Dinner! 2003

Suzanne F · February 18, 2003

Kristin -- very nice interweaving of flavors from dish to dish. :biggrin: I remember drooling over that cornish hen recipe. :raz:

Helena -- I am so jealous! You've got Wegman's (and Trader Joe's too?), and all I've got is the lousy Food Emporium and Pathmark. :sad: :sad: It's a good thing NYC has so many restaurants; we have such terrible supermarkets. :angry:

Malawry · February 18, 2003

We had some neighbors over for an Americanized Asian dinner and game-playing:

Potstickers

Tofu satays with peanut sauce

Sesame stir-fried green beans

Broccoli/mushroom/carrot stir-fry

Steamed rice

They brought chocolate-peanut butter cookies and blondies with soy granules (they were good! :blink: ) for dessert.

We successfully avoided thinking about snow for a few hours. Not bad!

SobaAddict70 · February 18, 2003

Saturday: lion's head meatballs; steamed rice; spicy pickled turnips; green tea.

Sunday: salt-roasted mussels [roasted pepper mayonnaise]; caldo verde; fennel, pear, parmesan and shaved mushroom salad; chocolate apricot bonbons. Evian, Lurisia.

today (Monday) -- dinner in Brooklyn with friends: pici with tomatoes, pancetta and onion; baked chicken with wild mushroom and herb sauce [polenta]; ricotta with coffee and rum [almond biscotti].

SA

Priscilla · February 18, 2003

Saturday night had asked some neighbors around, served beef Stroganoff from the Consort's family recipe from pre-revolutionary Former Soviet Union.

What I have brought to this dish (besides beef broth, which was such an obviousity I really cannot claim it) is cremini mushrooms, the most dependably good-quality Stroganoff-suitable mushrooms available to me. I love the flavor of creminis -- lesserly as they inexorably traverse their continuum toward Portabelladom. But, have enjoyed Portabellas in that Nigel Slater snail-butter sandwich on what I believe was a bap.

ANYway, the family tradition is potatoes to accompany -- frites, really, only not so militantly crisp, perhaps, as state-of-the-art frites. So, dareIsay somewhat flaccid-on-purpose (!) skinny frites, and a big old redleaf salad, and bread from the aforementioned Bernard Clayton recipe for pain Italien yet again. Everybody ate and ate -- it was great. Cline 2000 Zinfandel.

Dessert was small chocolate heart-shaped cookies, very very dark very very thin, and crisp, and homemade chocolate ice cream, scooped with the small-but-not-teensy scoop, the same dark dark color as the cookies -- a monochromatic trip. I like monochromany, probably more than most people.

torakris · February 18, 2003

Tuesday was nabe night!

I made a Japanese hotpot consisting of:

ground chicken meatballs (flavored with yuzu rind, onion, soy, sake, S&P)

napa cabbage

shiitake

carrots

daikon

shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves)

Japanese rice

EDIT:

forgot to mention the nabe was serves with a sudachi ponzu (purchased) and grated daikon for dipping.

One of the joys of living in Japan is that there are about as many types of ponzu here as there are BBQ sauces in the US! :biggrin:

Edited February 18, 2003 by torakris (log)

nerissa · February 18, 2003

Dessert was small chocolate heart-shaped cookies, very very dark very very thin, and crisp, and homemade chocolate ice cream, scooped with the small-but-not-teensy scoop, the same dark dark color as the cookies -- a monochromatic trip. I like monochromany, probably more than most people.

Priscilla, those cookies sound divine. Would you mind sharing the recipe or quoting its source? Thank you.

SobaAddict70 · February 19, 2003

tonight: leftover caldo verde; roasted vegetable, herb and bread salad; wilted lettuce and spinach with caramelized onions and EVOO. baked bananas with rum, brown sugar and allspice, over vanilla ice cream.

SA

Suzanne F · February 19, 2003

The beef braciole made yesterday during the storm,mmmmmmmm.

Gemelli.

Steamed spinach.

Salad of red boston, red romaine, red and green bell peppers, with a mustard vinaigrette.

