Dinner! 2004

[bleachboy]

you all are wayyyy over my head

Rachel,

Trust me. You've got plenty of company. I love this thread, but never post, as it would be too embarassing. But I'm proud of my cooking accomplishments over the past couple of years. My wife used to school me every time I went into the kitchen, now she asks me for advice. Not that I'm very good, just that I have more free time to cook than she does.

I mean, tonight, I'm making hot dogs. I'll probably post photos on the hot dog thread once my buns are done. This thread, though, definitely provides inspiration. I mean, give yourself five years, and you'll be making this kind of stuff at home, I bet!

[NeroW]

Rachel, welcome to eGullet. Don't feel bad about posting anything to this thread (or to any other thread here, really). Sometimes, I just post:

Beer.

Actually, that's what I had for dinner tonight, so I'll post it again:

Beer. Pabst Blue Ribbon. In a can.

[bleachboy]

Re: Hot dogs

Here's my post (with pic).

Hot dog buns turned out pretty good, but could be better. Next time they will be.

[Pickles]

This is my first post--I've been reading this board for a long time, but hesitated to sign up because you all are wayyyy over my head.

Nonsense. No one knows everything there is to know about food. No one. Not even the greatest chefs in the world. So....Welcome and don't be intimidated. Just read and learn more than all the rest of us.

Edited June 18, 2004 by Pickles (log)

[Dana]

Welcome Rachel!!! Don't be intimidated, at least you're cooking and not eating some tasteless fast food. Nearly every body uses some form of pre-made product occasionally, even if they don't say so. You gotta start somewhere.

[s'kat]

Hi Rachel- nice first post, and welcome! I can remember making pork chops smothered in cream of mushroom soup for my roommates, long ago. We thought it was the height of fine cuisine.

To stay on topic: Last night, it was simply too hot to cook, so The German and I went out to dinner at a little Italian joint. The food there is decent enough, but everytime I'm finished eating, I feel cheated: I know I could have done much better at home.

I had scallops, shrimp, and clams in a white wine sauce that had too much butter. Wilted spinach in place of noodles. A salad topped with some of the best oil-and-vinegar I've ever tasted. This is, in fact, what keeps me going back here. Hopefully, The German and I will someday decode the secret of the dressing.

Tonight, heat-be-damned, is dum sum Friday. If I can find some good fresh fish this afternoon, I'd like to do some cerviche as well.

[Susan in FL]

Rachel, welcome. I am glad you made your first post on this particular thread, and echo all the sentiments expressed. Please do post here and anywhere/everywhere on eG! I love getting menu ideas from this topic, from elaborate to plain and simple. In fact, I am now craving hot dogs, thanks to Bleachboy.

Actually, thank you for that hot dog thread link, Bleachboy. I hadn't read through it. I intend to order some Usinger's! Yours look so good.

Thank you for the compliments, and Hathor, I'll check with my husband for the ingredients he used in that wonderful sauce.

[markk]

Wednesday was a special occasion, so I pulled out all the stops.

The menu was

and then here's the table setting, followed by the food

I never got around to cutting up fruit, so I just served it on a platter with a bowl of ice water for washing, and I served both ice creams and the cookies. Everybody had a great time.

Edited June 18, 2004 by markk (log)

[Akiko]

I can remember making pork chops smothered in cream of mushroom soup for my roommates, long ago. We thought it was the height of fine cuisine. 

I haven't done this in many years but am willing to bet if I made this for dinner my husband would be just as pleased as when I do thick cut pork chops with a spice rub or a chipotle honey glaze...

nothing wrong with campbells mushroom soup, some carmelized onions, and worcester sauce to spice it up!

I think one of my favorite thanksgiving sides was made with ritz crackers and processed cheese. I don't know if I'm upset that I never asked for the recipe or glad!

[hathor]

Wednesday was a special occasion, so I pulled out all the stops.

The menu was

Well, I hope you are victorious more often!

What a beautiful meal!!

[Susan in FL]

Wednesday was a special occasion, so I pulled out all the stops.

The menu was

and then here's the table setting, followed by the food

I never got around to cutting up fruit, so I just served it on a platter with a bowl of ice water for washing, and I served both ice creams and the cookies.  Everybody had a great time.

BEAUTIFUL!

Thanks for those wonderful photos... what good ideas for table setting and food presentation.

[reesek]

markk - gorgeous!

those lentils are inspiring a pavlovian reaction from me. any hope of wrangling your technique? they look eithiopian.

[Pickles]

Interesting placing of the silverware. I don't think I've seen it done like that before.

[RSincere]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone. I know the convenience foods have a place, but I get very sick of them--it's like they're not really food, you know? Because of a disability I go through long bouts when I am unable to cook, so when I am able to cook fresh food I want to learn how. I am compiling a list of questions that I have not found answered on this site and I will probably be posting the list soon. (Probably pretty basic new cook questions, but I read a lot, and haven't found any answers yet.)

Tonight was very basic. I hadn't thawed anything and didn't feel like cooking so I steamed fresh corn on the cob and everyone had to find something else on their own if they wanted more to eat!

Thanks again, especially for the inspiration. Those hot dogs looked fabulous!

[petite tête de chou]

Being a bit tired of cooking meat nearly every night, I made veg-head fried rice. Peas, carrots, green onion, cilantro, peanuts, fried tofu, thai dragon chilis, bean sprouts, garlic/ginger, oyster sauce, hoisin, sesame oil/seeds, soy, sriracha and lots of lime chunks on the side. Husband had beers and I had iced tea. Its actually good cold, too. Go figure.

[Susan in FL]

The best Steak Tartare we've ever made was our first course last night. It was from the same Saveur piece as the Schnitzel Holstein.

