Dinner! 2005

[Susan in FL]

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

←

Agreed! I always look forward to Percy's Catch-ups, and weekend posts.

Last night we had Happy Hours at home, so that was combined with dinner.

We started at the "bar" on our porch with chips, guacamole & salsa, and beer.

Then we grilled skewered shrimp and Spanish Chorizo.

The main course was salmorejo, the cold Spanish tomato soup

and Grilled Bread with Catalan Butter.

The Grilled Bread with Catalan Butter and IPA is one of my favorite food and beer pairings, and I really wanted that, but I also wanted to sip some Spanish red wine along with the soup. I also wanted to eat the bread with the soup. So how I took care of that was to have a glass of each.

Cheers! Happy Weekend, Everybody.

[suzilightning]

john was back from the land of the Rangers(Ft. Benning) so we got dinner together - first time since last sunday.

poblano peppers stuffed with chorizo and potato. plated with a sauce that was a mix of red and white onions, carrots that had been cooked in water, vinegar, bay leaves, cumin and allspice. mixed baby greens.

susan, love the river horse- had it on tap at Hot Rod's BBQ

[legourmet]

Very easy! Actually it is a Marcella Hazan recipe, though at this point I can do it in my sleep. I trim and tie the asparagus in a bundle and cook/steam standing up in about an inch of water until just short of done. Then put three spears on the slice of prosciutto, top with a little fontina & butter, roll up, and put two more slivers of cheese on the ham bundle. dot the tops of the spears with a little more butter, and bake in a lightly-buttered dish at 400 for 20 minutes.

←

I like white asparagus very much and prepare it during season nearly every day. My favourite preparation is to place seven peeled spears on an buttered aluminum foil, sprinkle salt and sugar on top dot the spears with a little butter, tie up the foil and bake asparagus at 400°F for 35 Minutes. Served with steamed mealy potatoes and sauce bearnaise. It's an explosion of aromas when one opens the packages containing the baked asparagus at the table. Munich is close to the Schrobenhausen region where the best bavarian asparagus will be harvested. You'll love to visit some farmers and take the asparagus fresh from the field. The today price for class I asparagus was 10 $ the kilogram. Todays asparagus dish was fried asparagus tips with finely diced peeled red bell peppers on a light soy-chicken stock. I hope we'll meet some day when you'll stay in Munich.

[M. Lucia]

I discovered this dish called Cuccia, which had my name on it for two reasons. First of all an excuse to eat dessert for dinner! For the second reason, check out the site/recipe.

Anyway, I used what I had and tossed together some rye berries, ricotta, honey, golden raisins, and cinnamon. A glass of Montpulciano and dinner was had.

[helenas]

freshly killed chicken from Griggstown Quail Farm, spatchcocked, quickly harissa marinated and roasted;

cazuela roasted fingerlings and porcini;

roasted golden baby beets with walnuts and garlic chives yogurt dressing;

pickled fiddleheads and ramps;

[Susan in FL]

What an awesome photo.... Be careful, or that one will be framed and on my wall, too!!

(I have one of Helena's photos in my kitchen.)

[Luckylies]

awwwwwwww puppy puppy puppy!!!!!!!!!!!! cute!

[Behemoth]

Munich is close to the Schrobenhausen region where  the best bavarian asparagus will be harvested. You'll love to visit some farmers and take the asparagus fresh from the field. The today price for class I asparagus was 10 $ the kilogram. Todays asparagus dish was fried asparagus tips with finely diced peeled red bell peppers on a light soy-chicken stock.  I hope we'll meet some day when you'll stay in Munich.

Oh man. We will know on Tuesday if the offer is good enough to move. Keep your "thumbs pressed" for us In the meantime I will console myself with a couple of new white asparagus recipes

helenas, the dog's facial expression is killing me. So cute. You really expect anyone to notice the food? Hm, now that I notice, the food looks really good too.

This was finals week (my students, not me) so I haven't had much time to cook. We've been eating out a lot and I'm doing easy stuff like quesadillas and pasta.