Standing Stone Pinnacle (Bordeaux-style blend from Long Island)

Adding yet another request for the chocolate cookie recipe. :wub:

Steve Martin · February 19, 2003

Well, photos don't seem to be catching on much and as my website remains widely unobserved, I'll put some here. Daily meals, but two weeks out of date, like a time warp.

Mussels and a few clams were opened in wine and parsley and the liquor passed through a muslin and heated with butter and cream. The mussels were allowed to firm up in the fridge for a half hour while baby leeks and garlic were sweated down in butter with white pepper. The mussels and parsley were added and warmed through. Placed in a bowl with lemon and the soup ladled over at the table.

Priscilla · February 19, 2003

Dessert was small chocolate heart-shaped cookies, very very dark very very thin, and crisp, and homemade chocolate ice cream, scooped with the small-but-not-teensy scoop, the same dark dark color as the cookies -- a monochromatic trip. I like monochromany, probably more than most people.
Priscilla, those cookies sound divine. Would you mind sharing the recipe or quoting its source? Thank you.
Ditto nerissa's request, if you don't mind! Those cookies do indeed sound like keepers!!

Cookies cookies cookies benighted cookies. Thank you for your interest! I don't even much like to bake, but it behooves one to be able to field a full team, doesn't it.

These were from a basic recipe from Time-Life's Cookies & Crackers volume from The Good Cook series (edited by the estimable Richard Olney, and it shows, plus, TWO ribbon placeholders per volume).

Basic Creamed Dough (it's called; use 2 c. flour and omit the cocoa for plain butter cookies)

14 T. (7 oz.) butter

1 c. sugar (I use vanilla sugar)

1 egg

(1 t. vanilla extract, for those not using vanilla sugar)

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa (I always use Dutch-process; dunno if natural cocoa would make them as dark)

1/2 t. salt

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Cream butter, sugar. Beat in egg and extract. Stir in flour mixture. Divide in two or three or four, wrap in plastic, refrigerate until firm. Don't be afraid to roll 'em quite thin. Parchment-lined baking sheets. 350 degrees, I suppose, maybe 12 minutes, but do pay attention because I find they are done when I begin to detect a burny-cocoa aroma.

Remove to cooling racks.

Edited February 20, 2003 by Priscilla (log)

suzilightning · February 19, 2003

tonight - back at work so leftovers

yesterday after 3 hours of shoveling boeuf bourginon

monday after 3 1/2 hours of shoveling - pasta bolognese

sunday after work and JUST before the storm started - sole with shrimp stuffing, lemon rice and asparagus with bernaise sauce.

also have both cauliflower and saffron soup and parnsip soup with carmelized apples left over from lunches; stir fried rice from breakfasts

torakris · February 19, 2003

Weds. night:

seared bonito with a apple-mustard dressing topped with shredded daikon and shiso

blanched napa cabbage leaves with a spicy cashew nut sauce

pork and shrimp shumai (purchased)

tomato slices sprinkled with salt

dessert:

French hazelnut boulders (Rochers aux noisettes) from Nick Maglieri's How to Bake

The first two (bonito and napa) were from the book Shunju New Japanese Cuisine

awbrig · February 20, 2003

Oven Roasted Salmon with Smoked Bacon and Watercress with Organic Wheat Berries and Dried Fruit

NeroW · February 20, 2003

awbrig, that looks beautiful!

Tonight made dinner for my best girlfriend Kate and her live-in boyfriend Steve. Neither cooks, so I was stuck with their . . . how may I be most diplomatic here . . . shitty cookware. :hmmm: Also, neither of them really eats: he won't eat spicy, she won't eat much of anything.

Slapped 3 good thick ribeyes in a marinade of my best EVOO, almost-the-last of my best special balsamico, minced garlic, minced fresh rosemary, and pepper (had to truck my grinder to their house . . . all they ever have is the grey powdered pre-ground pepper! :shock: ). Let em sit an hour and a half while we drank Cape Coddas, roasted red bell peppers, and caught up.

Made a polenta with whole milk, fresh mozz, fresh rosemary, and the last of my best Parmigiano. Problem was that there was some unidentified gunk underneath my steak pan's burner, and it caught on fire . . . resulting in Steve having to carry the pan of steaks outside into the snow :sad: whilst he doused the burning stove with baking soda. He kindly finished the steaks on the charcoal grill. Here in Michigan, it's about 20 above zero, which is warm grillin' weather.

