Dinner! 2003

SethG · August 22, 2003

Having friends visit this weekend-- a couple and their two kids. I took off from work early and made a Tortilla Espanola (correct spelling this time around) to offer them when they arrive, along with some cheeze 'n' crackers.

Tonight I'm serving them a Panzanella salad (thank you, Guajolote), some steamed broccoli, roasted leg of lamb with an anchovy/basil sauce (from Amanda Hesser's column this week in the NY Times), and maybe some rice.

torakris · August 23, 2003

Friday dinner:

another nice day so I got all the bedding washed and the futons aired, thus another lazy dinner

(okay I really spent most of the day watching movies and eating chocolate chip cookies, but anyway.....)

grilled (griddle pan) harasu, which is salmon belly, with sudachi (a Japanese citrus) and sanshou

miso soup with satoimo (Japanese taro), carrots, konnyaku, negi (Japanese leek) and aburage (tofu pockets) seasoned with a little yuzu-koshou (a yuzu and chile pepper mix)

takuan with shiso, sesame seeds, myouga and bonito flakes

and more of the jarred foods from yesterday

-squid with uni

-bonito shiokara

-seaweed with fish eggs

Japanese rice

Suzanne F · August 23, 2003

Priscilla: here's the link to the oil-poached pluots: smack lips. He Who Only Eats brought Wednesday's Chronicle back with him, so I saw that and thought, wow. Seeing Helena's pictures only confirm that it's definitely worth trying.

Between vacation and HWOE being away, tonight was the first time in almost 2 weeks I actually cooked:

Chicken with cashews and celery (very loosely based on the recipe in Every Grain of Rice, plus ginger and garlic)

Rice cake (not the puffy, crunchy rice cakes at all, but a flat, almond-shaped noodle made with rice flour)

Mixed salad (romaine, endive, radicchio, watercress, Boston, plus kirby and tomato from the Greenmarket) with sherry vinegar/olive oil

Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling

Ling · August 23, 2003

Today I made:

-escargot in a veloute pernod sauce? (Blah...wasn't a very good recipe)

-Braised rabbit in mustard sauce with porcini risotto and parm reggiano

-coffee creme brulee

It was my first time cooking rabbit. I have a picture but I'm not sure how to upload it.

Jinmyo · August 23, 2003

Rice cake (not the puffy, crunchy rice cakes at all, but a flat, almond-shaped noodle made with rice flour)

These are called "tteok" in Korean. They're great.

NVNVGirl · August 23, 2003

Wow, now I wish I had checked this post before planning dinner....that chicken looks just beautiful, Helena! Gonna have to try that soon! Tonite we'll be having Chicken breasts with a sundried tomato and garlic crust, spinach, basil and ricotta puree, orzo pilaf with green onions and parmesan and probably lemon sorbet. Hope it all turns out; dont' get too much of an opportunity to cook for hubby.

NVNVGirl · August 23, 2003

Suzanne ~ OMG, I had to check out that pluot recipe....I am on my way to the grocery IMMEDIATELY to get some, LOL! Holy moley, that looks absolutely incredible! So add that to what did you cook tonite for me :biggrin: Thanks so much for posting the link!

hjshorter · August 23, 2003

Tonight:

Perfectly medium rare grilled NY strip steaks

Yukon gold frites with sea salt

Mixed greens, with brandywine tomatoes so ripe I thought they were going to explode, EVOO, white wine vinegar, S&P

1996 Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon from our cellar (read basement :biggrin: ). Perfectly ready to drink.

Nectarines for dessert

torakris · August 23, 2003

I am the only one who didn't know what a pluot was? :biggrin:

No cooking last night I was at a friend's BBQ last night and my contribution to the meal was a large bowl of hummus and various crudites.

