Lamb stew (and scallops with greens)

Last night I made lamb stew. It’s a recipe in one of my old Sunset cookbooks – Cooking for Two or Just for You. I sorta know it by heart but I usually have to look it up to make sure I do the “secret sauce” correctly. It’s ketchup, red whine vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire. I am somewhat approximate with the proportions.

Recently I randomly googled the recipe and to my great surprise, someone actually made a post about the EXACT recipe. I can’t find it now but the poster said they had for many years given the recipe (and maybe the cookbook and a utensil or two) to newlyweds. I was astounded. I did not own this cookbook or recipe when I was a newlywed but it has been one of my go-to recipes for many years.

I made that lamb stew last night (it works well with beef too). Tonight I cooked sea scallops with greens. Kale and spinach as you might be able to see from the pic. This is a more recent go-to recipe. Soy/tamari, garlic, and sesame oil. Yes.

Of all things, I am actually ahead on my 2024 goodreads challenge. I finished “Wish You Were Here” today. It’s a Jodi Picoult and I am up and down about her books. Some of them annoy me but they are ALWAYS page turners. This one is about our own loverly pandemic, covid 19. It covers multiple points of view. Overwhelmed medical professionals and the patients they were treating on vents. And some other kinds of weird stuff I won’t try to describe. I dunno what the main character actually experienced but in my life I’ve learned that there are things that cannot always be explained by science even though I am a believer in science. Anyway, I loved the book.

3 Responses to “Lamb stew (and scallops with greens)”

  1. Margaret Says:

    I generally don’t like Picoult because I think she overwrites and always has to have a surprise twist. But so many like her that I think I’m being too harsh. That sauce sounds like it would be good on many things; not being a fan of lamb, I would put it on beef or chicken.

  2. Pooh Says:

    I too just finished “Wish You Were Here”. I love Jodi Picoult’s book. I was telling Brit about Jodi Picoult, and then looked at the back to see what this one was about. Brit said, “Um, maybe not my cup of tea.” The next day she tested positive for Covid, so I guess it wasn’t for her! I picked it up at a Little Free Library near us. There are two on our regular walk, and another one on the way to our Post Office. I’ve found some good books, and some awful books. (Christmas romance novel? Why did I pick that up?) The last one I picked up was “Quiver” by Peter Leonard. It was his first novel, written in 1990. Apparently, his father, Elmer Leonard, also wrote a lot of books. I guess I’d call it a thriller, with a lot of low-life characters. It is set in Michigan, so that part was interesting. The characters drive the story. I told Mark that it would make a good “Mark” movie.

  3. Pam J. Says:

    I’ll have to try that Jodi Picoult book since I apparently like novels with Covid thrown in. I recently read Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout, a slim novel that (I learned later) is the fourth in a series. Then I read the earlier three novels. Very satisfying!