Dinner! 2005

[ChryZ]

Just an FYI:  Some folks believe that tuna, and other fish for that matter, needs to freeze briefly before eating raw to guarantee safety.  I don't know a lot about it, and maybe that's just some overly cautious Americans, but that was (is? -I don't know) a law in Delaware when I lived there for restaurants.  Even though it was "sushi grade," and very fresh, it still had to be frozen long enough to get it solid, then thawed and used.

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Quite possible. I am even pretty sure that the place where I bought my tuna already did that. Now that I think about it, when I visited the giant tokyo fish marktet, I noticed that they pretty much only auctioned whole froozen tuna.

[racheld]

Odd-but-delicious assortment for entertaining several family members invited over for Finale of Amazing Race. Several made requests for their fave party dish, so we had little bits for an unmatched, unbalanced meal:

Croissants with: Tuna Salad or

Chicken Salad with Apples and Pecans or

Smoked Turkey Breast, Provolone and Shredded Lettuce

Spinach-Tortilla Wraps with Crabmeat, Scallions, Cream Cheese and Mayo

Tiniest Baby Carrots and Grape Tomatoes with Dillranch Dip

Grill-seared Ribeye, Cubed, Served Cold on Toothpicks

Alabama Hoop Cheese and Crackers

Spanikopita

Hearts of Romaine with Raita

Tiny Pearl Potatoes cooked in broth from corned beef brisket

Fresh Pineapple Sticks and Giant Strawberries

Kahlua Brownies

[petite tête de chou]

Spaghetti and meatballs

Garlic toast

Green salad with blue cheese dressing

Cabernet Sauvignon and iced green tea for beverage options

[Susan in FL]

Wild organic greens salad with assorted sprouts (mung, lentil, chick pea), endive, japanese cucumber, blackberries, roasted asparagus and edible flowers (care of Chef Metcalf).  Topped with flaked BBQ smoked salmon and drizzled with sesame vinegarette (care of the Mouse House).

Barbecued pork loin chops brushed with a glaze made from soy, honey, ginger, garlic, green onion and a splash of orange juice.  Served on the side were roasted asparagus, applesauce and buttered brioche.

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Both sound delicious and look it, too. On this thread, all I have to do is look at one thing someone has had, and it's what I have to have. In this case, is was the grilled pork chops and asparagus!

I have the use of my camera back!! I feel like I'm back to abnormal again.

Last night: Halibut over white beans with warm vinaigrette atop, and arugula & avocado, garnished with little yellow tomatoes and nasturtiums from our garden.

[Mooshmouse]

Both sound delicious and look it, too.  On this thread, all I have to do is look at one thing someone has had, and it's what I have to have.    In this case, is was the grilled pork chops and asparagus!

I have the use of my camera back!!  I feel like I'm back to abnormal again.

Last night: Halibut over white beans with warm vinaigrette atop, and arugula & avocado, garnished with little yellow tomatoes and nasturtiums from our garden.

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Susan, I'm so glad you have your camera back! The halibut shot proved to me just how much I've missed your photos... mouthwateringly lovely, indeed.

Happy grilling tonight, if that's what you decide to do!

[Jason Perlow]

We baked pizzas, as part of the Pizza Cook-Off (click)

Baby Bella Pie

Shrimp Ajillo Pie (Shrimps with garlic, paprika and saffron)

Burger pieces with White Cheddar and Mozzarella Pie

Chicken Linguica, Pork Chourico and Broccoli

[FoodMan]

We baked pizzas, as part of the Pizza Cook-Off (click)

Baby Bella Pie

Shrimp Ajillo Pie (Shrimps with garlic, paprika and saffron)

Burger pieces with White Cheddar and Mozzarella Pie

Chicken Linguica, Pork Chourico and Broccoli

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Wow...triangular pizza, how'd you do that ? Seriously though these look great, especially the shrimp one.

Last night I made a simple zuchini and beef stew with tomatoes and peppers. Served it with rice.

