Dinner! 2003

carswell · June 25, 2003

Tuesday was a holiday (St-Jean-Baptiste Day), so dinner was a bit fancier than usual for a weekday. With the temperature well into the 90s, indoor cooking was kept to a minimum.

Cold salad of cellophane noodles, watercress, pickled ginger, cilantro, soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds topped with sashimi tuna

Slanted Door grilled lamb chops (marinade of fish sauce, sugar, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, bird's tongue chilies)

Grilled bok choy

Grilled eggplant

First local strawberries of the season with crème fraîche

Aveleda Vinho Verde (the 2000 I believe) as an aperitif and with the salad. 1999 Quail's Gate Old Vines Maréchal Foch with the lamb. The Foch, my first ever, was surprisingly good -- not particularly complex but a complete wine. I served it double-blind and was delighted when the wine-geekiest guest pegged it as the 2000 Pesquera.

NeroW · June 25, 2003

Honey-Nut Cheerios.

Skim milk. Didn't check the date on the carton, crossed fingers, offered it up to God.

A stray PBR that I found in the back of the fridge.

Someone invite me over for dinner. Now.

nerissa · June 25, 2003

Charlie Trotters citrus cured smoked salmon on creme fraiche, capers, dill, black pepper, and yogurt dollop served on pumpernickel toasts rubbed with garlic.

last of excellent German riesling.

Gazpacho

It is so hot. Hate the thought of having to actually cook tonight.

paul o' vendange · June 25, 2003

NeroW, I think I see a three-eyed carp in your grilling-future... :raz:

I know this is cheating (as I haven't made it yet), but I got a hankering for rabbit:

English pea soup with creme fraiche.

Roasted saddle of rabbit en crepinette with mushrooms, sage and (some kind of wood-smoked) bacon; braised rabbit legs, with cippolini compote and crispy potato-leek cake.

pear tart with spiced pistachio cream.

Plan to do Sunday night.

nerissa · June 25, 2003

Paul, you are in Chicago, right? Where do you buy your rabbit, duck etc? I just cannot bring myself to buy frozen duck for $40 from Whole Paycheck.

paul o' vendange · June 25, 2003

Nerissa, the duck has typically been from jewel - believe it or not. Maple Leaf, about $9-10 for the duck. Yeah, it's not muscovy, but as most of my desire in cooking these days is to learn and perfect technique(s), I don't experiment with the $40 ducks...and, it tastes just fine.

The rabbit unfortunately comes from whole paycheck (or used to). I despise the store, and get hives basically every time I go in ("would you like some holistic air for the benefit of the planet, oh, and can I take your first born for the 'exchange of value...' blech.), but sometimes it's all I can find. Fox & Obel has a ton of stuff, I like the guys in the 'boucherie' (one, a CIA grad), and try to go there. I find, for the quality of the stuff, that Fox & Obel is very reasonable. My $50 goes a helluva lot farther than "the other place." And I don't have to put on airs of "helping the planet" for the benefit of Whole Hypocrisy, Inc.

Sorry for the soapbox, a rant from one who really needs to walk out into a 10-acre herb plot and, oh, is that a red hare I see in the woodlot?

nerissa · June 25, 2003

Hey, no problem. I don't know where I would be without Whole Paycheck (well, have a bigger bank account for one :biggrin: ). I am afraid if I start going to Fox and Obel, I won't be able to stop... their bread is supposed to be fantastic.

I am one of those annoying people who tries to eat humane/organic meat whenever I can.

But you have inspired me to check out my local coop for duck. I order it at restaurants whenever I can... Maybe this weekend I will experiment with a duck ragu and make a duck stock for later use.

paul o' vendange · June 25, 2003

You know, nerissa, this is also a thought, I haven't tried it - but the book "cook's guide to chicago" lists some sources of live animals such as chickens, ducks, rabbits. I don't know that I would want to get one that fresh (in the city - on the farm, yes, but what the city stock has eaten, and how it has lived, the last several weeks is questionable at best to me), but a thought. Mostly, if memory serves, close to or on devon, pakistani or otherwise halal places...

I'm with you 100% on organic and humanely raised animals. I just would hope for less of an unnecessarily high premium for it. My gripe is that I believe this is everyone's inheritance - and not for the select few who can afford healthy, "happily raised" food. But then that's another thread.

Good luck! The time before last, I turned my duck stock into a wonderful truffled consomme...I love the stock! (damn - another gripe - the truffles from W.Paycheck are woefully anemic at best, preserved in brine, and horribly expensive - look at the muscular, fresh babies from F&O!)