I usually avoid these "friends" like the plague, especially if they are going to be making attempts at cooking :blink: and the food was exactly what I expected (bad, bad, bad) but the company (of the other guests) was really wonderful and I only moved from my seat inside to go to a seat outside. :biggrin:

This couple only knows how to cook 8 dishes (and none of them are really good) they actually rotate through 7 of them weekly, Monday is always the same meal, so is Tuesday, Weds, etc, she says that it makes the shopping easy! :blink: their 8th meal is their BBQ meal which consists of an onion soup mix and sour cream dip and grilled chicken breasts with his special BBQ sauce (which is actually a jarred sauce with some chopped onions added).and the chicken is always black and I mean REALLY black yet either raw inside or so over cooked it is no longer chewable. Tney also roast potatoes wrapped in foil, just poatatoes wrapped in foil, no salt, pepper, or fat of any kind and they are eaten that way, no flavor whatsoever. :biggrin:

At least the other guests brought dishes as well! :biggrin:

bloviatrix · August 24, 2003

Friday night:

Rosemary boule w/butter

Tuna Tartare w/ponzu

Pan-seared curried whitefish with cucumber riata

Basmati rice and red lentil pilaf

Strawberry shortcake (store bought)

To drink: Strawberry lemonade and chenin blanc

The tuna tartare did not go with the meal, but I've been thinking of making it for Rosh Hashanna and I wanted to try it before I served it for guests. I made it with some EVOO, scallions, chopped mint and basil, sea salt and pepper. The ponzu recipe came from a link MatthewB posted on his first dinner thread. The texture was great - my husband described it as velvety and it was nicely flavored. I thought the ponzu was nice salty-sweet complement. But, we decided that this won't go over well on the holiday so now I have to figure out an appetizer.

kel · August 25, 2003

Last night, Spaghetti with Bacon and Peas. Was supposed to be Pancetta, but the grocery was out and I didn't feel like driving all over town to get some. Still, it was pretty darn good. Nothing on the side, it was plenty on it's own, what with all the goat cheese.

Tonight will be Lemon-Herb roasted chicken, carrots with brown sugar-orange butter, and mashed broccoli. The chicken is marinating all day in a mixture of EVOO, various herbs (thyme, tarragon, chives, rosemary) and lemon. Should be good.

But, I've never made any of these dishes before, so wish me luck.

Suzanne F · August 25, 2003

kel, good luck.

But if the people you're cooking for have never made them either, there's no need -- you can always tell them that's the way it's SUPPOSED to be. And then the next time, when you correct your mistakes, tell them you found a variation. :wink:

SobaAddict70 · August 25, 2003

Next time, try stuffing the cavity of the chicken with a few sprigs of rosemary and some quartered or whole preserved lemons.

good luck with the dinner.

Soba

kel · August 25, 2003

That's true. Fortunately, it's just myself and my husband that I have to cook for. Unfortunately, he's just as savvy as I am in the kitchen, so if anything goes wrong, he'll be sure to point out my mistakes (well-meaning, but frustrating sometimes).

But hopefully it goes well and quickly, 'cause I am hungry!

Thanks!

AlexP · August 25, 2003

I got some whole blue shrimp and tuna from our fish store. I love when there is good size whole shrimp at the store...

Tomato and Spanish onion salad (EVOO, balsamic, and salt)

Spinach and grill veggie salad (white mushrooms, different peppers, and zuchini)

Grilled Shrimp with a touch of lime juice

Grilled tuna steak with wasabi alioli

A couple posts reminded me of how tasty a simple tomato salad can be.... The blue shrimp heads had a lot of sabor, taste.

Alex

FoodMan · August 25, 2003

-Tomato salad, dressed with evoo, salt and pepper with home made sourdough bread slices on the side

-Penne tossed with home made marinara, eggplant, roasted chicken strips, fresh mozzarella and basil.

