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It is day two of the friendship bread adventure. As you see by one of the pictures above, the starter is doing nicely. I had some issues at first. My directions say to proof the yeast for ten minutes until it because bubbly. Well ten minutes came and went and there was no bubbles. Sooo I added a pinch of sugar to the batter/mix and waited another ten minutes. Still nothing. Now I was thinking did I get bad yeast? I checked the date on the package. It said it was good until 2022. What was I to do? Should I throw it out and start over? Nope, I decided to heat some water in the microwave in a second bowl. I put the yeast bowl on top of the hot water bowl so it acted like a double boiler. I kept checking the temp of the yeast. It started at 87 degrees and then started rising. As the temperature rose those little yeast bastards finally got to work and were making Co2. Soon after the temperature hit 97 degrees Fahrenheit, I had frothy yeast at last. We are talking 30 minutes here, not ten, just so you know.  I started following the recipe again. I mixed the flour and sugar together and then added my room temperature milk. I mixed it well and added all my yeast and water (with a pinch of sugar). I a finale mix so it was well blended. Then covered it with plastic wrap and poked a hole to let out Co2.

I checked on the starter an hour later and it was slowly bubbling. Nice. I decide now was a god time to make dinner. The day before I marinated some skirt steaks (posted on INSTAGRAM). I purchased them at Mathew’s Meat Market. Go there people, it is worth it. You will NOT be disappointed! Maybe I should not tell everyone. It seems when I do tell people about a good place a few months later I am waiting in line. Well, I want them to stay in business so…go.

Back to the marinade, I almost forgot. While I was there I, purchased other things besides the skirt steaks. I bought sea scallops that is was intending to make with a beet cuscus when I though company was coming over. Unfortunately, they could not make it, so the sea scallops will get put on the back burner to use a cooking metaphor.

On with the steak. I took out some of that skirt steak from the refrigerator to let it come up to room temperature while I prepared the potatoes. I was determined to get little white potatoes on the grill damit. So ounce again I steamed the potatoes in the microwave. OH YES! This time I purchase propane from that beer distributor I told you about, the Brightwaters Beverage Center. I also got beer. SURPRISE!

I had gone shopping at Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace on Deer Park Avenue too. There I picked up some string beans as a vegetable along with radishes and fresh figs for Jennifer. The figs were not for dinner.

I trimmed the string beans and put them in a pot to steam while I put the potatoes and meat on the grill. 

I served the potatoes and skirt steak with the string beans, garden tomatoes (purchased at Mathews) and radishes. We need to make radish rosettes tonight.

Click the links for the following recipes:

Steak Marinade II: inspired by my friends Rose and Bill

Steamed string beans

Grilled Potatoes

Skirt Steak

I will be making the sea scallops on a bed of beet cuscus soon I hope. Along with the deserts I had planned, an apple tart with vanilla ice cream.

So much to cook so little time.

The Drunken Chef (Russ)