Edited to add - you're right, the bread is killer. I spoke with one of the bakers there, a French woman who really puts out amazing products...F&O may be my financial downfall yet. :rolleyes:

Edited June 25, 2003 by paul o' vendange (log)

Chad · June 25, 2003

Last night: Grilled chicken breasts marinated in salsa fresca, sauted roasted garlic polenta, broccoli w/cheddar.

[sigh] If anybody's keeping score, my polenta sucked. It's pretty much banned from the menu. I can't bear to put my kids through another polenta experiment.

Hmm, perhaps while they're away.

Chad

paul o' vendange · June 25, 2003

Chad, I find that sauce aux tomates fabrique pars Heinz pretty much brings our little lad to gulp down whatever's 'fore him... :wink:

Edited June 25, 2003 by paul o' vendange (log)

maggiethecat · June 25, 2003

I'm with you 100% on organic and humanely raised animals. I just would hope for less of an unnecessarily high premium for it. My gripe is that I believe this is everyone's inheritance - and not for the select few who can afford healthy, "happily raised" food. But then that's another thread.

My wish for all the animals I eat is that they've had happy lives and painless deaths.

(...actually, I suppose that applies to animals I don't cook too! Like people!)

But I admit that I don't worry too much about this when, say, pork chops are on sale. And Paul, I agree with you about the elitist, hippydippy vibe of Whole Paycheck. Makes me nuts! As a matter of fact, I'll drop in for a smoothie, walk and gawk, pick up a jar of Burt's Bees Jasmine Decollete Cream, and try to avoid seeing the New Age mags. Then walk out.

Yes, for financial reasons, it's a good thing I live far, far, from F&O.

Oh...On Topic:

Leftover "Zuni" Mock porchetta, pulled, in cue sauce, served om a bun squished in the panini grill. Salade Russe. White Plonk.

paul o' vendange · June 25, 2003

Maggie, I usually take a pass on the Jasmine Decolette Cream, too. Alright, I admit it, I buy bath teas and the like there from time to time. I'm still cool, though, right? :cool:

Forgive me, what is Salad Russe? White Plonk? I am at work and don't have my LaRousse handy...

Edited, got off the web - nice looking French salad, coupled with a decidedly English toss-off for "cheap wine."

Hmm. Nice looking French? English toss-off? I smell trouble. :unsure:

Edited June 25, 2003 by paul o' vendange (log)

Chad · June 25, 2003

Chad, I find that sauce aux tomates fabrique pars Heinz pretty much brings our little lad to gulp down whatever's 'fore him...

Well, we gussied up the polenta cakes with some jarred salsa and everybody choked it down, but it was disappointing. Very little roasted garlic flavor & way too thick to saute properly so I ended up finishing in the oven. It didn't help that I burned my hand while trying to flip one :angry: .

But, as I said, the kids are real troopers and are wonderful about trying just about anything I put in front of them. They even ate my bizarre and disgusting lentil & brown rice cassarole :shudder:.

Chad

hotle · June 25, 2003

can a newbie join in?

last night: tacos. yeah, i know, but we were somewhat time-constrained, due to my son's and my baseball/softball schedules. he plays travel ball; i still play twice a week, even at my advanced age!

monday night: boneless pork chops (thick), marinated in herbs from our own boxes (thyme, sage, rosemary, chives, marjoram), oo, lemon juice/zest, cabernet vinegar, soy, garlic, garlic, garlic (did i mention garlic?), sherry; then grilled. did my usual trick of straining out the herbs from the marinade and spread them on top of the chops after i turned 'em (thin layer, so they cook the raw pork juice out and turn slightly crusty). boxed linguine (didn't have time to make my own, which is my son's favorite) with fresh tomato sauce (garlic, onion, psd tomatos, basil and marjoram from our boxes). bottle of cline ancient vines zin to wash it down.

yummy!

tonight: hot dogs. boy's got a ball game. ick!

matt

SobaAddict70 · June 25, 2003

last night (Tuesday):

Filipino comfort food --

dinuguan (pork and offal stew, with garlic, vinegar, chiles and pig's blood); made more than enough, since this dish gets better with each succeeding day. :wink:

ampalaya (bitter melon) omelette

steamed broccoli

steamed rice

jasmine tea

pears for dessert

------------

edit: it occurred to me a bit after posting that there's a bit of disparity between hotle's post about grilled porkchops (sounds delish, btw) and my dinner last night, heheheh. Dinuguan is one of those things that doesn't look appetizing at all; the pig's blood turns black as the dish cooks and forms, along with the vinegar and chiles, the basis for the sauce. It's not something us pinoys like to spring on most Westerners since, like balut (embryo in either duck or chicken eggs), dinuguan contains a lot of stuff that most people (that is, non-egulleteers usually) don't or can't imagine eating....stuff like beef hearts, kidneys, chicken liver, pig's ears, etc. Anyway, thought I'd soften the visual blow, heheheh.

