percyn

Ok, I have been slacking on posting Parsi recipes here. I usually post in the Dinner! and Breakfast! threads. I will make up for it over the holidays though...I hope. I am not sure whether Bhida (okra) Gosht is considered a Parsi dish, but I used to eat it as a kid. Instead of repeating the post, you can view it here. Cheers Percy

Scrambled eggs with Holiday Sausage (sage, chianti, pork, spices, etc).

Had a late lunch, so I was looking for a light dinner...thats if you call 2 pieces of Foie Gras light (my wife does not enjoy it and the D'Artagnan package comes with 2 vacuum sealed pieces). A recent episode of The Thirsty Traveler on the Fine Living Network had an episode where they make foie gras with a sauce made with ice wine (recipe is on foodtv site here), so I had some inspiration. Scored the foie gras, liberally sprinkled fleur de sel and pepper. Seared each side for 30 sec in a hot non-stick frying pan. Sauce - 1.5 tbsp Apricot preserves, 1 tbsp demi glace, splash of beef or veal stock, splash of red wine, good size splash (maybe 1/4 cup) of ice wine. Add one ingredient at a time and reduce it down to a thick consistency before adding the next. Monter some butter in at the end and you can add 1 small shallot. Toast up a slice of french bread (or couple slices of white bread), stack with the foie gras, drissel the sauce and add a few frisse salad leaves. I added a few drops of truffle oil on the salad as well. Experimented by adding some Himalayan pink salt on the 2nd piece - it was good. Enjoy with some icewine. Hmmm Hmm good...melts in your mouth. Cheers Percy

Tuesday's Dinner Angus (Philly) Cheesesteak ... the way my wife likes it (salt, pepper and swiss cheese) ...and the way I like it (sautéed onions [ran out of Trader Joe's caramelized red onions], mushrooms, Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill BBQ sauce, Trader Joes's Grilled Vegetable Tapenade, and the kitchen sink). Still no match for Jason's sandwich We spilt the 6" sub, so I decided to make a salad topped with skirt steak, which was marinated for 20 min in Trader Joe's Island Teriyaki marinade (garlic, some spices and teriyaki) and seared in a case iron pan. That's odd.... I was just discussing this with Ling earlier today. Wine - Had an open bottle of Foley's Pinot Noir. Cheers Percy

Sunday's light dinner...Homemade sushi (I am still trying to get the hang of making sushi at home). In Japan, new sushi chefs make rice for 3 yrs before moving handling the fish. I spent 3 minutes...dosen't it show? Maki Sushi (wrapped in seaweed) - Spicy tuna rolls Nigiri (raw fish on the rice) - Maguro (tuna). Temaki Sushi (hand rolled sushi) - Spicy tuna Can you tell I like spicy tuna? Even when I order sushi in restaurants (usually at least once a week), I have to get a side order of spicy tuna, and then generally get some sashimi (raw fish). They must spike the spicy tuna rolls with some addictive ingredients. Served with my favorite pair of chopsticks, which I got in Tokyo (at the airport of all places - hope that is not lead paint on them). Cheers P

Ok, If you ever have left over Okra with Lamb and are wondering what to do with it, do not fear..... as long as an egg is near Simmer some of the okra in a small frying pan and crack an egg in it (be careful not to break the yolk). Add a few tablespoons of water and cover the egg on medium low heat - you basically want to poach the egg in the okra and its gravy). Serve with some roti or flatbread (bread will do too)...squeeze some lemon juice on it right before enjoying it. Cheers P

Here is what my wife had for breakfast a few days ago....I swear there is pie underneath that whipped cream somewhere...honest..

