Dinner! 2005

[Chufi]

inspired by Kevin72's ragu in his Year of Italian cooking thread, I made ragu yesterday.. I think it was on the stove for about 6 hours.

Today when I was cycling home from work and thinking about food as usual, I thought about the pasta I was going to serve it with, and then I thought: why not make fresh pasta?

It wasn't until I was at home and making the pasta, that I realized how I've changed.. a year ago (that would be BE, Before EGullet ) I would not have dreamed of going through 'so much trouble' just on a weeknight after work. Turns out it was no trouble at all! And I finally got to use my cute pasta rack

Pasta with ragu.. best I ever made (or tasted )

[*Deborah*]

Wow, gorgeous, Klary!

And on a weeknight...that I probably would not attempt. I applaud you.

[Daniel]

In terms of making your own pasta, it really is such a great thing to do.. I cant recommend it enough.. For a quick spaghetti or ravioli, its really simple.. The dough = 2 eggs and one cupe of flour.. Roll it out, cut it up.. I can have 2 servings of spaghetti or a bunch of simple ricotta stuffed raviolis by the time the water starts boiling..

Edited November 10, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[liamsaunt]

Last night's dinner, from the you can never have too much butter club:

Butternut squash ravioli with a sage-brown butter sauce, with pine nuts and fried shallots.

[Alinka]

Another dinner of whole wheat couscous and fish in tomato-basil-capers-olives sauce. I think right now couscous is my favorite kind of starch, can't get enough.

[FoodMan]

Chufi-

That Ragu and pasta kickass! I love making homemade pasta, welcome to the club (Even though I do not ahve a cool pasta rack like yours )

Wednesday:

- Pan seared salmon with a nice crispy skin. Topped with lemon shallot sauce and creme fraiche

- Parsleyed redskin new potatoes with butter

Thursday

-Chinese inspired pork stew with cabbage, acorn squash and mushrooms. Slowly cooked in a sandpot. Doesn't look like much, but tasted damn fine

-My first time making Chinese breads following Tropp's recipe for Steamed Flower Buns. I was very pleased with the result. Looked great and tasted awsome with the stew.

Here they are before steaming

And after

....man I should've added a Daniel-style bite shot

[Alinka]

Wow, these steamed buns look pretty cool. Did you have have a discussion anywhere?

[FoodMan]

Wow, these steamed buns look pretty cool. Did you have have a discussion anywhere?

←

Not that I know of...I just wanted to try something different with Chinese food other than rice and noodles. These (from Barbara Tropp's first great book) seemed cool, tasty and not that hard to make.

[repoman]

I have been a lurking around here for a year or so and finally joined and recieved participating member status. Its really great seeing what people make at home. Usually I don't feel comfortable sharing stuff I make up but in this case it actually turned out pretty well. Its Rum Soaked Jerk Ahi Tuna, which I paired with brown rice and asparagus.

[Susan in FL]

Here are a couple of shots from the night before last. The photography challenge that these dark nights present is making me refer to this time of the year as "off-season" for food photography -- at least at dinner time on the porch. I am already looking forward to longer daylight.

This dinner tasted so good. We had sauteed pork chops, turnips mashed with salt, pepper, & butter, and tiny Brussels sprouts cooked to just the right doneness & finished with a dash of grapeseed oil.

Last night I went out for dinner with a girlfriend, to celebrate her birthday and for an early holiday celebration. I had seared foie gras over lentils that were cooked in carrot juice & root vegetables, served with tahini grape sauce; Chilean sea bass marinated in soy, honey, miso & grapeseed oil, with spinach, scallions & portobello mushrooms, surrounded on the plate by a celery root puree; and a dessert sampler plate. My friend picked the bottle of wine because that was on me, for her birthday, and it was a Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay. It wouldn't have been my first choice as a match for the food I ordered, but it was excellent, as was the espresso. I spent sooo much money, but it was sooo good. Please pardon me for this much detail on a dinner I didn't cook, but I just had to share this with all you dinner thread food lovers.

[Alinka]

Alinka, I thought you had warned us of vegetarian options to come?  That fish looks so purty...

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Well, we'll call it "pesco-vegetarian" .

Wow, these steamed buns look pretty cool. Did you have have a discussion anywhere?

←

Not that I know of...I just wanted to try something different with Chinese food other than rice and noodles. These (from Barbara Tropp's first great book) seemed cool, tasty and not that hard to make.

←

Now I'll have to see if the library has the book.

[Jake]

I have been a lurking around here for a year or so and finally joined and recieved participating member status.  Its really great seeing what people make at home.  Usually I don't feel comfortable sharing stuff I make up but in this case it actually turned out pretty well.  Its Rum Soaked Jerk Ahi Tuna, which I paired with brown rice and asparagus. 

