Dinner! 2012

[rarerollingobject]

I've been very ill for a long time now, the most upsetting effect of which has been completely putting me off my food! Unforgivable. So this it the first thing I've cooked for myself in a long time..cold soba noodles with wasabi, soy sauce, shredded nori and sesame seeds. MY version of "plain food".

It may not look like much, but to be able to eat this again, to me..is a triumph.

[liuzhou]

^{Sorry to hear you have been sick. That looks like a fine dish. A first triumph. Wishing you many more.}

Edited December 30, 2012 by liuzhou (log)

[rarerollingobject]

Thank you. I think it may really only be eG friends who'd understand how much it could buoy one's spirits to eat again.

[nickrey]

Sorry to hear you've been unwell. Nice to hear things are picking up.

[naguere]

Sorry to hear you've been unwell. Nice to hear things are picking up.

My thoughts also.

[percyn]

Hope you feel better RRO, we miss you on this thread

[Shelby]

I've been very ill for a long time now, the most upsetting effect of which has been completely putting me off my food! Unforgivable. So this it the first thing I've cooked for myself in a long time..cold soba noodles with wasabi, soy sauce, shredded nori and sesame seeds. MY version of "plain food".

It may not look like much, but to be able to eat this again, to me..is a triumph.

I've been wondering where you were! Glad you're on the mend!

[patrickamory]

One of the more infuriating side effects of being sick - loss of appetite, or food that doesn't taste right!

[dcarch]

Very glad that you are eating/cooking again. A very sure sign that you have won the battle.

dcarch

[Mr Holloway]

Great to hear your feeling better RRO

This thread has got me through some tough times, when eating/cooking wasn't much fun.

Thank you for starting it

First batch of bacon, 12 hrs cold smoked with apple wood and overnight rest

Sliced

Good but not perfect

Made a few errors on this batch which was mainly not giving it a proper soak out after ther cure.

Odered another belly today for round 2

Shane

Edited December 30, 2012 by Mr Holloway (log)

[patrickamory]

Bacon looks amazing Shane!

[chefmd]

Second the amazing bacon.

Made tuna and avocado stack. Avocado is simply dressed with lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Tuna is mixed with chopped scallions, sesame oil, ginger, and soy sauce.

[Mr Holloway]

Thanks guys

Really enjoyed this project, will keep on practicing

Shane

[patrickamory]

Well I know that's delicious chefmd. I'm not always a fan of "composed" food, but that would disappear in a moment with me.

[Mr Holloway]

Agreed!!!!

[nickrey]

...

Good but not perfect

Made a few errors on this batch which was mainly not giving it a proper soak out after ther cure.

Odered another belly today for round 2

Shane

The trick is not so much soaking it as taking it out of the cure when it is ready. Soaking simply corrects overcuring. If you are used to pressing steaks to see when they are ready, try taking your bacon out of the cure when it starts to feel like a well-done steak. Any earlier and it will be undercured, any later and you'll have to correct it by soaking. Bacon is a bit like pastry: people claim that it is all measurement and accuracy but the number of variations in ingredients, particularly in flour, means that it is more about getting in the ball park by measuring and then adjusting quantities by feel.

[Mr Holloway]

Hey Nick

I did notice how it firmed up over the week, so I can see were I maybe went over there.

Have another belly coming this week, will pay closer attention to the firmness during the cure.

Thanks for your help

Shane

[patrickamory]

First use of my new pressure cooker... chickpeas for a Madhur Jaffrey chole. The chickpeas were a solid success, creamy like I've never had them before, bursting with flavor, I could eat them (and ate quite a few in fact) without salt.

The chole was one of the best recipes I've found so far - she notes that she was trying to replicate street vendor renditions of chole, and this comes closer in succulence to the Punjabi taxistand joints in NYC than other recipes I've tried (while still not actually replicating the signature cab vibe of oily greasy yumminess).

Next up: making the entire chole in the pressure cooker, not just the chickpea cooking portion (I wonder whether this will be a good thing - any advice from the PC faithful?)

[mm84321]

10.5 pound wild turbot

Bone marrow custard with celery root and black truffle

Scallop sausages with spinach and black truffle

Turbot studded with jamon iberico, clam and fresh onion ravioli

Turbot roasted with bone marrow, smoked potato and truffle salad

[ScottyBoy]

Black truffle master.

[heidih]

mm84321 - was that ravioli with a rice or other non wheat wrapper? The whole set of course was lovely - would have been honored to be the guest

[mm84321]

mm84321 - was that ravioli with a rice or other non wheat wrapper? The whole set of course was lovely - would have been honored to be the guest

Thanks, heidih. The ravioli is actually made with strips of thinly sliced lardo di Colonnata.

[nickrey]

Special dinner for New Year's Eve. Recipe from The French Laundry Cookbook incorporating sous-vide techniques from Under Pressure.

Butter poached Lobster with Vanilla served with Leeks, Pommes Maxim, and a Red Beet Essence.

[Bojana]

I.Want.This.Lobster.Now!

Looks fantastic!

[rotuts]

mm: you sure have a way with Turbot! Id love to try all versions! that shrimp item looks perfect with the T.