Took some out-of-town family members to Longwood gardens yesterday and wanted to try the P.F Changs in Glenn Mills (I have been to one in California). However, they said they don't take reservations for parties over 4 So, we ended up at Fioravanti, a small BYO in Downingtown. Some of us started with a special of pumpkin bisque, while others shared PEI mussels in a ginger curry sauce w/lump crabmeat (which was another special and simply divine) and PEI mussels in a tomato garlic sauce (this is a regular item on the menu). I don't have good pics of the mussels or the bisque, but got some pics of the mushrooms sautéed in port (and Cab, I think) served over polenta and the shredded beef spring rolls. As a main course, most people got the steak special - Skirt steak in a chipotle demi glace served over mashed potato and asparagus, which Chef/Owner David Fioravanti was kind enough to let us try while we were waiting for our table and I inquired about the specials. He is a great guy and since the kitchen is in an open setting, he likes to interact with clients. I tried the fish special - Blackened catfish with crawfish etouffee, served on rice, with green beans. The fish was perfectly cooked and the etouffee had a nice tangy kick to it, spiced just as I like it. Some felt the chipotle in the skirt steak was too heavy, but I did not feel the heat. Wine was a Murphy Goode Fume Blanc Reserve (Chairman’s special), which I picked up on the way to this impromptu dinner. We were too full for desserts and to be honest, Fioravanti can improve on its desserts, so we decided to go home and eat some of the left over Thanksgiving pies with some coffee (which we never did). Fioravanti's is a great little bistro style restaurant. It is small (the size of Django), but has great food at good prices and the BYO aspect puts it over the top for value. Don't expect Foie Gras or Caviar here, but the dishes they serve have a hearty, fusion quality to them (if that is possible). Most main courses are between $18-$29 and they have a 3 course pre fixe menu from 5pm - 6:30pm Mon-Thurs for $20. The specials are usually good or you could try the Tandoori glazed (blackened) chicken, Macadamia crusted Mahi-Mahi and don't forget to try the Mussels or Mushrooms on Polenta. Cheers Percy Edited to add : Obviously, I did not make it to Birchrunville Store Cafe this weekend, but I want to try their tasting menu, which they only seem to serve on Wed and Thurs.

Susan, glad the holiday season is over for you. You can how start using your patio again, while we clear out our deck for winter and get the shovels ready

Day after Thanksgiving - Turkey soup So what do you with a turkey carcass and some left over meat? Why, make a soup of-course !! To make the soup, I used the following recipe (very easy): 1 cup Mire Poix (onion, celery, carrots - heavy on the celery), sautéed 2 cups chicken or Turkey broth (depends on how strong a flavor you want) 1 cup vegetable stock Bouquet Garni - Some fresh herbs 2-3 Bay leaves Water filled until most of the carcass is submerged Veal stock bones (optional, but highly recommended) Salt and Pepper to taste Just boil and simmer (Oh, I added some parsnips towards the end, cut into 1 inch cubes) When done, remove the bones, add some turkey meat chunks and serve with croutons Good soothing soup for the nippy fall weather

OK, So I slacked and missed recording A cook's tour, when it was being aired on foodtv. I understand that this show will not be available on DVD or VHS (it would have been great if aired in HDTV format). How does one go about hunting for/borrowing/sharing such a precious episodes? I am hoping my fellow eGullet members can assist me. Cheers Percy

Susan, At your request, I am posting what we had for Thanksgiving dinner, but between playing the roles of chef and host, I did not do a good job of playing a playing the role of photographer Drinks - Champagne, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Foley Pinot Noir. Appetizers - Salami (Sopressata) and Cheese (Mantalban, roaring 40s, Amish smoked chedar, champagne infused cheese) plate, Mini quiches, taro chips, etc. Dinner Main Course - Turkey (14 lbs - brined and infused with a bouquet garni of rosemary, thyme, tarragon, etc). Not sure if it was the brining or the convection oven, but the skin turned out to be really crispy (reminded me of Peking duck) and excellent, while the meat was still succulent. Personally, I would have let the turkey rest 10 more min so that the meat was even more juicy, but the guests were getting hungry. - Prime Rib (4 lbs - infused with garlic cloves, reasoned with fleur de sel, kosher salt, cracker pepper and Montreal seasoning) Sides (Forgot take individual pics, so need to settle for sloppy pic of food on plate) - Scalloped potatoes - Green bean casserole - Candied Yams with pecans and marshmallows - Turkey Gravy - Cranberry jelly (wife likes the canned stuff) and homestyle cranberry relish (my style) - Stuffing with shitake, morrell and mousserons mushrooms (which I brought back from France this summer - dried or course, and they gave an excellent earthy flavor to the stuffing). I then decided to place it them into a muffin pan and bake individual size stuffing portions, which also gave the stuffing a nice outer crust, which I like. Desserts - Traditional Pumpkin, Apple and Pecan pies. Ordered from a French baker as I did not have the oven space or time. My next kitchen will have double ovens...heck make that 3 Not as well planned or executed as Yetti's feast, but it filled us up . Still want me to blog? Cheers Percy P.S : Edited to remove fat-fingered text

