Dinner! 2005

[Daddy-A]

My first chicken soup from total scratch!

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See? Those classes are paying off already! Looks delicious

A.

[*Deborah*]

It wasn't bad! I think it will be even better tomorrow though!

[Basilgirl]

Brats on the grill pan, split and topped with melted cheddar, on squishy hot dog rolls with spicy brown mustard

Potato pancakes (mix)

Sierra Nevadas

[Priscilla]

New York strips in the big old Griswold outside on the butane burner. Oven-roasted yellow potato cubes, crusty and brown. Skinny asparagus. Sourdough bread. A little mayonnaise for condimenting, traditional with these items (except the bread) among the Russians I know. (Best Foods orange-top mayonesa did admirably.)

[gourmande]

Linguini with bolognese sauce and lots of shaved Parm, a simple green salad, and a rustic pear tart for dessert.

[newbie]

Dinner last night was chicken breasts that was breaded with panko and parmesan cheese then sauteed in some olive oil for a few minutes on each side to get a nice brown crust on it. I then removed the chicken and deglazed the pan with some white wine and added some chicken broth, garlic, leftover caramelized onions, capers and lemon juice and cooked it for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken back into the pan to finish cooking. Served with some pasta tossed with EVOO, parm cheese, salt and pepper and a mixed salad.

The sauce was delicious and thankfully there were enough leftovers for today's lunch.

I am amazed at the meals that you are all able to prepare on a regular basis. With two young children who are active in a number of activities (soccer, gymnastics, hockey, swimming lessons....) and working full time, I don't get to cook the meals that I would like to very often.

[monavano]

My first chicken soup from total scratch!

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Your soup looks just delicious. That's as comforting as it gets. Beautiful job of making it glisten a bit, but not look greasy. Bravo.

[mhadam]

meat filled arancini and a cannoli for dessert

[*Deborah*]

Your soup looks just delicious. That's as comforting as it gets. Beautiful job of making it glisten a bit, but not look greasy. Bravo.

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There was no art or effort in that, just dumb (beginner's) luck, and good instruction from Chef Tony Minichiello (I'm taking a class).

I wonder if I'll be able to duplicate it!

[gourmande]

Inspired by Megan Blocker's Chicken paillard (gosh that photo was nice!)... I just craved chicken tonight, so...

Not sure what to call it, though it's reminiscent of Les Trois Gourmandes' suprêmes de vollailles à blanc (sans crème) ...

- Butter poached chicken breasts (rubbed in salt, fresh dill and lemon zest);

- Shallot and white wine sauce (reduced in/with poaching liquid);

- tiny red potatoes roasted in duck fat, dressed with chives and butter

- watercress and diced tomatoes tossed in a simple vinaigrette

Edit: My pitiful photo does not do justice to how wonderful this dish was!

Edited September 23, 2005 by gourmande (log)

[liamsaunt]

Roast chicken and bread salad from the zuni cafe cookbook. I made the mistake of pouring the arugula into the warm bread bowl instead of tossing the salad in a cool bowl, so it wilted a bit more than usual, but it still tasted good.

I'm still working on my photo skills, obviously..

[gourmande]

that looks fabulous liamsaunt! I can taste the skin on the chicken! MMMMMM....

[Basilgirl]

Chicken seems to be very popular lately...

Pan roasted chicken breasts with smashed garlic, prosciutto, sage, Marsala and butter sauce

Barilla tortellini and tortelloni tossed with butter, olive oil, scallions, a little salt & a lot of pepper

[noambenami]

Had a few friends over for dinner last night...one has a terrific camera and was kind enough to take shots. I'm 99% done with a six-month kitchen remodel and have been itching to cook a serious meal.

Almond-crusted shrimp. Cucumber, grapfruit, bay scallop ceviche.

Part 1:

Radish brunoise, zaatar

Part 2:

Walnut-red pepper soup poured on top

Pineapple, mint, mezcal

White-wine Braised beef canneloni with red-wine-coffee braised oxtail. Asparagus, green onion.

Vanilla-chai ice cream, strawberries, halva, pineapple tuile.

[Megan Blocker]

Gorgeous dinners, all! I think the chicken and bread salad look gorgeous, liamsaunt! And that dinner, noambenami - I hope your friends appreciate you!

[gourmande]

Beautiful stuff, noambenami! was the soup hot or cold?

[Jake]

Wednesday night, veal piccata with orecchiette pugliese pasta tossed with pesto. Wasn't impressed by the pasta itself, won't buy that one again.

Last night pizza with a lovely garlic tomato sauce, spinach, carmelized onions, smoked duck breast and cheese. Yummy, best one in awhile.

[noambenami]

Beautiful stuff, noambenami! was the soup hot or cold

Thank you very much. Soup was hot.

[Susan in FL]

Had a few friends over for dinner last night...one has a terrific camera and was kind enough to take shots. I'm 99% done with a six-month kitchen remodel and have been itching to cook a serious meal.

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Beautiful, all of it! Looks Delicious.

[Patrick S]

I tried making another of my favorite chinese dishes, General Tso's chicken. Again it turned out well and was delicious. One small problem I had, though, was that when I drained the oil and then returned the chicken to the pan with the sauce, the sauce immediately became very thick and it took a good bit of stirring just to get all the pieces coated. I think I either didn't leave enough oil in the pan, or I used too much cornstarch in the sauce.

[dvs]

I tried making another of my favorite chinese dishes, General Tso's chicken. Again it turned out well and was delicious. One small problem I had, though, was that when I drained the oil and then returned the chicken to the pan with the sauce, the sauce  immediately became very thick and it took a good bit of stirring just to get all the pieces coated. I think I either didn't leave enough oil in the pan, or I used too much cornstarch in the sauce.

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DROOL!!

do you have a recipe?? i've been dying for a general tso's fix (no good chinese food in napa )

it'd be MUCH appreciated!!

[rooftop1000]

We went out for a pre birthday dinner with the child...this is when she could fit us in.

Thai food her new obsession. We got spring rolls...these were what every eggroll wishes it was, shrimp in spring roll wrapper also perfectly crisp. She had Pad Thai, nice example of the dish. Hubby had grilled snapper with a spicey green sauce not curry...and I tried Larb...my first Larb.

It tasted exactly as described in the Larb thread salty, sour, funk-fishy served with cucumber carrot and romaine, May just be the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten. Oh well plenty of Pad Thai, fish and rice for all of us. She brought my leftovers back to the dorm to torture her friends with

tracey

[Patrick S]

do you have a recipe?? i've been dying for a general tso's fix (no good chinese food in napa )

it'd be MUCH appreciated!!

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Sure! The recipe I used is here.

[dvs]

do you have a recipe?? i've been dying for a general tso's fix (no good chinese food in napa )

it'd be MUCH appreciated!!

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Sure! The recipe I used is here.

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thx!! you rock!!

[Ktepi]

I was sick all week, so wanted to a) make up for not having cooked since the weekend, b) make a dent in the neglected produce, but c) not push myself too much nor make anything that would leave leftovers.

So I took out a leg of duck confit to split between me and the Missus and wound up with shredded duck meat pan-fried until crispy (like vaca frita), and then tossed with Heath toffee bits until they melted (this is a variation on toffee bacon, something I make a lot because people are always surprised by it); the duck was served over cold slices of Asian pear, with glutinous rice mixed with a little limoncello and spiceberry-infused clementine vodka, and stir-fried long beans.

(No photos, but it wasn't an especially handsome meal, just tasty and satisfying without being heavy.)