Schlemmerschnitte

(Steak Tartare with Caviar)

The secret to good steak tartare (listed on the Lüchow’s menu as schlemmerschnitte, “gourmand’s portion”, or as raw meat Lucullus, when caviar was added) is to use beef of the best possible quality and ask your butcher to grind it fresh.  (The young, elderly, and immune compromised should avoid eating raw meat.)  Toast and butter 4 slices crustless white sandwich bread.  Mound ¼ lb. ground boneless beef sirloin, trimmed of all fat, or ground filet onto each piece of toast.  Put ½ oz. of the best caviar you can afford on top of meat and top with some finely diced peeled white onions.  Divide between 2 plates.  Garnish with parsley, if you like.  Serves 2.

After that, we had rotisserie grilled duck with a cantaloupe and avocado salsa; with the Steak Tartare, Franciscan Cabernet and with the Duck, Brancott Pinot Noir.

[Susan in FL]

Can you post the recipe for the dipping sauce? Just an ingredient list would be fine. Thanks!

From Russ:

Saute minced ginger and lots of minced shallots in olive oil and then add a little soy sauce.  Add some red wine and reduce to ½.  Add a spoonful of prepared horseradish and some chicken stock.  Cook a little more, strain, and reduce to a syrup.  Cool enough to swirl in cold butter.  Serve with cold raw tuna and hot seared scallops.

[markk]

markk - gorgeous!

those lentils are inspiring a pavlovian reaction from me. any hope of wrangling your technique? they look eithiopian.

Thank you. No, they're not ethiopian at all.

I take all the cloves from a nice head of garlic, purple if I can get it, and I peel them and put them in a little pot that’s very narrow and a few inches tall, and cover them with olive oil. Then I bring it gently to the simmer, cover it with aluminum foil, and simmer the cloves for about 20 minutes until they soften completely but don’t brown.

Also, I dice a purple onion quite fine and sautee it, covered, in a regular large sautee pan for the same amount of time more or less. Near the end I add in a good amount of fresh thyme to the onions. Then, I dump the garlic into the onions, and mash the cloves into the oil and the onion. I add one or two packages of the Lunor brand lentils that Fairway in New York sells (any lentils, of course, would do, the French lentils being the best), and stir them to coat evenly. Then I add the tomatoes, crushing them as I add them, from a can of the Tuscan Organic tomatoes that Whole Foods sells, and I add a little bit of the juices if necessary. Then I give it a 15 or 20 minute simmer, and that’s it.

[little ms foodie]

Last night we had my husband's aunt and uncle over for dinner.

Started with champagne, porc and duck pate (smuggled in from Paris), sliced baguette, cornichons, olives with preserved lemon and marinated onions.

Bandol Rose wine.

Next was a small green salad with roasted fresh figs and goat cheese drizzled with honey dressing.

Strangozzi pasta with black truffle sauce and garnished with sliced black truffles.

Pork loin rubbed with garlic, rosemary and proscuitto roasted in Vin Santo with Belgium endive.

Roasted asparagus drizzled with white truffle oil and parmesan shavings.

Frozen key lime pie for dessert.

[binkyboots]

it's cold and wet, so tonight's dinner is split pea soup (with a parmesan heel chucked in for flavour) this will most likely be for tommorow's lunch too but served then with some barley/sunflower bread.

comfort food at it's best

[RSincere]

Lunch: Pumpkin orange soup with Parmesan toasts

Supper: Hamburger on a bun and strawberries

[Susan in FL]

I did photo tonight's dinner, but just couldn't capture it well. We started with Pickled Shrimp (thank you very much, Fifi and family).

Then... grilled veal chops topped with truffle butter, fried sage leaves, and sweet corn flans with tomato-corn relish. The flans and relish called out for crabcakes. I'll serve it with that next time!

[binkyboots]

mm.. bread was good, tastes of woodsmoke and is oddly good with honey.

tonight's dinner

sausage and mushroom quiche

chips

beans (yes, baked beans... I like them pureed)

more soup for me.

oh.. when I post two dinners, it's because there's one that everyone else in the house eats and one I do, I can't eat solid food so mine is frequently soup, mashed potatos/veg with gravy or weetabix. but posting that gets monotonous and doesn't really reflect the dinner that most people here are having I decided to post both.

[Susan in FL]

oh.. when I post two dinners, it's because there's one that everyone else in the house eats and one I do, I can't eat solid food so mine is frequently soup, mashed potatos/veg with gravy or weetabix.  but posting that gets monotonous and doesn't really reflect the dinner that most people here are having I decided to post both.

All/both dinners that you post always sound good. Are there other restrictions on your food besides no solids? For instance can you eat food as flavorable or as spicy as you wish, and what about acidic, or high fiber foods? (No particular reason for asking, other than being interested...)

[binkyboots]

thank you!

reason for my no solids is I had a vertically banded gastroplasty last year, so I have a tiny pouch instead of a normal stomach, eat anything to chunky (or just too much of something smooth) and the consequences are painfull (usually ending in me being sick ) so food since then has been something of an adventure into the unknown...

apart from the no solids I eat very tiny portions (half a cup or slightly more) and try to keep it low cal/low fat, no restrictions on spice, acids and fibre, lol, I haven't yet tried my old drink (tequila with salt and lemon) yet in case it rusts my staples

I love spicy food, or used to, curries were my favorite, now I'm starting to experiment with curried soups, I've got a recipe for a sweet potato, coconut and spice soup...

I'd say my biggest complaint is my lack of protien (though I'm hoping that experiments with silken tofu may help this) and the boredom that comes with only eating one texture.

it's got it's positive side, before the op I'm sure I didn't realise what rich world of texture, spice and taste was out there, now I'm forced to look harder at these things to get a nutritious and interesting meal.

Edited June 20, 2004 by binkyboots (log)