Dinner! 2003

[carswell]

Sunday supper:

Homemade whole-wheat and sesame crackers topped with smoked salmon and crème fraîche whipped with wasabi and a dash of mirin. We polished off the tail end of a bottle of '92 Weinbach Riesling "Cuvée Théo" left over from Saturday (good but a bit too sweet).

Steamed local asparagus, chilled, dressed with a light soy sauce, sherry vinegar, olive oil and toasted sesame oil vinaigrette, garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg and chive flowers. Washed down with a bottle of Harp.

Dessert was a warm-from-the-oven cherry and rhubarb clafoutis.

Do I ever love early summer!

Edited June 23, 2003 by carswell (log)

[FoodMan]

I don't usually post to this thread but I have to today because, after a lot of attempts, I have finally arrived at the fricassee that I was looking for. I wanted a chicken fricassee that tastes like Brennan's turtle soup. I started with Emeril's beef fricassee (from Louisiana Real and Rustic, one of the most delicious recipes on the planet) because the method and direction seemed right. Then I added elements I have seen in the turtle soup recipe (that may not be the true one) and... finally... EUREKA! It might get tweaked but it is damn close. I am threatening to do it with pork next.

Served over white rice with endive salad with orange sections and a simple vinegrette.

If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you add to the recipe? I would not mind giving it a try this week.

Sunday dinner:

-Tomato and green leaf salad, with evoo, red wine vinegar, S&P, and sprinkled with sumac.

-Gnocchi (sp?) Alla Romana (from Mario's first book). It was my first time ever having those delicious and rich creations. I normally make the more common potato gnocchi, but these are a different thing all together. Made with Semolina, milk, egg yolks and Parmeggiano then baked in the oven they were sublime.

-Chicken Cacciatora Alla Barese. Also adapted from the same Batali book, except the recipe is for Rabbit and I used a whole cut up chicken instead. Browned then braised chicken pieces with tomato sauce, white wine, OJ, plenty of mushrooms and onions, rosemary and orange zest. It was perfect with the soft gnocchi.

FM

[SobaAddict70]

Thursday:

my first attempt at potstickers and dumplings. Next time I think I'll refrain on the filling since a few burst when I cooked the dumplings. The dough came out right though. Oh well, its a learning process. It was supposed to be a batch of onion dumplings with soy-ginger dipping sauce.

stir fried cabbage and minced pork with fermented black beans, ginger, garlic and chiles

turnip kimchi

steamed rice

jasmine tea

Medjool dates stuffed with mascarpone, for dessert

Friday:

got some soy sauce chicken and a quart of chicken stock from a local Cantonese palace. shredded the chicken and discarded the bones. with the addition of some soba noodles, blanched bean sprouts, torn basil and mint leaves, minced jalapeno and leftover cabbage/pork stir-fry from last night, I had a (mainly) chicken version of pho. What with all the rain, I didn't really feel like cooking especially after Thursday's near disaster.

Edensoy carob soy milk

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia for dessert.

Saturday:

roast chicken with 40 garlic cloves and herbs

roasted potatoes

sauteed spinach

simple green salad w/ white wine viniagrette

Evian

chocolate-Kahlua-banana bread pudding (made with banana bread which had been soaking in your typical bread pudding liquid mixture spiked with a little Kahlua to which was added some melted Valrohna (sp) chocolate), served with a scoop of Haagen-Dasz French vanilla.

Sunday:

leftover roast chicken made for a couple of chicken sandwiches:

Kaiser roll, cranberry honey mustard, Bibb lettuce, chicken, roasted red peppers, sliced Vidalia onion, sliced plum tomatoes, and a couple of slices of crisped bacon for good measure.

green salad with a sesame oil/rice vinegar/wasabi viniagrette

Evian

leftover bread pudding.

Cheers,

Soba

--------

sidenote: the carcass from the chicken got turned into a nice pot of chicken stock.

[laurel]

Saturday morning/afternoon: went fishing

Saturday early dinner: Dungeness crab, an hour out of the water, simply boiled with ginger-soy dipping sauce; roasted asparagus from last week's CSA.

Sunday dinner: Dungeness crab cocktail; almond-crusted flounder; sauteed chard

planned for tonight: Baked whole Coho salmon; roasted summer squash from today's CSA.

