Dinner! 2005

[Alinka]

Grilled Rack of Lamb with an herb sauce and sides of mashed potatoes, green beans and grilled tomatoes.

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Oh God, Ann, if you cook like this at home, do you ever need to go out?

Great dinners, everyone! A little embarrassing to admit, but my dinner consisted of fruit and decaf latte at the hotel I'm staying at. And, a glass of red wine later

[little ms foodie]

nan, that salad looks great, could you share the recipe??

ann- gorgeous!! I've done rack similarly and for special occassions used Joel Rubochon's mashed potato recipe, have you tried that??

alinka- poor thing, your in 'Bama right?? ugh!

tonight we started with a cocktail - Tom Colligrino

and a plate of snacks: goat cheese marinated in EVOO and thyme, dry salami, Blue cheese, rosemary flat crackers

then a capresse salad with heirloom tomatoes, aged balsamic and fluer de sel

orange ginger chicken and fried rice for the entree

(why does chicken look so boring?? I should have sliced in and plated in on the rice)

all served with a non oaked Silverlake reserve chardonnay WA

[markk]

I saw some beautiful salmon in the market, and that decided dinner.

I gave it a light dusting of fine sea salt, and grilled it with lots and lots of moist applewood and cherrwood chips...

With that, I made some French lentils sauteed with some carrots, pan-simmered garlic and cherry tomatoes from my terrace...

and mesclun salad with a sherry-vinegar and walnut oil/Provencal black-olive oil dressing that got photographed before the pecans and mango slices were added...

And then I yelled for everybody to dig in...

PS: Some of the oils (vinegar and salt) used in the dinner. With the exception of the salt, everyting comes from Fairway Market in New York...

Edited August 16, 2005 by markk (log)

[Daddy-A]

A collection from last weekend:

Vichyssoise from Les Halles

Smoked Eggplant that eventually became Babba Ghannouj

Smoked Chicken - brined with Soy, Ginger & Shiso

The shiso inspiration came from nothing more than the fact that we have this HUGE shiso plant in our patio garden ... and only so many uses for shiso. Need to find some more ...

A.

[percyn]

Grilled Tiger Prawns topped with Red Curry w/Jasmine and brown rice - from Mahanaga restaurant in Bangkok

[M. Lucia]

Chufi, that bavaroise looks gorgeous. I have always liked gelatin based desserts, even when they were out of style. I love doing a glatinized riesling with berries in it. Have a great time in Germany!

I made the Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter from Bon Appetit- it is amazing. I used wonton wrappers and cut them with biscuit cutters. I really can't say enough about this recipe, fabulous taste from a simple preparation.

I served it with sauteed beet greens with currents and some yellow summer squash slow cooked with thyme.

Dessert I made a homemade fig tart with a cornmeal crust and cardamom pastry creme. Sliced fresh figs on top and brushed them with an apricot-honey glaze.

[jilli42]

Shrimp & crab alfredo, served with stir fried chili/garlic brocc and bay biscuits. (Biscuits flavored with Old Bay, garlic & cheddar)

Had sliced pineapple for dessert.

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No, but I guess it did sound that way !!! Maybe I was influenced by all the commercials !!

[racheld]

Stroganoff with extra-wide eggy noodles, stir-fried shredded Napa with scallions, salad of kidney beans, Vidalias and three-colors of peppers, sliced tomatoes.

We had no room for dessert after the Stroganoff, but later in the evening my sweet Hubby made us S'Mores--with peanut butter for him, Valrhona on my two.

[eagleton_g]

For a late birthday dinner for my Mom I did 5 courses:

1st: Grilled pear, Braised rabbit sauteed in foie gras, beet vinaigrette

2nd: Wilted dandelion greens, thin sliced radish, hearts of palm, tossed in a sweet lemon vinaigrette

3rd: Wild Coho Salmon tartare and pickled red onion with grainy mustard spaetzle on the side surrounded with red wine sauce

4th: Spice rubbed and then grilled Flank steak,frisee salad, tarragon vinaigrette drizzled on the steak and salad, manchego cheese on the frisee, yukon potato/celery root puree

5th: Crenshaw melon and opal basil mousse, jicama and galia melon salad

I might have photos a bit later.

