Dinner! 2005

[*Deborah*]

Hi Deborah,  I adore your gold charger plates. They make everything look extra especially delicious- not that you needed any help! 

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My mother picked us both some up, at Costco, I believe!

If you're only cooking like that once a year or something, you may as well make an event out of it...

[Alinka]

Great dinners, everyone! Lasagna sounds good. If only it was not so time-consuming...

[rooftop1000]

Great dinners, everyone! Lasagna sounds good. If only it was not so time-consuming...  

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Just cheat and make Baked Ziti...everything you would put in lasagna just all mixed up.

I will never assume someone knows what baked ziti is anymore, someone asked me last weekend they liked it

tracey

Edited October 24, 2005 by rooftop1000 (log)

[Susan in FL]

I probably overuse the words yum and yummy. This dinner qualified as truly yummy, though. With it we enjoyed Meridian Pinot Noir, which has become one of our current "house wines," and jumping back and forth between Cold Case and the baseball game.

Rabbit Etouffee with Baked Cheese Grits and Corn Salsa

[Alinka]

Great dinners, everyone! Lasagna sounds good. If only it was not so time-consuming...  

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Just cheat and make Baked Ziti...everything you would put in lasagna just all mixed up.

I will never assume someone knows what baked ziti is anymore, someone asked me last weekend they liked it

tracey

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That's an idea! And why did I buy those lasagna noodles today?!

Dinner tonight was an eclectic mixture of red Thai curry over brown rice...

...and Basque cake from The New French Baker:

The combination of the crumbly crust, soft sweet pastry cream filling, crunchy nuts, and tart cherries was just lovely .

[Sid Post]

Yesterday I enjoyed some smoked Salmon with Thai long grain white rice and steamed Zucchini.

Today I had beer can chicken which roasted beautifully. The meat was succulent but, I went a little too light on the seasoning with just salt and garlic. Next time I think I will try some Paprika and a little Cayenne pepper to spice up the flavor a little.

[Daniel]

Alinka, awesome, awesome, awesome...

Tonight we had a bunch of people over.. I have never cooked for this amount before, let alone try to do a non-buffet style.. We used Frank Stitts book as a guide.. We made three hors devours for when people arrived.. A salad, a main, a cheese course, and dessert.. Its really difficult making 7 full course dinners for people, especially in a New York Apartment.. How many people keep 40 plates, knifes, spoons, bowls, glasses around....Thank g-d for helpful guests doing dishes..

First we cured pork tenderloin in a brine for two days.. Served it on top of bacon fat whipped yams...The pork was so cured, it really took on a different form.. Pork is really something that never stops suprising me.. There are just endless things that can be done with it..

Served with cilantro on top.. It was amazing, sorry, this is the first of many bad pictures.. I once again got to use my thermometer.. Took the tenderloin out at 140 and it was perfect..

We also made figs, halved, with a walnut presses into the center, then wrapped in serano ham..Grilled, then served with a heavy cream and lemon dipping sauce.. Awesome!!!! Was an over kill with the dressing.. But I served it on the side, and I like to over kill..

Before grilling:

After grilling:

I was so happy with the first two times I made these, the last time adding caviar, I had to make them for my guests.. Yucan potato pancakes fried in duck fat, topped with creme fraiche, chives and caviar..

I fried them in a pan 10 at a time.. I made about 56-64 of each h'd'vr.. Everything was eaten, not a single left over .. Besides desserts..

Kept on forgetting photos..

We served a frisee salad.. I added meat from a smoked chubb fish.. They are tiny little white fish, often served on bagels or gotten at a jewish/eastern european morning fish guy.. Schaller and Weber double smoked bacon, a poached egg out of my 4 at a time egg poacher, with a sherry shallot vingraette. One of the better salads I have had.. I am proud because this was our creation and its always better when you are not just following a recipe...

Thats a lot of salad: More then two of me eat in a year

I dont have a pretty picture of the salad with the poached egg.. But imagine this with a poached egg placed right where i made space for it.. I just needed to show the beautiful double smoked bacon from Schaller and Weber.. Fat Guy told me about it and it truly is awesome..

For the main course we had....... teriyaki glazed tofu with pine nuts.. We steamed and then... Just kidding we had lamb foot..

Lamb shanks braised in white wine, marjoram,thyme, garlic, chicken stock.. With parm gritz.. This was the one dish that was effected by making such large quantities.. I didnt have time to let the braising liquid reduce.. Everyone enjoyed it, it was my least favorite, about a 6.5....Sorry for the ugly photo...

