Dinner! 2005

[the g-man]

Roast Pork with rosemary and garlic:

[little ms foodie]

We had a little dinner party last night, here's the table set for 6

starters include marinated olives I made from the Buchon book

others brought mushroom pate, an eggplant dip and smoked salmon. Kir royal was served with the apps.

First course was a frisee and mache salad with hot bacon, cognac mustard dressing and a poached egg. (we forgot to take a photo). Served with Silverlake Chardonnay Reserve

Next was boeuf bourguignon on top of garlic rubbed toasted baguette slices with a boiled potato

We served 2 single vineyard Pinots from our cellar, a 2002 Patricia Green Anden Vineyard and a 2000 Erath Prince Hill Vineyard. both were exceptional wines and completely different in taste and bouquet.

Next up was a cheese course with a WA Quillasacut (sp?) UFO goat cheese drizzled with Dark Wildflower honey from our farmers market and some sliced red pears. Also forgot to take a photo of this but the cheese was excellent!! Will be buying more of it today!

Dessert was made by my husband out of the French Laundry cookbook. Chocolate Veloute on Cinnamon Stick Ice Cream.

DiStefano Sweet Catherine dessert wine.

Edited October 30, 2005 by little ms foodie (log)

[Susan in FL]

Awesome! All the posts look too delicious and too beautiful to single out any one dinner for comment.

My picturing of last night's dinner turned out well, too... much better than I expected for our first full meal using my new camera. We picked the entire menu for what we thought would be photogenic foods. (Nowhere else, besides in amongst eG people, would I admit such a thing.) ...Not that this food is not good tasting, as well. Russ cooked. I photoed. Except for Russ photoed dessert because by that time I could not move.

...Cantaloupe and prosciutto with basil oil and ricotta salata; roasted spiced shrimp on Asian-style wilted spinach; strip steak and pasta -- with butter and a little Parm-Reg on the pasta, and a reduction sauce that didn't show up in the picture; and more of that chocolate truffle loaf that we froze, this time with whipped cream and raspberry sauce.

[the g-man]

^ that all looks so mighty fine.

Wendy, how did the French Laundry chocolate dessert go over? Did you make the ice cream yourself? It looks amazing.

[vanderb]

Last night... I had some chinese BBQ'd pork so I got a hold of the wok and some lo mein noodles. In the wok, chopped garlic, scallion, ginger, a little vegetable oil, then some bird's eye chilis stored in fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice, kafir lime leaves, mushrooms, the BBQ'd pork and at the very end spinich leaves, lots of red rice wine vinegar and some Rooster sauce. Poured all this over the lo mein and served. I usually do this with baby bok choys not spinich but the spinch was pretty good too, I'll just use more next time as a handful wasn't enough.

Tonight... roasted organic free range chicken. We'll stuff it with a lemon, one head of garlic, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, rub in a little EVOO on the skin, surround with little yukon gold potatoes and then roast. A small spinich salad to accompany and the last bottle of the Elephant Island pear wine. I can hardly wait.

[Patrick S]

Susan in FL:

Awesome!  All the posts look too delicious and too beautiful to single out any one dinner for comment. 

My picturing of last night's dinner turned out well, too... much better than I expected for our first full meal using my new camera.  We picked the entire menu for what we thought would be photogenic foods.  (Nowhere else, besides in amongst eG people, would I admit such a thing.)

Are you loving the new camera? The photos look great!

Alinka:

Gorgeous. The cake looks like it has a little sunshine trapped inside, put in together with other ingredients

Thanks! I'd trade a slice of the cake for some of that lovely lasagna!

little ms foodie:

Dessert was made by my husband out of the French Laundry cookbook. Chocolate Veloute on Cinnamon Stick Ice Cream.

That looks delicious! What's that on the plate, under the ice cream? And what's in the cake/souffle thingy? I probably won't buy the FL cookbook, but I'd love to know more about this dish.

Edited October 30, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[*Deborah*]

Ditto!

[TallDrinkOfWater]

That looks delicious! What's that on the plate, under the ice cream? And what's in the cake/souffle thingy? I probably won't buy the FL cookbook, but I'd love to know more about this dish.

The bottom layer of the dish is a [large] spooful of chocolate sauce: for 6+ servings, it's 1 c. heavy cream plus 1 TBS corn syrup, brought to a simmer, then poured over 8 oz. of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (Valrhona in this case), allowed to melt for minute or two, then stirred until smooth.