[misstenacity]

Cornmeal crusted pan-fried beef liver, cooled slightly, sliced then placed on top of:

Mixed Spring Green salad with slivered almonds and dressing made from:

TJ's Caramelized Onion, Fig & Balsamic Spread

Red wine vinegar

Dried Aleppo pepper

Mmmmm, liver.... :-)

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[barolo]

I need to catch up:

Friday - bran muffin and coffee

Saturday - grilled rib eye steak, tomato and basil salad (picture below), pattypan squash and onion cooked with white wine, potato and green bean salad with mustard vinaigrette, peach and blueberry cake from August Gourmet (picture below).

Sunday - takeout spicy tuna roll, V8, a peach

Monday - lentil salad, pan fried salmon, sliced tomato

Tonight - left over lentil salad, left over bratwurst, steamed green beans

[curlywurlyfi]

Another lovely evening in London, so we piled onto the roof for pre-dinner drinks to watch the sun set over the Wembley arch. A wine merchant friend had very nobly pointed me in the direction of a really lovely rose from Oddbins (ie not his shop!) - Jas des Ginestes Cotes de Provence 2004 - a complete bargain at £5 - crisp, tight, fruity, dry. So we lounged on the roof with pistachios + Bombay Mix till about 9.30pm, then repaired to the kitchen for Ham Fest, all made ahead of time.

- plain baked ham, carved in thin slices

- cherry tomatoes roasted with bay, balsamic + garlic

- fennel braised with fennel seeds, a little stock, OO + red wine vinegar

- butternut squash cubes roasted with red chilli flakes

- Beluga lentils dressed with OO

- Little Gem lettuce with vinaigrette

- roasted courgettes with lemon, feta + parsley

- peas, pureed with double cream, nutmeg + mint (served hot) - this was the smash hit of the evening, the texture was sort of like a pea mousse

- home made apple chutney

- La Brea crusty white bread with sesame seeds

Followed by a proper trifle, made with Madeira cake sprinkled with Madeira, home made raspberry jam, fresh raspberries, nutmeggy custard, double cream + toasted flaked almonds.

I think it's safe to say (a) everyone got their five portions of fruit + veg in; and (b) no-one went home hungry.

Now, what can I do with half a leftover ham?

[bilrus]

I've saved up a few nights here -

Monday - BLTs

Tuesday - Fettucini Bolognese

Tonight - Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

[dockhl]

I sure love looking at all of the lovely food porn but I wonder............

Does everyone here eat like this EVERY day........or do you all weigh 500 lbs.........or do you have metabolisms like Ling?

I CRAVE almost every dish in these posts.....but would allow myself maybe one time a week.

HOW do you all DO it ?

K

[Chef Metcalf]

I sure love looking at all of the lovely food porn but I wonder............

Does everyone here eat like this EVERY day........or do you all weigh 500 lbs.........or do you have metabolisms like Ling?

I CRAVE almost every dish in these posts.....but would allow myself maybe one time a week.

HOW do you all DO it ? 

K

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Hmm...I've wondered the same thing myself.

Where is the "Egullet has made me gain weight" thread anyway?

To balance our scales we eat main course salads...frequently.

Edited August 18, 2005 by Chef Metcalf (log)

[Grub]

Salmon steaks with orange-pineapple salsa:

I normally do salmon fillets, but I heard steaks were better for grilling, since they have more uh, structural integrity... I'm sure that's true -- but not if you skin and debone it, duh. The steaks separated into two separate pieces (which makes sense, if you look at a steak). I tied a butcher's twine around the steaks, as per instructions, and one held up fine, but the other would never have stayed together on the grill. So I used a barbeque grilling grid, which worked fine.