Went to the Union Square Market yesterday... There is always the cheese guy on the south east side.. I bought a bunch of different raw milk cheeses.. Have a fig jam and honey..

Shitty photo number 3 or 4?

With the cheese course we served a couple of ports.. The 10 yr old tawny was the best.. Darker and richer then the 20 yr old..

Dessert was my favorite course.. The pressure was off, and we made a bunch of solid things..

Bourbon Panna Cotta: A really mature dessert.. Wasnt over flavored, very subtle..If you dont know what a Panna Cotta is, its basically heavy cream mixed with gelatin.. Making it a heavy cream jello..

We had Frank's bourbon chocolate custard with the marshmallow brownie I made the other night mixed in..

Best ice cream/custard??? This ice cream my mother would love.. It was the icey type of ice cream.. Not the super creamy but a icey.. The bourbon taste was really strong.. I put a half a bottle of jack daniels into myself.. And at least a 1/3 cup into the ice cream.... The brownie went well..

The Suzy's Cake from Pierre Herme book.. Such an awesome cake.. It was like a brownie/cake hybrid.. This cake tasted more chocolate then the chocolate bars I used to make this cake.. It was pure heaven.. Added with my ice cream, its heaven for when people die in heaven.. When my girl let me try the batter.. I thought it was the frosting... This cake was like baking a frosting....

Burnt caramel truffles..

Awesome night.. It would have been just as good if we ordered pizza, just to spend time with people is the real fun..

Edited October 24, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Sid Post]

That is very impressive!

[racheld]

Lovely words and pictures, all, and to all a Good Night.

rachel

[*Deborah*]

Wow! lucky your guests, Daniel!

Those potato hors d'oeuvres....*swoons*

And I thought I served chocolate to my guests! Wow!

[lexy]

For the main course we had....... teriyaki glazed tofu with pine nuts.. We steamed and then... Just kidding we had lamb foot..

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You can't imagine the look of total shock that crossed my face when I read that …

With the cheese course we served a couple of ports.. The 10 yr old tawny was the best.. Darker and richer then the 20 yr old..

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I'm a huge fan of the Taylor-Fladgate tawnies - knock the socks off most other ports in my opinion. Good choice

[Chufi]

WOW.. such amazing dinners.. Deborah and Daniel, you have some lucky friends!

And Daniel what you said about ordering pizza and having just as much fun.. I don't know.. yes sometimes the company is the most important thing, but I'm sure your guests really appreciated all the time and effort you invested in this dinner.. cooking for people this way really is an act of love..

Saturday I braised a couple of pigeons. I loved the flavor but it's not very elegant eating.. tearing the meat off the bones with your teeth is about the best you can do..

Served with roast swede and a Swiss chard torta with raisins and pinenuts, a Marcella Hazan recipe.

Truffled goatscheese and a piece of St. Nectaire cheese for "dessert", with some fig bread.

Yesterday I ws at a friend's birthday and watched someone else cook mussles and frites for 35 people. Delicious dinner and I was glad I did not have to do all that work!

Edited October 24, 2005 by Chufi (log)

[Alinka]

Alinka, awesome, awesome, awesome...

...said Daniel before proceeding to bombard us with a bunch of mouthwatering pictures! Great job, Daniel, everything looks great, and I am sure your friends feel very lucky to be... well, your friends .

[Megan Blocker]

...and Basque cake from The New French Baker:

The combination of the crumbly crust, soft sweet pastry cream filling, crunchy nuts, and tart cherries was just lovely .

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That cake is SO beautiful!

And Daniel - what a dinner! Very impressive. I love your description of panna cotta as heavy cream jello.

Edited October 24, 2005 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Daniel]

That basque cake really is so pretty.. I am definately putting that cookbook on my short list..

[Basilgirl]

I made red beans and rice from scratch for the first time, and cornbread from a mix. I used a whole box of rice which will keep the Basilman in leftover heaven for the week. The cornbread mix was George Washington buttermilk brand, and it really does taste like homemade. No sugar.

[Priscilla]

NY strips broiled very rare sliced fanned drizzled with teriyaki sauce. Sashimi-grade tuna diced and mixed with a little Kewpie and a little Sriracha after the style of sushi-bar spicy tuna. Radish sprouts tucked in around the tuna.