Elie

[SuzySushi]

We baked pizzas, as part of the Pizza Cook-Off (click)

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Jason, those are really mouthwatering!!!

[Mooshmouse]

We baked pizzas, as part of the Pizza Cook-Off (click)

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Jason, you wouldn't by any chance deliver to Vancouver, BC would you?!

Where's that drool emoticon when you need it?

[M. Lucia]

I inherited one of those George Foreman grills from a neighbor, and I had some leftover baked red onions.

So dinner was red onion, mustard green and parmesan paninis. They were just as crunchy and warm and good as the sandwiches I had in Italy, and I am so pleased to be able to do this at home now!

Dessert will be Kahlua blondies.

[Basilgirl]

A huge antipasto salad with marinated mushrooms, red onions, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomato stuffed olives, provolone, pepperoni, genoa

Mario's chickpea bruschetta topping, substituted white beans and added red onion

St. Andre with La Brea French bread

Much cheap white wine

[Priscilla]

Sounds just about right, Basilgirl.

Rigatoni with Ragu Bolognese (from Marcella's recipe as per usual), splash of cream. Big old Romaine salad dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Foccacia baked with crunchy salt on top. Cheap not-bad red wine.

[Mooshmouse]

Sometimes simple is best, and comfort food is what I was craving last night.

Tuna Melts with Gouda on OatNut Bread

Sandwich making is a task that I gladly defer to my husband, though my son and I helped with the chopping. Grape soda for me, iced tea for Ian and Noah. And a big bunch of fridge-chilled grapes.

[baranoouji]

Tonight, I made pork with a sweet-lemon glaze with a citrus-avocado salad.

Lots of leftover pork, which means delicious, delicious sandwiches tomorrow.

:crossing fingers to see if the image works!:

:edited by kindly Jason, and edited once again by me:

Edited May 13, 2005 by baranoouji (log)

[Rajni]

I am (perhaps inordinately) interested in what folks cook in their own kitchens.  I can pretty much WEAR OUT those who cross my purview quizzing them on the subject; not everyone is renewedly galvanized by the Search for Ingredients as I am, it seems, or, has even a superficial interest in those beatifying moments when raw materials and inspiration converge serendipitously.

Would it be of interest to anyone else to have an eGullet topic here in Cooking about what we cooked for dinner?

I am edified by the restaurant discourse, and of course home cooking finds its way into many posts already, I know I know I know, but what I am imagining would be a quotidian communal journal-type chronicle documenting what eGulletaires COOKED, for DINNER.

Fancy, homely, good, not-so-good, hardcore full-on from scratch, or delicately supported by convenience foods.  And then of course whether the sponge gets run through the dishwasher after cleanup, or not.

What do you all think?  And, what did you cook for dinner?

Priscilla

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I think it's a great idea Priscilla. Hey, sorry about the earlier post, I am new here and wasn't sure how to reply to your post :-)

What's cooking for dinner? That's pretty much an early morning thought and it interesting to hear what goes in in peoples' minds as they ask them selves the question - what do I cook for dinner?

Do most people here have early dinners? How early?

Rajni

[Grub]

Murgh Makhoni (Butter Chicken) from Betty Crocker Indian Home Cooking. With "festive" rice, nan and limes. It was quite good, but not great. Good excuse to use some fenugreek leaves -- that bag is gonna last me a lifetime...

The festive rice is just regular rice, but a few spoonfuls have been set aside and treated with red and yellow food coloring. The first time I did this, I screwed it up and ended up coloring all the rice with both colors, turning it deep amber -- but I still learned something from it: no one believed that it was regular, plain, non-flavored rice... I knew visual appearance is important in a meal, but I had no idea it could have such an enormous impact on how diners percieve their experience. It's a nice way to jazz up this fairly boring looking meal.

[SuzySushi]

My husband and I have decided we each need to lose about 25-30 pounds, so we've both begun "diets"...

I use the term loosely since we're not following any particular program, just "eating healthier" in general -- more fruits, veggies, and whole grains; more fish and poultry; less fatty meat and cheese; and cutting out cookies and cakes.