-Dessert: Plum and peach frangipan tart.

madziast · August 25, 2003

taking it easy--salad of tomatoes, onions and lettuce picked up at a farm in upstate NY with some soy beans and olive oil-sherry vinegar vinaigrette with fresh herbs. and some mosel riesling. started way early on the riesling...

torakris · August 26, 2003

Monday dinner:

nikujyaga-- Japanese beef and potatoes dish

daikon and mitsuba salad with sudachi-soy-white sesame oil dressing

kimchi

takuan (after the picture was taken my husband chopped them up and added shiso, myoga and bonito flakes)

same jarred foods we have had on the table for a couple of days

Japanese rice

Edited August 26, 2003 by torakris (log)

hjshorter · August 26, 2003

Last night:

Tournedos de porc a la Charcutiere - boneless pork cutlets with white wine, tarragon, savory, capers, cornichons, heavy cream, and butter, from Parisian Home Cooking by Michael Roberts. Lighter than it sounds. We have made this so often that the cookbook opens to that page.

Steamed rice and asparagus.

Trimbach Pinot Gris. Went nicely with the pork.

Dessert: The Chewy

We went out for a quick meal tonight because my daughter had a doctor appointment at 4pm. Mediocre hamburgers at a weird chain called Cheeburger Cheeburger. Underseasoned patties with decent toppings + faux diner atmosphere + greasy onions rings + goofy name inspired by a 70's comedy routine + bad 80's dreck music (Culture Club during dinner :blink: ) = Indigestion.

pattimw · August 26, 2003

Tonight-

Open Faced Burgers with Roquefort

Grilled Vegetables (red Onions, summer squash, eggplant)

Corona :biggrin:

Blueberry Lemon Tartlets (from Gourmet 7/03)

torakris- that daikon and mitsuba salad was beautiful! :smile:

laurel · August 26, 2003

Cucumber and Ricotta Wrapped with Smoked Salmon

Roasted Corn, Bean, and Onion Salad

Vegetable Cake

Kinki Fish Baked with Fennel, Dill, and Lemon

Rosemary and Butter Roasted Potatoes

SethG · August 26, 2003

So I had this jar of preserved lemons in my fridge that I made over six months ago, and they didn't look bad, but for whatever reason I hesitated to pull the trigger on using them. I made them using a Craig Claiborne recipe, and I wasn't sure they were really done right. There must be a thread on eGullet somewhere on preserved lemons. How come mine haven't turned the shade of brown one sees on the preserved lemons at Sahadi's (or your neighborhood Near Eastern store)? Anyway, then I got a copy of Paula Wolfert's "Couscous and Other Good Foods from Morocco," and not only is her recipe exactly like Claiborne's (he probably copied his from hers), she says you can keep them for up to a year on your countertop!

So tonight was Wolfert's chicken with eggs, lemons and olives. The chicken is poached in water with a bunch of spices, then finished in the oven with the reduced poaching liquid, eggs, olives and the preserved lemons. Very tasty. Nice saffron color. Olives, eggs and preserved lemons say all you need to know about the flavor. Forgot to take a picture. Oh, and the preserved lemons were really good.

God forgive me, I made instant couscous to go with it. I promise next time I'll do the real thing. My daughter's sick, give me a break.

dumpling · August 26, 2003

Matlaw's Stuffed Clams(Hey i like these things)

London broil in a horseradish roasted garlic crust

Garlic Mashed potatoes

Buttered shoepeg corn

Warm bannana and chocolate tart

Chad · August 26, 2003

Tonight: homemade breaded chicken strips. The kids loved 'em. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed & sliced on the bias into 3/4" strips, lightly floured, dipped in a spiced egg wash and rolled in panko bread crumbs. Damn tasty, he said, looking quickly left and right to make sure the kids aren't reading . . . the flour was spiked with my own toasted cumin, cayenne, garlic powder rub and the egg wash was lightly enhanced with sriracha. Pan fried in 350 degree veggie oil.

Light, juicy, non-greasy and pretty dang good for a weeknight. Served with broccoli & cheese, foccacia (with peanut butter for the kids :rolleyes: ) and a good Chilean sauvignon blanc.