Extra-good extra-fermenty dregs of my own napa pickle (bought a big new napa yesterday for a new batch). Marinated soybean sprouts, fresh green beans blanched & dressed with the essential sesame dressing Torakris provided the recipe for, made for the first time in my suribachi, because I finally found the size surikogi I wanted. (Heretofore I'd make the sesame dressing in my granite mortar & pestle, but wow the suribachi is SO where it's at for this prep of course.) Nice rice from the cooker.

Cold CA sake, and Sunday-night Japanese drama, Gokusen just now.

[M. Lucia]

This might be a little off topic but Alinka, your photos are so gorgeous, are you using ntural daylight or do you have a lighting setup? Just wondering b/c here it gets dark so early these days.

Anyways, yesterday for dinner was Apricot/Lentil Soup with sweet potato biscuits and a green salad with a bit of gruyere cheese.

Dessert was goat yogurt- rose mousse from Claudia Fleming- wonderful.

[Alinka]

That basque cake really is so pretty.. I am definately putting that cookbook on my short list..

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It's funny as I bought the book by accident, at the Half-Price Bookstore . It's worth having though.

This might be a little off topic but Alinka, your photos are so gorgeous, are you using ntural daylight or do you have a lighting setup? Just wondering b/c here it gets dark so early these days.

Most of my pictures (including the ones above) are taken on my kitchen counter. I've recently heard that traditionally artists' studio windows faced north to create the best lighting. After thinking about it I realised I am lucky: my kitchen window faces north! I've taped a sheet of white paper to the wall though, to create a white background. I hate using a flash, and I don't have any additional setup, so I have to chase natural daylight, which means I have to take my plate outside sometimes, or only take pictures on weekends, because in winter I often don't get home until it's already dark. Why do you think my favorite thread is breakfast? By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to officialy thank all my dining companions who ever had to wait patiently for their plate to come back .

Thank you for your compliments, they really are a great motivation to cook!

[Mooshmouse]

Whoa, Daniel, your friends were just as fortunate as we were (recipients of Deborah's dinner). Three cheers for you!

[percyn]

Great stuff Alina and Daniel. Daniel, what is your secret of finding time to cook so much?

Found some fresh fish in the market, so I made:

Sturgeon with fried leeks and shitake mushrooms

Inside shot - nice and moist

Opah (moonfish, found in Hawaii) with Lemongrass scented coconut milk rice and Thai green curry

[Jinmyo]

Opah, which does not school but often hangs out with schools of tuna, is quite similiar to tuna maguro for sashimi.

[FoodMan]

Sunday-

-Panelle, fried herb-chickpea fritters, (recipe from J. Oliver's latest book "Jamie's Italy") with herb oil. The dough was pretty dense and heavy, but once fried...I can only compare them to savory herb-chickpea churros

-Marinated and broiled chicken breasts with buttery rice

-Dessert was apple, pear and raisin tarts with vanilla ice cream. These were put together last minute but came out wonderful.

Monday-

This might seem a lot of work for a Monday night dinner. However, the braciole was prepped and seared on Sunday night. It was finished cooking tonight while the squash roasted. A very lovely fall meal indeed.

- Farsumauro, a Sicilian braciole (recipe from M. Hazan) braised in white wine. IT was wonderful, tender and loaded with flavor.

- I've said it before and here it goes again. Squashes are my all time favorite vegetables during fall/winter. I love them! I roasted wedges of an acorn simply rubbed with rosemary a touch of cinnamon, salt, pepper and olive oil. The seeds turn nice a toasty too. Don't even let me get started about the crispy chewy skin bits...

[Daniel]

Great stuff Alina and Daniel. Daniel, what is your secret of finding time to cook so much?

I really dont sleep much and watch very little television.. Dinners I like to prepare as much as possible the day before.. I get most of my groceries delivered, and the two of us work really well together..On the weekends its much easier to cook.. Yesterday we were up at 10 o'clock and had everything cooked and ready to go by 5.. Only the pork needed to be brined the day before.. The guests arrived at 6 and all we had left was to poach the eggs for the salad and plate the grits and lamb shank..

[canucklehead]

Great stuff Alina and Daniel. Daniel, what is your secret of finding time to cook so much?

I really dont sleep much and watch very little television.. Dinners I like to prepare as much as possible the day before.. I get most of my groceries delivered, and the two of us work really well together..On the weekends its much easier to cook.. Yesterday we were up at 10 o'clock and had everything cooked and ready to go by 5.. Only the pork needed to be brined the day before.. The guests arrived at 6 and all we had left was to poach the eggs for the salad and plate the grits and lamb shank..

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Dude - that was amazing. The logistics of a meal like that would kill me. When I entertain - I try to do it family style.

Very impressive.