Oh, and welcome to eGullet, hotle. Live long and prosper, or something like that. :smile: :blink:

Cheers,

Soba

Edited June 25, 2003 by SobaAddict70 (log)

paul o' vendange · June 25, 2003

Changed up tonight's plan. Just don't feel like cooking indoors, will do Bbq-grilled chicken, marinated in tequila, lime, garlic, cilantro, with black beans, tortillas, salsa, maybe some roasted chiles, bells and tomatoes we've had a wee too long.

Lots of Negro Modelo.

Soba, we are closer than you think. I'm of French blood (we know what they eat), my wife's of Estonian blood. They can maw blood sausage with the best of them (usually to the tune of thousands singing, and a glass of vodka or two)!

Edited June 25, 2003 by paul o' vendange (log)

torakris · June 25, 2003

Weds dinner:

cold poached chicken breast, shredded and placed on a bed of lettuce and tomato slices then topped with a sesame based sauce

hijiki and cucumber salad

yuba-tofu (a block of tofu with pieces of yuba inside) topped with scallions, soy and yuzu-koshou

sakura-ebi tsukudani (sweet and salty little shrimp)

red wine rakkyo

Japanese rice

dessert:

popsicles

guajolote · June 26, 2003

I made:

Grilled shrimp marinated in garlic, ancho powder, smoked paprika, lime zest, and olive oil

Grilled New Potatoes

Grilled Asparagus Salad

Roasted Broccoli (Jim Dixon's Cauliflower Method)

Cucumber Salad

and my wife brought home from a party:

Lechon

Stewed Skirt Steak w/ peppers (I have to figure out how this was made)

Arroz con Gandules

Flautas de Picadillo

Tostones

Served with Basa, a Spanish white from Rueda

smallworld · June 26, 2003

My first Dinner post!

Last night:

Steamed stuffed tofu, served on bok choy (the stuffing was a mixture of minced shrimp, green onions, shiitake etc- similar to shrimp dumplings)

Spicy stir-fried shrimp and broccoli (yep, shrimp were on sale)

'Dan-dan men', thin egg noodles in a spicy broth topped with spicy minced pork

Yebisu Beer

Sakurambo cherries for dessert

torakris · June 26, 2003

My first Dinner post!
Last night:
Steamed stuffed tofu, served on bok choy (the stuffing was a mixture of minced shrimp, green onions, shiitake etc- similar to shrimp dumplings)
Spicy stir-fried shrimp and broccoli (yep, shrimp were on sale)
'Dan-dan men', thin egg noodles in a spicy broth topped with spicy minced pork
Yebisu Beer
Sakurambo cherries for dessert

Smallworld,

welcome to the dinner thread!

I have yet to eat sakuranbo this year! :biggrin:

I was waiting for my MIL to give us some.

every year she goes to Yamagata prefecture to go sakuranbo "picking" and she always brings us back a case (yes, case!) of the cherries. She went last weekend and came home only with some sakuranbo flavored caramels for the kids! :angry:

Priscilla · June 26, 2003

Not-unwelcome gloomy weather turning to not-unwelcome sunny weather. Hot, even.

Chicken cut up left on the bone but slashed mercilessly. Marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic made into a paste with salt, and pepper. Grilled, basted with butter during.

Basmati with a little butter drizzle.

Tomatoes and thinly-sliced white onions tossed with chiffonade of fresh mint, lemon juice, olive oil, s & p.

Lovely plum chutney, a gift from a Pakistani friend, SO good.

SobaAddict70 · June 26, 2003

Wednesday:

leftover dinuguan

talong (eggplant) omelette w/banana ketchup (its like Heinz, but spicier and fruitier. I rarely use ketchup -- this is one of those occasions when the bottle comes out.)

simple green salad

steamed rice

oolong tea

Cranshaw melon for dessert

Soba

nerissa · June 26, 2003

Last night:

Sauteed chicken breats (cut into strips in olive oil, lemon juice, and dried red chiles. Flavored the oil with rosemary. I normally avoid boneless/skinless chik but in this weather, sweating over the stove, am trying to reduce cooking time.

Corn on the cob

Arugula salad dressed with red wine vinagrette and shavings of parmasean.

Figs

fresco · June 26, 2003

Sounds delicious. Your fridge must be working.

maggiethecat · June 26, 2003

Hmm. Nice looking French? English toss-off? I smell trouble.

As well you should!

We used the last of the smoked brisket last night, sur un hamburger bun. It was heaven; I wished that I hadn't been snicking bits off the brisket all week so that I sould have had more.

Tossed green...romaine, aragula, yellow peppers, plain ole house vinaigrette.

A Stella and a Pils Urquell.

Edited June 26, 2003 by maggiethecat (log)

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