←

Welcome, repoman! The tuna looks delicious. We have a great group here and share the good stuff as well as the not so good, we hope to see more of your photos.

Did you follow a specific recipe for this dish, or was it something you created?

[Daniel]

Lamb chops, creamed spinach, baked potato with bacon, chedder, sour cream and chives.. Tried Pilsbury Biscuits.. They are not too bad..

[cathrynapple]

hahaha! not too bad with half a stick of butter, huh?

here's my excuse for dinner:

last night was slightly better:

some tiny, new sushi place. it wasn't bad.

[Daniel]

That funny cathryn.. Actually, the butter was put on the hot biscuit for the photo.. I took the shot and a normal amount of butter had melted so I put the rest on the side..

Forgot dessert.. Its a lemon sponge thing.. Lemon juice and zest is added to yolks.. Beat the egg whites and mix with sugar.. Bake in a water bath.. It was really refreshing,.. Soupy at the bottom airy at the top.. Mix the two and its just great..

Edited November 12, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Susan in FL]

We had Friday night Happy Hours at home tonight instead of out. It was my turn to pick 'n' pay (we alternate), & I had a craving for a hamburger and hot dog fix... It had been way too long. We drank beer and later wine, and grilled the hamburgers and hot dogs outside. Our collection of goose fat has grown, so we deep-fried homemade fries in that. The fresh local shrimp looked mighty good, so we boiled some of those for a starter.

Mmm-mmm good.

[*Deborah*]

Chilean sea bass marinated in soy, honey, miso & grapeseed oil, with spinach, scallions & portobello mushrooms, surrounded on the plate by a celery root puree;

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I miss Chilean sea bass. I substitute halibut now. I hope halibut doesn't become un-PC anytime soon.

Sounds like a great dinner, Susan...a foie gras woman after my own heart

[hzrt8w]

Tonight's menu: Ma Po Tofu. It is a Sichuan specialty. There are many versions of the Ma Po Tofu recipe. This is my interpretation of it. Marinated ground pork stir-fried with silken tofu in a sauce made from dried red chilies, chili bean sauce, hoisin sauce, chicken broth, sugar, Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped green onions.

If you are interested in the recipe, click here.

[Chufi]

hzrt8w (by the way, I mentally pronounce your name as "hazard to weight "), how wonderful to see one of your dinners here! I have been following you pictorials in the China forum, they're great.

Our dinner last night was Dutch kapucijner peas with all the trimmings: bacon, onions, mustard and pickles. Real Dutch winter comfort food.

[liamsaunt]

Last night: Rack of lamb with mushroom risotto and broccoli:

[M. Lucia]

yesterday:

pomegranate martinis

a big bowl of braised baby brussel sprouts with pancetta and cheddar biscuits

(oh how i love brussel sprouts, and now i'm craving chestnuts)

chocolate-coconut tartlets from gale gand's recipe

apple cider doughnuts

midnight snack: caramel pudding :-)

Daniel- I call that dessert lemon pudding cake, I love all kindsa pudding cakes, so comforting

[Daniel]

Went to Arthur Ave today and picked up some things for tomorrow.. Got some great Braciole, fresh ricotta, ricotta salata.. Baked it with ziti,salami, and a pink sauce..

The meat was stuffed with parsley,cheese, ham, and a ton of garlic.. Fried it for a while... Awesome.. So garlicky..

Baked Ziti

Instead of the bite, tonight i will go with the doormans dinner shot.. I am low on the ricotta salata otherwise I would have made him a gratin..

Edited November 13, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[syount]

Made Thomas Keller's Mac and Cheese (Bouchon)--mostly. I was higly skeptical that it would enough better than my regualr to justify the extra work. Maybe not, but wow was it good. Grilled Salmon and a romain, Marcona almonds, cranberry salad. Served with Ridge Zin--nothing goes better with Mac and Cheese.

First contribution to Dinner! thread. That was fun.

Sam

Edited November 13, 2005 by syount (log)

[Ling]

I fried up a huge platter of pork schnitzel, made gravy and mashed potatoes, and creamed peas. Also had a raspberry turnover courtesy of the Costco bakery.

[Megan Blocker]

Delicious meals, all!

Tonight I had dinner at a friend's house, and he made a Moroccan-inspired pizza! It had ground lamb browned with cumin, curry and cinnamon, roasted tomatoes, havarti, mozzerella, caramelized onions and garlic. Yum! Dessert was (courstesy of yours truly) Ina Garten's brownie tart.

Just what I need today - MORE chocolate.

Edited November 13, 2005 by Megan Blocker (log)