Dinner! 2005

[Mooshmouse]

Tonight was:

Chicken piccata with pepper penne and asparagus

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Meez, you've got three of my favourite things in the world all on one plate.

Welcome!

[Megan Blocker]

The cookies do look great. Last year I made an Ina Garten recipe for jam thumbprints. The instructions say to roll them in coconut befor baking. THe coconut got all toasy, and they were delicious. I have to say they were the prettiest cookies ever.

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That's a great recipe! And you can always leave off the shredded coconut if (like me) you just can't stand the stuff...

[avocado]

There was a small-scale blizzard here in Wisconsin and I wasn't willing to brave the elements to go to the store, so dinner tonight was kind of low-rent. I roasted chicken thighs seasoned with nothing but s&p. On the side, baked beans from a can doctored with bacon and maple syrup, heated in the hot oven along with the chicken thighs so they got nice and dry and sticky.

I ate the skin of four thighs but the meat of only two, and I finished the whole can of beans. And you know, it was gooood.

[petite tête de chou]

After a hard day of hanging Christmas lights outside I had pork chili, a green salad (romaine, seeded/peeled cucumbers, snow peas, shredded carrots and unsalted sunflower seeds) with blue cheese dressing and jalapeno/cheddar corn muffins. Hm. This the very first time that my fingertips actually burn after dicing the jalapenos. Maybe my skin is getting thinner with age?

[Alinka]

Alinka, great fancy meatloaf; what is in the potatoes?

I meant, mine is just meatloaf, not fancy like yours . I've mashed a carrot into the potatoes for the fun specks of color.

I am now officially addicted to this forum.

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Yeah, that's what happens to you once you get into this forum: you start looking at food on your plate not just thinking "how does it taste?" but also "how will it look on photo?"

Alinka, perhaps you've been asked this before, but how do your pictures always turn out so high-res.  Your lighting seems consistently better than most and your focus sharper.  What kind of the camera do you use and on what settings?

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Thanks you! I have Canon PowerShot G5. Nothing too fancy. I use the Av setting with the shallowest depth of field it would allow; I also selected the "vivid" setting. As to the lighting, I take most of my pictures on the kitchen counter next to the window. Daylight makes a great difference. Unfortunately, catching daylight is not always possible, especially in winter. This is why here's what my steak supper looks like (also photographed on the kitchen counter):

This is my first time to cook steak, so please be kind .

Edited to add: I never, ever do flash photography to my food .

Edited December 15, 2005 by Alinka (log)

[SiseFromm]

When life gives you tangerines, you make Sauteed Foie Gras with Tangerine Szechuan Pepper Gastrique:

[Pan]

When life gives you tangerines, you make Sauteed Foie Gras with Tangerine Szechuan Pepper Gastrique:

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First thought: Good God!

Second thought: Wow!

[Ling]

This is from last week, but it was the first time I made dinner for this guy I'm dating. I chose something simple and idiot-proof.

Braised lamb shank, red wine and porcini risotto

(I used the same wine for the braise and the risotto--a Cotes du Rhone)

[Daniel]

Alinka, being a Texan, I was hoping it you would give tell us a little more about that steak you cooked up?

SiseFromm, that looks great.. Where did you get the recipe for that.. How did the peppercorn react with the tangerine.. Was it too muted, or did the spice come through?

Ling,

That looks really great.. Is it possible to ask this question without considering the double meaning.. What was for dessert?

[Megan Blocker]

Daniel's getting fresh!

Love that lamb shank, Ling...and that foie gras looks unbelievable. I can feel it melting in my mouth from here...

[I_call_the_duck]

Alinka, Ling, SiseFromm, everything looks wonderful!

SiseFromm, when life hands me tangerines, I would think sorbet, but foie gras works.

Alinka, that steak looks great. How was it prepared? And what were the sides? Thanks for the tips on photography. I also have a basic camera, and am never satisfied with the way my pics turn out.

Ling, did the guy like the lamb shank? Did you serve a Cotes du Rhone with dinner too?

Last night was a basic stir fry of tofu, carrots, and broccoli in a semi-spicy sauce that was loosely based on hzrt8w's ma po tofu recipe.

[Chufi]

For 13 days, it was "Dinner! what did my husband cook?" as Dennis took a turn in the kitchen while I was recovering from my surgery.. he did really well, (with some instructions from me ), and he took great care of me.. but today we celebrated my first day back in the kitchen and it was great to be cooking again..