[paul o' vendange]

Laurel, I don't know where you live, but I am jealous.

I'm looking out the 18th floor of the Chicago Loop. I think I see a three-eyed carp walking across the Chicago River bridge.

Sounds great.

[NeroW]

I'm looking out the 18th floor of the Chicago Loop.  I think I see a three-eyed carp walking across the Chicago River bridge.

Where? Let's grab it!

[paul o' vendange]

Spoken with the zeal of the field. Forage on, NeroW!

[guajolote]

I'm looking out the 18th floor of the Chicago Loop.  I think I see a three-eyed carp walking across the Chicago River bridge.

Where? Let's grab it!

[paul o' vendange]

THAT'S IT!

Brilliant. Could become the next wave of american cooking - neo-apocalyptic GMO Sourcing,

NAGS for short.

Edited June 23, 2003 by paul o' vendange (log)

[laurel]

Laurel, I don't know where you live, but I am jealous.

I'm looking out the 18th floor of the Chicago Loop.  I think I see a three-eyed carp walking across the Chicago River bridge.

Sounds great.

I live in Seattle. There are several fishing charters in the area; we used Tight Lines Sportfishing.

[fifi]

I don't usually post to this thread but I have to today because, after a lot of attempts, I have finally arrived at the fricassee that I was looking for. I wanted a chicken fricassee that tastes like Brennan's turtle soup. I started with Emeril's beef fricassee (from Louisiana Real and Rustic, one of the most delicious recipes on the planet) because the method and direction seemed right. Then I added elements I have seen in the turtle soup recipe (that may not be the true one) and... finally... EUREKA! It might get tweaked but it is damn close. I am threatening to do it with pork next.

Served over white rice with endive salad with orange sections and a simple vinegrette.

If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you add to the recipe? I would not mind giving it a try this week.

Here is basically what I did. Chopped onion, celery, bell pepper in a 2/1/1 ratio, season with salt and cayenne. Cut chicken (thigh meat) into 2 inch chuncks, seasoned with cajun seasoning. Prepare a brown roux, not too dark, darker than peanut butter but not like a chococlate bar. Dump in chicken to sear, dump in veggies, add red wine and cook off, add chicken broth. Except for the wine, sounds about like a gumbo so far. (I kept tasting a wine note in the turtle soup before they added the sherry.) The difference is you now add tomato paste and Worchestershire. I use the double concentrated in the tube and it seems more right than out of the can. I used a couple of tablespoons each for about a 6 serving batch but I may add more next try. Then add some thyme and a couple of bay leaves. Simmer for an hour.

Browsing through the Brennan's cook book in the New Orleans airport, I picked up on the tomato paste and Worchestershire as being the main difference from a typical cajun cooking technique. Also, the bit about the wine. I eat turtle soup everytime I go to Brennan's and never did guess that combination.

I will try it with pork in a couple of weeks (we have to eat up the chicken) and I will tweak the recipe. When I get it pretty much right, I will post it.

edit: Forgot to add... I just went by the technique and proportions in the Emeril recipe. I did not add the potatoes and carrots or anything like that. I used more meat and deleted the potatoes and carrots. The difference in that recipe is that you sear the meat in the hot roux and THEN add the trinity.

Edited June 23, 2003 by fifi (log)

[torakris]

Monday night:

chicken fajitas

chicken breasts marinated in EVOO and some of the spice rub leftover from the ribs the day before, sauteed with lots of onions

cheddar cheese

lettuce

pico de gallo

guacamole

black olives

jalapenos

all wrapped up in flour tortillas

dessert:

tiramisu

[paul o' vendange]

Laurel, Seattle is a beautiful town. Sorry to say I have lost touch with friends from there (of Seattle Rep), but would one day like to pay homage again.

Maybe you could make room for one more french restaurant about 5 years from now?

[mise en place]

I had some leftover poached chicken breasts, and seeing as it was quite warm today, I decided to do a salad. I did a kind of Cobb salad with a mustard and balsamic vinaigrette. Instead of the usual ingredients, I used cucumbers, red onions, strawberries, chicken, pear with blue cheese on top, apple, blueberries and some croutons. Quite tasty and not as heavy as a normal Cobb salad.