Yetti, Susan and Ling, I am truly flattered by your compliments and request for a blog . It has been a while since 3 wonderful ladies have "begged" me for anything , so how can I refuse . However, my hesitation to blog stems from the following facts: 1. I usually work from 8am - 7:30pm and do not get much time to cook at home on weekdays. I enjoy cooking when I have time off or on the weekends and have been know to travel to different continents, just to try a restaurant. 2. My wife has food allergies, and I try to make something that she enjoys as well, which excludes fish, certain vegetables, etc. 3. I have the week between Christmas and New Year's off and can blog at that time, but I was planning a trip to NYC or Paris or Miami. 4. After reading Susan's Foodblog and Little Ms Foodie's Foodblog (I have many more to discover), how can I compete? Don't get me wrong, I am interested in blogging, but want to share a great experience with fellow eG members, so I want to find the right opportunity to do so. I am planning a trip to Thailand, France and maybe Portugal next year, which may also be good blog opportunities. BTW, how do I know the blog schedule and get on it? Cheers Percy P.S : If you are interested in my pseudo-blog from a recent trip to Dallas, check it out here.

Day after Thanksgiving...being turkeyed out and waiting for the wife to return from shopping..... pancakes...simple, yet delicious

On Thanksgiving day....before the feast....the breakfast of champions.... Smoked duck breast and fried egg (what else )

Wednesday's dinner - Fillet (could not find hanger steak) w/ Demi glace cognac cream sauce, mushrooms and huge jumbo shrimp

Looks really good Yetti...good job !!

Wouldn't that be great?! Maybe someday instead of just regional eG get-togethers, there will be a gathering of people from all over, maybe an eG pot luck convention! But Percy I must say I would like you to cook breakfast. .. ← Susan - Done ! Wouldn't an eG pot luck be great? Only problem would be finding a familiar setting to cook in. I would be willing to travel anywhere in the US for this. Now lets see if my prediction of "turkey-something for breakfast" starts coming true over the next few days

Susan, I plan to make stuffing with oyesters too.

Wow, that must be great....probably gives the wine another dimension while enjoying it..the memory of making it....any intentions to share the wine with other eGulletites? I like Kim Crawford (wines) too.

Chufi, that looks and sounds sooo tasty !! I wish you would have shared the other pics too, I am sure they would have looked fine.

I have been to Gilmores a couple of times. The hardest challenge with Gilmores if getting the reservation (my wife is finiky about her moods to dine out and don't gel well with long term planning). Good is quite good, though not extraordinary (I used to work in NYC and got spoiled with the restaurants there). The BYO bit helps and I believe that although it is not publicized, the 8:30pm seating on Wed (or is it Thurs?) gets a free glass of champange. I will post more on Dilworthtown Inn, Duling-Kurtz, Vicker's Tavern, Fioravanti, etc in subsiquent posts when I get a bit more time. Birchrunville Store Cafe is next on my list and I may try to make the trek this weekend. Cheers P

You are making me consider enrolling in school again....reminds me of the "Back to school" movie with Rodney Dangerfield

Man, I wish I ate like that when I was in college And you get somosas at school? I am making up for it now, but so is my waist-line

Did you wrap a foil around the ramekin for that height?