I made spicy pork chili and cornbread, served with various toppings: coriander, crispy bacon, sour cream, avocado and cheese.

[Priscilla]

Last night, late: Pizza, for which I had made the dough and then got out of the way. The Man of the House made two varieities, both with red sauce, considerably more trad than usual, and just what was wanted. One had sausage and mozz, and one had panko'd fried eggplant left over from another dish, a little Parmigiano Reggiano & Pecorino Romano, and mozz. Crispy bracingly-dressed autumn salad mix. 2000 Callaway "Coastal" Cabernet, as they call it; regardless, it was soft and good with the food.

[Daniel]

For 13 days, it was "Dinner! what did my husband cook?" as Dennis took a turn in the kitchen while I was recovering from my surgery.. he did really well, (with some instructions from me  ), and he took great care of me.. but today we celebrated my first day back in the kitchen and it was great to be cooking again..

I made spicy pork chili and cornbread, served with various toppings: coriander, crispy bacon, sour cream, avocado and cheese.

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Thats fantastic you are feeling better, Chufi. Glad to have you back and cooking..

[Megan Blocker]

For 13 days, it was "Dinner! what did my husband cook?" as Dennis took a turn in the kitchen while I was recovering from my surgery.. he did really well, (with some instructions from me  ), and he took great care of me.. but today we celebrated my first day back in the kitchen and it was great to be cooking again..

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Yay! Glad you're feeling better, Chufi...that looks good!

[kaneel]

For 13 days, it was "Dinner! what did my husband cook?" as Dennis took a turn in the kitchen while I was recovering from my surgery.. he did really well, (with some instructions from me  ), and he took great care of me.. but today we celebrated my first day back in the kitchen and it was great to be cooking again..

I made spicy pork chili and cornbread, served with various toppings: coriander, crispy bacon, sour cream, avocado and cheese.

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That looks like a great tex-mex meal Klary!!!

Welcome back

Ashiana

[I_call_the_duck]

Looks great, Klary. Glad you're back. We missed you.

[Ling]

Ling,

That looks really great.. Is it possible to ask this question without considering the double meaning.. What was for dessert? 

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I think I ate dessert before dinner. He doesn't really like dessert. (I smell trouble a-brewin'...) I gave him a slice of caramel apple pie last week, and he liked it.

I_call_the_duck: Yes, he enjoyed dinner. He said the risotto was better than the risotto he was eating in Italy two months ago--I pushed him had said, "Yeah right...Don't be such a suck-up!" The wine was just a cheap bottle I had kicking around; it was a 2003 Louis Bernard.

Klary: I'm glad you're feeling better, and your meal looks so tasty! I love cornbread and chili.

Edited December 15, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Shalmanese]

Kangaroo Loin with a Red Wine & Shallot Reduction, Roasted Fingerling Potatos and a Garden Salad

[M. Lucia]

^ Kangaroo, we don't get that 'round here!

Welcome back Klary.

Tonight's dinner was rum-pineapple chicken breasts served with tostones- my first time cooking with plantains, everything came out well. I don't normally cook Carribbean and it was nice and warming after coming home in the sleet.

I can't believe the tart from yesterday is already gone, so I made individual butterscotch meringue pies.

[percyn]

Got an opportunity to cook today, after what seemed like an eternity.

Made some Prime Dry Aged NY Strip with red wine demi glace sauce, red bliss potatoes and fresh porcini mushrooms on chestnut puree

[handmc]

Percy:

Where did you get those Mushrooms?!

Everything looks great, but those mushrooms wow!

[percyn]

Percy:

Where did you get those Mushrooms?!

Everything looks great, but those mushrooms wow!

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Wegmans !!

[daniellewiley]

I have to make four loaves of banana bread for my daughter's teachers tonight, so we stuck with easy.

We had my childhood favorite - cottage cheese and noodles with tons of freshly ground black pepper.

I enjoyed mine with a glass of Cabernet and Dylan had chocolate milk.

[avocado]

We had my childhood favorite - cottage cheese and noodles with tons of freshly ground black pepper.

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You know, it heartens me to find that other people eat such shameless comfort food. Sometimes a good meal is really all about taking it easy and indulging in a little nostalgia, no matter how homely the food on your plate really is.