Once the fire was out, bubbled some green beans, splashed em with lemon juice and butter, deglazed the not-so-burnt steak pan with the last of the balsamico, more garlic, and my roasted peppers. Kate made Pillsbury "french loaf bread." More Cape Coddas. Aaaah. College. :rolleyes:

EDIT: to say that we did not DRINK roasted red bell peppers. I roasted them whilst we drank.

Edited February 20, 2003 by NeroW (log)

awbrig · February 20, 2003

a lot of excitement Nero! what kind of balsamic vinegar? also are you able to get a good crust with marinating in EVOO? I used to do that but found I wasnt able to sear it as well as damping dry the steaks or searing them in a mixture of butter and oil and finishing in the oven

Edited February 20, 2003 by awbrig (log)

SobaAddict70 · February 20, 2003

broiled skinless boneless chicken breasts -- smeared with a T. of EVOO and dusted with paprika and turmeric before popping it in the oven [roasted onions and roasted plum tomatoes]; steamed broccoli, drizzled with a little ghee. Iced green tea with honey.

Yes, I can see Jinny shuddering as she reads this. :blink: :unsure:

SA

Steve Martin · February 20, 2003

Nice salmon, awbrig. Have you tried it confit yet?

Next dinner:

Brill is a very large flatfish, not dissimilar to halibut. I most often cook fish skin down in a very hot teflon pan and turn over for a very short time.

Shiitake mushrooms do not mix well with other mushrooms and can be quite heavy going if not paired with rice or potato. Here they are in a sauté with red pepper, garlic and coriander, in olive oil. Served with bashed new potatoes and boiled baby carrots.

joler · February 20, 2003

Wow! This is all very impressive and the photos have my stomach grumbling. But really, do you cook like this every night??? I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you? Like the other night, I ended up eating a bag of microwave popcorn sprinkled with tobasco, an entire pan of roasted asparagus, some peanut butter and 2 glasses of Oregon Pinot Noir. :blink:

NeroW · February 20, 2003

a lot of excitement Nero! what kind of balsamic vinegar? also are you able to get a good crust with marinating in EVOO? I used to do that but found I wasnt able to sear it as well as damping dry the steaks or searing them in a mixture of butter and oil and finishing in the oven

Excitement of the kind I don't like after several Cape Coddas. Burning stove + vodka + shrieking ear-shattering friend + barking dogs = unhappy NeroW.

I received a great bottle of Sereni Rosso for Christmas which now sadly has about a Tbsp. left inside :sad: Guess it's back to the ol' brown-sugar + supermarket brand trick . . . can't really justify spending a hundred bucks + on vinegar, not even balsamico. :sad:

I got a decent crust on the steaks last night. I usually do what you do though, with the butter, oil, & oven.

Steve Martin, those are beautiful pictures!

EDIT

Wow! This is all very impressive and the photos have my stomach grumbling. But really, do you cook like this every night??? I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you? Like the other night, I ended up eating a bag of microwave popcorn sprinkled with tobasco, an entire pan of roasted asparagus, some peanut butter and 2 glasses of Oregon Pinot Noir.

joler, if you haven't already, check out the "Collective Food Diary" thread. I'd post a link, but I don't know how to do it. :smile:

Edited February 20, 2003 by NeroW (log)

SobaAddict70 · February 20, 2003

I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you?

Those would be times when I have a Frankenmeal: whatever happens to be in the refrig that I can mishmash together and still taste good (to me). Unfortunately, these rarely get posted because people would look at me funny. :blink:

For example -- Saturday lunch was cottage cheese flavored with Patak's eggplant chutney and half a seasoning packet for Korean kimchee ramen; fried rice made from leftover takeout rice, bhel puri mix, minced garlic and a little sesame oil; diced leftover broiled skinless boneless chicken breasts; and cilantro chutney (these little containers of green sauce that we get from one of our local Indian takeout palaces -- either Amma or Indian Valley.) I'm not kidding. :huh:

SA

Steve Martin · February 20, 2003

Wow! This is all very impressive and the photos have my stomach grumbling. But really, do you cook like this every night??? I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you?