[SobaAddict70]

Monday:

broiled skinless boneless chicken breasts -- this time, rubbed with minced garlic, lime salt, lemon pickle and a combination of 1 T. oil from the lemon pickle and a generous pour of EVOO, before popping it into the oven

coucous

steamed broccoli

OJ

soy milk

bananas for dessert

bedtime snack: cottage cheese, topped with tamarind chutney, minced scallions, lime salt and mesquite grill-style Mrs. Dash.

Cheers,

Soba

[Schielke]

I fired up my Weber Smokey Mt. and smoked up a big batch of chicken breasts. I brined them for about a half hour, then applied a impromptu dry rub of brown sugar, salt, paprika, onion powder, white pepper, and cayenne pepper.

I was expecting only mediocre results, but it turns out they were great! I think they were some of the juiciest pieces of chicken I have ever made. And my rub was prety tasty too.

Ben

[guajolote]

Smoked duck breast and duck liver (anyone ever had smoked foie gras?)

Sauteed Zucchini

Rice Pilaf w/ snow peas (made with duck stock)

German Trocken Riesling

[Chad]

Last night, leftover quesadillas (from Sunday's big day at the stove) and homemade salsa fresca.

Tonight I'm trying a new idea and grilling chicken breasts I marinated overnight in the remainder of the salsa. Should be interesting. I'm curious to see how much flavor and/or heat works its way into the breasts. They'll be served with roasted corn & garlic polenta and fresh green beans. Can you hear the children groaning from here? They're usually great about the dinners I make. They'll try anything and, for the most part, really enjoy my cooking. However, I've bombed on two previous polenta dishes, so this could be the final moment for the beleaguered corn cakes .

Chad

[NeroW]

Smoked duck breast and duck liver (anyone ever had smoked foie gras?)

Sauteed Zucchini

Rice Pilaf w/ snow peas (made with duck stock)

German Trocken Riesling

Dude, where was I?

Oh yeah. Eating Cheerios.

[torakris]

Smoked duck breast and duck liver (anyone ever had smoked foie gras?)

Sauteed Zucchini

Rice Pilaf w/ snow peas (made with duck stock)

German Trocken Riesling

I have never had smoked foie gras, but I do smoke ankimo, monkfish liver.

It is incredible!

[torakris]

Tuesday dinner:

tomato and mozarella cheese risotto topped with arugula and baby spinach (dressed lightly with EVOO and lemon juice)

chicken breast in sauce piquant (a Pepin recipe) of chicken breast with tomato-red wine vinegar-garlic-oregano sauce

[Jinmyo]

33 degrees C today.

Coleslaw of Napa cabbage with Congo pigeon peas, shaved red onion, and lemon zest with a green tea and mirin dressing.

Thai red curry soup with cremini and huang zi mushrooms, cubanelle and red peppers.

Cubed grilled salmon and somen noodles in salmon-skin temaki with fresh wasabi.

Chilled salad of jasmine rice with diced jackfruit, diced (blanched and smoked) fresh bamboo shoots, diced pickled mango, and aburage (thin fried tofu strips) with pea greens.

Sliced plum tomatoes with daikon greens kimchi and wonton crisps.

[snowangel]

I went to the farmer's market today and got some beautiful really little new potatoes and a chicken (grown by "jessica"). Butterflied the chicken and put it on the grill, stuck the new potatoes in a pan with a bit of water on the grill (drained and tossed with Hope butter and parsley from my garden when done), and spritzed some EVOO on the last of the spinach from my garden.

It was way hot here today, and the kids and I loved it...dashing in and out of the sprinkler.

[malachi]

Nice organic Country Pork Ribs dredged in flour, browned off in bacon fat then removed from pan. Mirepoix sauteed in remaining fat. Ribs added back in along with canned plum tomatoes, rosemary, purple sage, green peppercorns, salt, black pepper and veal stock to cover ribs. Braised, covered, in oven. Whole soaked great northern beans, whole crushed garlic cloves and additional sauteed mirepoix added on top. Braised some more. Panko layered on top and the pot uncovered to allow crust to form in oven.

Served with a Turley Zin.

Homemade butter pecan ice cream with blackberry coulis. Hardy's Whiskers Blake Port.

[gsquared]

Pan seared ostrich fillet served on sage polenta with a salad of greens, stir fried mange tout, parmesan chips and an avocado foam.