On top of that is a disk of cinnamon stick ice cream -- Thomas Keller's standard base (w/ 10 [!!] egg yolks); the cream. milk and a cinnamon stick are heated, allowed to steep for 30 minutes, and then the stick is removed and the eggs and sugar added.

You can't really see it in the picture, but there's a thin cookie as the next layer. It's an AP flour, whole-wheat pastry flour, cinnamon and brown sugar cookie that's mostly-baked in a thin sheet, cut into disks, and immediately re-baked to set.

The "velouté" is mousse of sorts -- whipped egg whites, unsweetened cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, egg yolks, some gelatin, etc. -- that's piped into molds and frozen.

Right before serving, the velouté disks are popped out of the frozen molds, placed on the cookie disks, and baked. Those are then pulled straight from the oven and popped onto the top of the ice cream disks, which have just been set in the chocolate suace. Hit with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Right when I went to take the picture, the hot cookie/velouté melted enough of the ice cream to slide off to the side

Also, I'd made this once before and the velouté portion didn't sag quite as much; I think I need to make sure my egg whites are a little more whipped next time when I'm making the mousse.

[Patrick S]

Thanks so much for the details, TDOW!

[Jake]

Dinner last night began with oysters on the half shell, 6 malapeque and 12 Beau soleil purchased from one of my favourite fish shops after an oyster tasting of about a dozen varieties.

This was followed by pan fried halibut with white wine, lemon and butter sauce, wilted spinach with carmelized leeks and one of our last beefsteak tomatos from the garden.

Forgive the quality of the photography, I don't do this often. Perhaps I should, the practice certainly wouldn't hurt!

[Mooshmouse]

G-man, that pork roast looks heavenly.

Susan, both the photos from your new camera and the food are fantastic!

And Wendy, that dinner party... [insert drool emoticon here]!

Last but certainly not least, that's one fine oyster spread you've got there Jake.

[liamsaunt]

No pictures, my camera batteries died.

Early Thanksgiving dinner with the family for my BIL, home on last leave before deployment:

Brined herbed roast turkey, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, spinach, butternut squash, cranberry sauce (yes homemade!), green beans, lots of gravy (two kinds: with or without giblets), and pinot noir (belle glos 2003, it was good). Mommom's apple pie.

[AmyDaniel]

[...]I'm still unfamiliar with photographing my cooking, and I like documenting the steps like this as I go along.  How do you like it, though?  Are you interested to see dishes at intermediate steps, or do you like seeing pictures of just the final products?

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Intermediate steps are great!

But most importantly, did you feel better after eating the soup?

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Much better, thanks!

So much better, in fact, that I made Parmesan crackers (recipe by Melissa Clark, published in the New York Times, "Delicious Deception to Go with Wine", September 9, 2003: article and recipe):

and banana bread (cooling on a messy table ):

I must make mention of my sister's glorious salad for dinner tonight - say mmmm!:

Amy

[divalasvegas]

Everything I've seen so far today, as well as previous posts, looks so luscious so I feel kind of inadequate posting what I had for dinner, but here goes:

Oven roasted turkey thighs, rice, spicy cabbage and kale, okra and tomatoes.

Basic but oh so tasty.

[Malawry]

Suddenly, I got hungry today. So I made a big dinner:

Skirt steak, my childhood favorite. Seared in a pan while lapped with butter, then sliced thin and topped with Maldon salt.

Asparagus with butter and balsamic reduction.

A baked potato with butter and sour cream.

For dessert: a brownie leftover from last night's party. There was lots of butter in that too.

[Susan in FL]

Patrick, yes, I am loving this camera. I am glad I prepared myself for a big adjustment because it surely is. Being this camera is heavier, it is easier for me to hold it steady, so -- among other things -- I am practicing up on that and not using my tripod all the time like I did with the old one.

So anyway, tonight radishes and anchovy butter on toasted baguette slices to start, and then Pad Thai...

[Megan Blocker]

Those pictures are excellent, Susan! I particularly like the one of the pad thai and the wine - the way you brought an element of each into the frame is great. Radishes and butter on toast is one of my faves - so, as far as I'm concerned, you've hit this one out of the park.

And, Wendy - those olives are beautiful!

[Eden]

beef stroganoff made with local chanterelles over egg noodles (so good I licked the bowl!)

warm home made tapioca pudding

and an impromptu cocktail of ginger-beer & raspberry vodka interesting but not my favorite...