I work offshore for four weeks at a time and am at home for four. When at home, my wife and I are together every minute and I cook twice a day. I could not do it if I was just cooking for myself. The hobby simply wouldn't have developed in this way.

At work, I work twelve hour shifts every day and the food is catered. I have no access to a kitchen :-(

Suzanne F · February 20, 2003

... I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you? ...

For nights like that, there's Spaghetti Carbonara!!!!!! Anyway, it was for me last night (although I was cooking for 2).

I mean, doesn't almost everybody have in their house:

- dried pasta, preferably spaghetti or linguine

- bacon (at least, most eGullet members do! :wink: )

- onions

- eggs

- parmesan cheese

- freshly ground black pepper?

In the time it takes for water to come to a boil and the pasta to cook, you've diced the bacon and sautéed it, added the chopped onions and cooked them down, grated the cheese and whisked it into the egg. So when the pasta is done, drain it (leave a little water on it), add it to the bacon/onion pan, add the egg/cheese mixture and pepper, stir it all up, and BINGO! Actually, the cooking can all be done while the pasta boils, so you have time for a glass of wine while the water heats. :cool:

PS: last night we had salad, too, as usual. Easy enough to make while the water boiled, so we had our preprandial sherry at the same time. :wink:

Fritz Brenner · February 20, 2003

I ended up eating a bag of microwave popcorn sprinkled with tobasco, an entire pan of roasted asparagus, some peanut butter and 2 glasses of Oregon Pinot Noir.

Joler, I'm with you in this respect. Actually, there's usually even less labor on my part (read: pan-roasted is a no-no because I will have to wash dishes...).... try cereal, bagels, or leftovers of any kind. Cheese makes me happy, I use it liberally on things. Last night, after coming home from job number two, I nuked leftover mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese chunks. Poured cheap glug wine into a jelly jar, and rested my feet. :rolleyes: This is all I can muster sometimes, but I try to make up for it on the weekend or whenever I have nights off.

nerissa · February 20, 2003

Wow! This is all very impressive and the photos have my stomach grumbling. But really, do you cook like this every night??? I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you?

Joler:

On Monday after work, I made chicken soup from scratch--saved time by having the butcher cut up a fryer. I have had chicken soup with multi-grain toast, a glass of cranberry juice mixed with Pelligrino every night since. Of course, passive-agressively, I somehow "forgot" to put the Le Crueset back in the 'frig. Oh well, I guess I will have to throw it out. Not that it was bad, but I can't eat it anymore.

torakris · February 20, 2003

... I mean, what do you eat on nights when you've worked for 12 hours and you come home hungry and tired and there's no one home but you? ...
For nights like that, there's Spaghetti Carbonara!!!!!! Anyway, it was for me last night (although I was cooking for 2).
I mean, doesn't almost everybody have in their house:
- dried pasta, preferably spaghetti or linguine
- bacon (at least, most eGullet members do! )
- onions
- eggs
- parmesan cheese
- freshly ground black pepper?
In the time it takes for water to come to a boil and the pasta to cook, you've diced the bacon and sautéed it, added the chopped onions and cooked them down, grated the cheese and whisked it into the egg. So when the pasta is done, drain it (leave a little water on it), add it to the bacon/onion pan, add the egg/cheese mixture and pepper, stir it all up, and BINGO! Actually, the cooking can all be done while the pasta boils, so you have time for a glass of wine while the water heats.
PS: last night we had salad, too, as usual. Easy enough to make while the water boiled, so we had our preprandial sherry at the same time.

Suzanne F,

Wow we must be on the same wavelength!

When I read the initial post about what we cook after a 12 hour day at work, I also was thinking carbonara and mostly because that is what we had last night as well!

I was out all day doing various errands ending the day at a 2 hour English class for my children ending at 6:30, picking my husband up from the station and walking in the door with 3 hungry (and sleepy) kids and husband and it was already after 7:00.

I had the spaghetti carbonara and avocado and tomato salad on the table by 7:30.

Of course I do have to admit if I was only cooking for myself my meals would look more like Soba's, that was exactly how I ate when I was in college.

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