The first side got some extremely nice, charred grill-marks, but it was getting dark outside, so it looked completely black to me... So I moved it from the high-heat, to medium-heat area, but ended up leaving it too long. So that white goo started oozing out -- nothing harmful, but looks unpleasant, and a definite sign of over-cooking. Ah well, every mistake you make, is a chance to learn something, I figure.

[Alinka]

alinka- poor thing, your in 'Bama right?? ugh!

That's all right: I'm enjoying all you guys' meals vicarously . And look forward to coming home and eating dinners made from the freshest ingredients again . Like these -

then a capresse salad with heirloom tomatoes, aged balsamic and fluer de sel

These look great! Fresh, fresh, tangy, delicious... I have a mixed relationship with balsamic vinegar though: love the flavor, but I wonder if there is a way of keeping it from making the food look dirty?..

I sure love looking at all of the lovely food porn but I wonder............

Does everyone here eat like this EVERY day........or do you all weigh 500 lbs.........or do you have metabolisms like Ling?

I CRAVE almost every dish in these posts.....but would allow myself maybe one time a week.

HOW do you all DO it ? 

K

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He he, I've been wondering the same thing. I usually eat a bigger luch, and dinner is something light like salad or a small sandwich. Definitely no multi-course meals.

[bilrus]

or do you all weigh 500 lbs.........

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Well, not QUITE 500, but...

[Basilgirl]

Pan roasted chicken breasts with smashed garlic, prosciutto, fresh thyme, chicken stock, lemon juice, melted provolone on top

Roasted garlic bread from La Brea Bakery to sop up the yummy sauce

Baked tomato slices topped with melted fresh mozzarella & basil

Kendall Jackson Chardonnay

Tonight - leftover cheddar & Vidalia tomato pie

[Priscilla]

Nice pizza on the old pizza stone, pesto & thinly sliced self-styled heirloom tomato & mozz atop. Crispy salad mix with Balsamic & olive oil. Barolo.

(Edited to add: And, later, Korova cookies from Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets, as indicated in Ling's cookie-dough discussion. What a treasure to have in the fridge. Among the Best Cookies Ever. Simultaneously elegant and homely -- an excellent combination.)

Edited August 18, 2005 by Priscilla (log)

[little ms foodie]

pork loin marinated in orange and thyme and skewered served with penne with fresh chanterelles, leeks and cream sauce

[ellencho]

I made oven baked chicken wings for dinner tonight. Basically, I just salted and peppered some wings, rubbed in a bit of oil, and set them out on that new Reynolds wrap non stick foil - which incidentally, works VERY well.

Then I made up some wing sauce and poured it over the baked wings.

They turned out pretty good. I definitely didn't miss standing in front of a deep fryer waiting for them to cook. In addition to the oven baked hot wings, I tried using oven roasted pork ribs with the hot wing sauce, and I have to say, it was quite delicious.

[Chef Metcalf]

These look great! Fresh, fresh, tangy, delicious... I have a mixed relationship with balsamic vinegar though: love the flavor, but I wonder if there is a way of keeping it from making the food look dirty?..

That was a really thick balsamic reduction and we use ample amounts of it whenever possible (cuts down on the amount of oil used). I agree with you though, not much on the presentation side of things.

You could put down a layer of greens, drizzle on the balsamic, add another layer of greens and then drizzle with olive oil?

Your food pics are wonderful Alinka.

Ann T. too...great lighting and photos.

cm

[Ann_T]

Haven't made chicken wings in a while. Need to add them to the menu soon. Those look wonderful.

We had a Herbed Rack of Pork for dinner. Fresh shelled peas, roasted butternut squash and mashed potatoes.

[doctorandchef]

Dorset Lamb shoulder chops au jus, wild mushroom saute with marsala, and yellow tomatoes.

Edited August 19, 2005 by doctorandchef (log)