[doctorandchef]

"Fish n' chips": Potato crusted snapper with lemongrass tamarind ketchup, and oven roasted "chips" with thyme.

http://doctorandchef.blogspot.com/

[Mooshmouse]

The Mouse family passed a very pleasant evening at our friends' house... the kids played, the Dads talked renovations and the Moms cooked up a storm. My girlfriend, who often laments the fact that her culinary repertoire is somewhat limited, has been asking to taste-test some of the dishes I've been making at my Serious Foodie course. So, we struck a deal: she bought the groceries and I brought over my knives and one of our recipes, taking the opportunity to teach her a few tricks in the kitchen.

Of course, the cooking and dining processes were both well lubricated.

Pirammima 2001 McLaren Vale Shiraz and Fat Bastard 2004 Shiraz

Lo and behold, the fruits of our joint labours.

Masala Lamb Stew with Lemon Gremolata served atop Sweet Potato Mash

A veritable cavalcade of flavours: spicy, pungent, zesty and sweet. There were no leftovers whatsoever; we scraped the pot absolutely clean. Thank goodness we all love garlic as we'll be reeking of it for days.

And dessert was dark chocolate, 70% and 85% Lindt to be exact, paired with Warre's Warrior Special Reserve Port.

[Susan in FL]

Thanks, Megan! Your photos have been a source of inspiration to both Russ and me.

Joie, looks good! I love the square plate. (It is a plate, not a bowl?) Pay day is coming, and I have a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon I haven't used yet...

[Basilgirl]

Susan in FL - Amazing photos. You should work for Gourmet magazine!

Friday night we had take & bake pizza from Safeway. Too much sauce. Blech.

Saturday we picked all the chiles that were left in garden and pulled up all the plants. They were calling for a freeze warning. Today it is sunny and 72 degrees. I had some leftover pan roasted chicken breast which I sliced thin and put on TJ's Tuscan bread with provolone and the rest of the yummy sauce from the chicken (prosciutto garlic white wine chicken stock). Nuked them. I was tired from all that chile picking and that was as good as it was going to get.

Yesterday I made Ina Garten's turkey sausage lasagna but omitted the goat cheese because I don't like it AND I don't think it belongs in lasagna. Hrumph. Also made my mom's garlic bread, which is sliced white bread drowned in butter to which a copious quantity of garlic salt ( ) is added.

Edited to add: I've just been looking at all the new pictures upthread and I must say that you ALL should work for Gourmet!!! Outstanding.

Edited October 31, 2005 by Basilgirl (log)

[Daniel]

Holy Cow!!!! and shrimp, and chilis and lasagna, and pork and lamb and dinner partys and bananna breads and Patricks Desserts.. I go away for a couple of days and come back with all these fantastic things to look at.. Just all so impressive and what wonderful stories and times shared with friends and family..

As "Holiday Season" gets under way, your average person starts planning meals and get togethers.. Its so cool that people here dont need to be told by a calendar when its time to celebrate.. Life is a celebration and why be confined to a "Season" ..

Thanks for sharing all yalls..

Edited October 31, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Mooshmouse]

Joie, looks good!  I love the square plate.  (It is a plate, not a bowl?)      Pay day is coming, and I have a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon I haven't used yet... 

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Thanks Susan! Can't take credit for the china as it is my girlfriend's; however, I'd categorize it as a "plowl" or a "blate". Not quite deep enough to be a full-fledged bowl... more like a high-sided plate. It's attractive and practical, great for serving food with lots of sauce.

Hmmm, now that you mention it, I was rather coveting it myself. Methinks it's time for a shopping excursion of my own.

[Mooshmouse]

Holy Cow!!!! and shrimp, and chilis and lasagna, and pork and lamb and dinner partys and bananna breads and Patricks Desserts..  I go away for a couple of days and come back with all these fantastic things to look at.. Just all so impressive and what wonderful stories and times shared with friends and family.. 

As "Holiday Season" gets under way, your average person starts planning meals and get togethers.. Its so cool that people here dont need to be told by a calendar when its time to celebrate..  Life is a celebration and why be confined to a "Season" ..

Thanks for sharing all yalls..

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What a great sentiment Daniel... thanks for my "warm fuzzy" thought of the day!

Sitting around the dinner table last night, stuffed to the gills, we all remarked almost exactly the same thing. We're thinking about making this a regular bi-weekly occurrence... swapping kitchens and recipes. It was such a wonderful, relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon and evening: chatting, cooking, drinking great wine. Cooking is, for me anyway, such a social event and I loved having the opportunity to share new things in a friend's kitchen. As you said, Daniel, why wait for a special occasion when you can make one yourself.