Dinner tonight was whole trout cooked in the microwave with dill and lemon, served with steamed red potatoes (1/2 teaspoon butter per serving) and a spinach salad. Fruit for dessert. We'll see how long we can keep this up.

[redfox]

redfox, Diana Kennedy has a recipe for avocado enchiladas that you would probably love. The enchilada sauce is just salsa verde with mexican sour cream. You basically mush up avocadoes as the filling (in corn tortillas.) then garnished with chopped sweet white onion and radishes. I know it sounds a little weird but it is very very good, especially in the summer, since it is not baked.

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That does sound delicious, and I have some lovely corn tortillas in the freezer, made for me by a friend. Sounds like a plan.

[FoodMan]

Wednesday night:

- Potato an leek soup, used the recipe from Les Halles.

-Zuchini-goat cheese bread

Last night:

-Thai Chicken and Galangal soup served with white steemed rice

Elie

[Jinmyo]

Baguette with Normandy butter and an Irish blue cheese.

Beef and red wine tortellini on a sauce of oyster and porcini mushrooms made with the braising liquid surrounding a large slice of braised cross rib roast, showered with chopped ramps, with a soft poached egg to one side.

That's it. For 35.

[Jake]

Baguette with Normandy butter and an Irish blue cheese.

Beef and red wine tortellini on a sauce of oyster and porcini mushrooms made with the braising liquid surrounding a large slice of braised cross rib roast, showered with chopped ramps, with a soft poached egg to one side.

That's it. For 35.

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That may be it, Jin, but it sounds delicious --- been missing your posts lately!

[Mooshmouse]

I love grilling weather!

Spring Salmon in a Sherry/Soy/Butter Sauce

In keeping with my latest craving for light, fresh food, we barbecued some Spring Salmon in a sauce made with sherry, soya sauce, garlic, pureed tomatoes and a generous dollop of butter. It sounds like an odd combination but, once the salmon was plated, we spooned up every last drop of the extra sauce I had set aside. Accompanied by grilled asparagus, zucchini and red and yellow bell peppers.

[percyn]

Playing catch-up...

Smoked salmon with sour cream and polenta.

Philly Sushi Rolls (left over smoked salmon and cream cheese rolls...not my favorite, but that's what I get for an impromptu homemade sushi craving)

Burger with aioli, fried onions and fried egg (aka heart-attack on a bun)

T-bone with fried onions and crab cakes (aka heart-attack on a plate)

Cheers

P

[handmc]

We have missed you Percyn! You have some wonderful looking meals there.

[Grub]

Cod cakes with asparagus and creamed potatoes with chives.

Also added some wasabi sauce and sushi-style pickled ginger to the cakes, in an inspired moment of fusion/confusion cooking... Turned out really nice.

Edit: including the recipe, per request...

It's from Land O' Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes, 1992, p. 216: "Codfish Cakes Wtih Green Onions & Dill," and the original recipe goes like so:

1 lb fresh or frozen cod fillets, thawed, drained

2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 egggs, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dill weed

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

However, the first time I made it, I found the cakes to be too dry, and dense -- most likely because I used purchased breadcrumbs, and those things are NOT coarse. So I reduced this to 1 cup. Also, I used more dill, green onions and pepper than recommended (I mean, what effect is a freakin' quarter teaspoon of pepper going to have in all that stuff?), and also added a fair bit (teaspoon+) of cayenne pepper to give it a kick... I just think crab cakes/cod cakes should have a kick, you know?

The recipe suggests that you should "...tear the codfish apart with a fork or mallet..." but as much fun as that was, the food processor did a much better job of it.

Finally, to ensure a really crispy texture, I ran some corn flakes through the food processor, and dipped the cakes in that, just before frying them. Oh, and I used half olive oil, half butter.

Question: Am I alone in defacing cookbooks with notes? Whenever I cook something, I jot down notes about how the dish was, warnings about mistakes I made, and suggestions on how to improve it.

Edited May 14, 2005 by Grub (log)