[Grub]

I'm completely mesmerized by that dog's expression. It's so -- what's the word? -- forlorn? Poor pooch. That's a great picture...

[racheld]

And with that scrumptious chicken right in front of his nose, he's looking wistfully at the salad. Vegemaraner? Bichon frisee? Pea-kingese?

I need more coffee.

[Susan in FL]

Perhaps a caption?

"Ohhh.... to be a human."

First course last night was clam and corn soup with vermicelli, a dish that I made up as I went along. Wine was Chardonnay. (Corn and Chardonnay is a good match!)

Then we had pan-seared boneless duck breast (Russ used a brick on top of them to weigh them down in the cast-iron skillet, and it made for a very crispy crusty skin), with an orange thyme honey and balsamic sauce that again, I made up as I went along. We served the duck unsliced for a change, with portions of a Potato Tart with Roasted Garlic Cream. Can't take credit for that delicious piece of work -- it is a recipe from the Cooking Club of America. We drank Cabernet with it.

Salad course was our standard (pickling) cucumbers and onions, with olive oil and white wine vinegar.

Dessert was something I can't take credit for and don't even wish to, bakery-bought Napoleon. It was good, but nothing to write home (eGullet) about. It was helped along significantly by a glass of barleywine.

[jscarbor]

A couple nights ago I made a salmon recipe from this months food and wine. its a grilled salmon with a lemon honey glaze and some sauteed panko's with lemon zest and rosemary. The dish was wonderful! I served with a 2003 Hayman Hill Pinot Noir that was great. The wine was a suggestion from one of the wine experts at Specs Warehouse in Houston, the best liqour store in the state. I believe it was $10-11. It tasted like a $20-30 bottle.

Anyway WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GRILL FISH? i DIDN'T WANT TO START A NEW THREAD on this but figured some here would have a good suggestion. Do I need a fish basket? did I try to pick it up to soon(I didn't want overcooked salmon)?

[Chufi]

Chicken baked with a mustard/cream/white wine/ cheese sauce, the sauce made with mustard and wine brought back from our trip to Burgundy.

Served with roast potatoes, steamed broccoli and tomato salad.

Strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert

Edited May 15, 2005 by Chufi (log)

[Corinna Dunne]

Here's what we had last night (had some friends over):

Fried haloumi in chilli oil, babaganoush, hummus, tabbouleh, olives, toasted pitta bread (bought last two)

***

BBQ loin of lamb cutlets (marinade of olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, dried mint and oregano)

BBQ beer can chicken

Fattoush

Cherry tomato, spring onion and feta salad (dressed with olive oil and a touch of garlic)

***

New season strawberries in Cointreau with vanilla Haagen Dazs

Drank a lot of Evian and even more Peter Lehmann 2002 Vintage Shiraz, Cab Sav, Merlot; which stood up nicely to this gutsy food.

Lunch today was a very nice picnic of leftovers in the Wicklow countryside with the kids.

[Grub]

A couple nights ago I made a salmon recipe from this months food and wine. its a grilled salmon with a lemon honey glaze and some sauteed panko's with lemon zest and rosemary. The dish was wonderful! I served with a 2003 Hayman Hill Pinot Noir that was great. The wine was a suggestion from one of the wine experts at Specs Warehouse in Houston, the best liqour store in the state. I believe it was $10-11. It tasted like a $20-30 bottle.

Anyway WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GRILL FISH? i DIDN'T WANT TO START A NEW THREAD on this but figured some here would have a good suggestion. Do I need a fish basket? did I try to pick it up to soon(I didn't want overcooked salmon)?

←

Fish steaks are said to be easier to grill than fillets, since fillets can fall apart a lot easier. But I've never had any problems with fillets, as long as I grill them over "indirect" heat heat -- that is, put the coals to one side, and place the fillets on tinfoil (well oiled), away from the coals, and put the lid on the grill.

How did the panko play into your recipe, did you just satee them separately, and add lemon zest and rosemary to it, and drizzle it over the salmon after cooking?

