutefisk dinner. (I guess some real Swedish folk won't even touch Lutefisk. So Swedish meatballs are traditionally the other option.) We did order cinnamon/sugar lefse for a side though.

My wife's family tradition is to serve Swedish potato sausage at Holiday gatherings. All I can say is, "I'm glad the Germans figured out how to make sausages, otherwise we'd all have to eat Swedish potato sausage." 

WeberWho

fishlessman said:

WeberWho said:

Just in talking with my wife's Grandma last year, I somehow mentioned that I haven't had lutefisk since I was a little kid. She mentioned that their was a Swedish restaurant the next town over that serves it around Christmas. My wife's grandma reminded me a few weeks back about the Lutefisk as I've been wanting to try it. (Not a very fond memory of it when trying it as a kid.) So I had to give it a go with my wife's 100% Swedish Grandma. My thoughts.....

I was expecting the absolute worst but was pleasantly surprised after the first bite. I was expecting a jelly like texture but it was almost more of a rubbery texture. (Calamari came to mind) I didn't wasn't mask the flavor with the white sauce or butter. It was pretty flavorless/tasteless. The butter helped. It was descent with butter and a fresh squeezed lime. The potatoes were the clear winner on the plate. Overall It was a good. My wife's Grandma even brought homemade hot mustard along. She said the mustard is sometimes needed depending on how it was made. Since I didn't know the difference between good Lutefisk and bad Lutefisk, she assured me that this was really good flakey lutefisk. So I'll take it as a win. I got to retry lutefisk and my wife's Grandma got to eat a staple of her heritage!

Do some work over the next year and make it for her next year. Bet you can make it taste better. Modernize the recipe....make it yours, bet she appreciates that

I wonder how that would work. If you stray too much from the recipe it just becomes cod. The lutefisk could have definitely used some spices. Then again that's what Swedish people are used to. I don't know if the Sweds are known for flavor and spice. I'd change it up in a heartbeat just to simply play around with the overall flavor and see if it changes something. 

fishlessman

Botch said:

WeberWho said:
I think the biggest key factor is that I had zero prep in making it and I didn't have to be around it when cooking it. I'd imagine the smell of the lutefisk cooking isn't the most flattering scent. The lutefisk magically showed up if front of me and all I had to do was eat it.

Oh yeah, I completely forgot that part.  Like scrapple and rocky mountain oysters, the further away you are from the sights/smells of prep, the better.  

Pretty sure it's further away from the meal, not the prep😆

lousubcap

Trying to drive a 9 lb pork shoulder across the finish line 12+ hours into the cook.  Average cook temp (one point calibrated dome thermo) around 270-280*F.  Defaulted to the Texas crutch to get it done.  Going for the lechon asado cook (first time down that road in around 5 years) as this is going to the local firehouse Xmas day.  Other cooks in the queue preclude day of, so now and a reheat if this thing ever declares victory. 

alaskanassasin

lousubcap said:

Trying to drive a 9 lb pork shoulder across the finish line 12+ hours into the cook.  Average cook temp (one point calibrated dome thermo) around 270-280*F.  Defaulted to the Texas crutch to get it done.  Going for the lechon asado cook (first time down that road in around 5 years) as this is going to the local firehouse Xmas day.  Other cooks in the queue preclude day of, so now and a reheat if this thing ever declares victory. 

 Did you schedule your initial drop off or just swing by with dinner for the guys?  I am sure now they know its coming and look forward to it every year.

fishlessman

For a nine pounder it looks on track.go strong on the mojo, bring fresh lime

lousubcap

Yep- This little piggy is definitely driving the cook.  They know I will deliver something and also know I will get it there in the 3-5 PM window.  I was a volunteer FF at this small house for 12+ years (loved the adrenaline rush) til questionable leadership and politics intervened.  (Now old age rules independent of any external factors.)  

Ozzie_Isaac

dbCooper said:

Had to sweep up somebody's crack pipe from my driveway this morning.  Hope it wasn't their only one...

Sheesh, that is not something I would expect to clean up.

lousubcap

To close the loop for the Monday reheat and delivery,

Off the BGE and with the clean bone (upper left) extraction, a pic

And the end game before the reheat and delivery :

Did not have as much citrus flavour (nod) as expected (especially since I did get the sour orange juice from the local Mexican grocery store).  Perhaps a heavy lime infusion will "juice" it up. 