[little ms foodie]

Haven't had a chance to post much so here is some stuff from last week:

Cucumber soup with dungeness crab and creme fraiche, tuscsn ribs with balsamic glaze, roasted asparagus with parm and EVOO, gratin of potato, leek and gruyere

strawberries with creme fraiche and balsamic for dessert, gotten eaten before I could take the picture!

Another night- larb! served with Erath Gwertzimener (sp)

Breakfast for dinner night- herb omelett with gruyere, homemade sausage patties

Last night- starter of Lillet blanc and bruschetta with asparagus and fontina

then Morels, Peas and onion confit from 'Bouchon' with NY strip steak with Point Reyes blue cheese for Dayne

the same but with Maitre de butter on mine-

served with a wine that some of the PNW people are tasting this month- Latitude 47 Cuvee, very nice rhone style.

[Susan in FL]

Wendy, everything looks yummy, and all great photos too!

[Chef Metcalf]

Wendy, the soup looks beautiful. I can almost taste how refreshing it must have been.

cm

[lovebenton0]

Friday night: Casa Rio Chili con Carne and Chili Queen Enchiladas served with a simple salad of sliced Romaine and tomato wedges, dressed with sour cream and my own salsa. both are from Robb Walsh's Tex-Mex Cookbook. details and pics are here in the Tex-Mex Cooking with Robb Walsh thread.

these are two old-style Tex-Mex recipes, like you just can't find when eating out any more.. and i would highly recommend them both.

repeated that last night with leftovers, for a dinner alone. no complaints from me... chili and sauce are always better the next night anyway.

[handmc]

Trout on the grill, kissed with hickory smoke, stuff with fresh chives, oregano, salt and pepper. It was good enough to stand alone.

[M. Lucia]

Crispy Bass with Endive and Golden Raisin Marmellata

from Mario Batali's Babbo cookbook

looks like it will be good, though I think I undercooked the bass...

dessert: gorgonzola with red wine syrup

[percyn]

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

←

Agreed! I always look forward to Percy's Catch-ups, and weekend posts.

Awwwhh...you folks are so sweet

I came across some good looking short ribs today, so I braised them with some marrow bones in demi glace and red wine....hmm//hmm...good!!

Cheers

Percy

[Soup]

Fried chicken (recipe from egullet), sweet corn, broccoli, and yeast rolls from scratch. Fresh baked rolls really made the meal.

[Marmish]

Fried chicken here, too, with haricots verts in buttermilk dressing and chocolate birthday cake from Small Batch Baking. You bake two mini-cakes in tin cans, cut in half, fill and frost. Just enough for two. Theoretically, we would eat less because I'm not making a full size cake. Unfortunately, they go together so quickly, I've made dessert three times this week!

[jscarbor]

A couple nights ago I made a salmon recipe from this months food and wine. its a grilled salmon with a lemon honey glaze and some sauteed panko's with lemon zest and rosemary. The dish was wonderful! I served with a 2003 Hayman Hill Pinot Noir that was great. The wine was a suggestion from one of the wine experts at Specs Warehouse in Houston, the best liqour store in the state. I believe it was $10-11. It tasted like a $20-30 bottle.

Anyway WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GRILL FISH? i DIDN'T WANT TO START A NEW THREAD on this but figured some here would have a good suggestion. Do I need a fish basket? did I try to pick it up to soon(I didn't want overcooked salmon)?

←

Fish steaks are said to be easier to grill than fillets, since fillets can fall apart a lot easier. But I've never had any problems with fillets, as long as I grill them over "indirect" heat heat -- that is, put the coals to one side, and place the fillets on tinfoil (well oiled), away from the coals, and put the lid on the grill.

How did the panko play into your recipe, did you just satee them separately, and add lemon zest and rosemary to it, and drizzle it over the salmon after cooking?

←

So with the filets you have better results of the fire in tin foil? I figured I should do that but thought I wouldn't have a problem.

The panko played fantastically. I sauteed in EVOO with crushed garlic and a sprig of rosemary. It was finished off by taking out the garlic and rosemary and adding the lemon zest.