Thanks for lookin'.

Ozzie_Isaac

lousubcap said:

To close the loop for the Monday reheat and delivery,

Off the BGE and with the clean bone (upper left) extraction, a pic

And the end game before the reheat and delivery :

Did not have as much citrus flavour (nod) as expected (especially since I did get the sour orange juice from the local Mexican grocery store).  Perhaps a heavy lime infusion will "juice" it up. 

Thanks for lookin'.

Dyal_SC

@lousubcap , currently got 2 going here too. Don’t mind waking up at 3 AM if I get to play with meat and fire. 

The torch greeting the Rockwood first thing in morning is music to my ears. 

GrateEggspectations

Dyal_SC said:

The torch greeting the Rockwood first thing in morning is music to my ears. 

Couldn’t agree more. There’s something so satisfying about lighting up the grill and watching the wisps of smoke in the still night air before sunrise while all is quiet in the household. 

lousubcap

@Ozzie_Isaac - I am sure you got authorization to use that seal...Given that, the above cook was just a tricked out pork butt and definitely not worthy! 😎

Dyal_SC

Just prepped my secret macaroni and cheese recipe.  Shhhhh…. It’s only 4 ingredients:

4 cups Tillamook triple cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup dukes mayo
16 oz box of cooked elbow macaroni (less if you like it super cheesy, all of it if you have a crowd)
S&P

350 deg F for 30-35 minutes. 

This one is a double batch. Have a bunch of family arriving today. 

dbCooper

About 31F here with 83% humidity.  Let the mutts out and noticed the heat pump coils are frozen.  Switched on the a/c for about 10 minutes to thaw the unit.  Hoping to get lucky troubleshooting the defrost system, upside is I'll have nice weather to work in.

ColtsFan

Dyal_SC said:

Just prepped my secret macaroni and cheese recipe.  Shhhhh…. It’s only 4 ingredients:

4 cups Tillamook triple cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup dukes mayo
16 oz box of cooked elbow macaroni (less if you like it super cheesy, all of it if you have a crowd)
S&P

350 deg F for 30-35 minutes. 

This one is a double batch. Have a bunch of family arriving today. 

Stealing this. 

Ozzie_Isaac

Dyal_SC said:

@lousubcap , currently got 2 going here too. Don’t mind waking up at 3 AM if I get to play with meat and fire. 

The torch greeting the Rockwood first thing in morning is music to my ears. 

I have started prepping my fire near bed time (usually 11-12) I get fire lit and stabilized.  Protein is ready too.  Then wake up at 3 or 4, check temp on grill, put protein on, go back to bed.  I am more of a night owl than a morning person.

JohnInCarolina

Prepping for the arrival of my brother and his family, coming in tomorrow from Minnesota.  

They have an adopted daughter from Korea, and the whole family has gotten into Korean food.  So I’m mixing up a batch of Yukpo (Korean beef jerky).  

Also going to try to make some Yorkshire pudding rolls for dinner tomorrow night.  I may do a test run tonight just to make sure they turn out ok.  At least, that is the story I’ve sold to the spousal unit…

lkapigian

Ozzie_Isaac said:

dbCooper said:

Had to sweep up somebody's crack pipe from my driveway this morning.  Hope it wasn't their only one...

Sheesh, that is not something I would expect to clean up.

Part of the landscape here in California 

lkapigian

dbCooper said:

About 31F here with 83% humidity.  Let the mutts out and noticed the heat pump coils are frozen.  Switched on the a/c for about 10 minutes to thaw the unit.  Hoping to get lucky troubleshooting the defrost system, upside is I'll have nice weather to work in.

Should be easy peazy , it’s just a board … kind of looks like an uneven frost pattern though

Battleborn

dbCooper said:

Had to sweep up somebody's crack pipe from my driveway this morning.  Hope it wasn't their only one...

Looks like the remnants of a meth pipe. Fun find! Is the catalytic converter on your vehicle still?

shtgunal3

Watching the Birmingham Bowl, Troy vs Duke @JohnInCarolina

JohnInCarolina

shtgunal3 said:

Watching the Birmingham Bowl, Troy vs Duke @JohnInCarolina

Yep, me too!