Dinner! 2005

[M. Lucia]

M. Lucia~

That sounds wonderful ! Could you point me toward a recipe for humitas con queso?

Thanks !

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Let's see, I make humitas without a recipe, but I think there are some good guidelines in .

Reserve the soft inner husks from 8 ears of corn.

Grate the corn of eight fresh cobs of corn, scraping to get the corn milk, add a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, a bit of chopped onion and about 1/4 cup milk. Process the corn mixture to make a wet dough. If the mixture is too liquid you can add a bit of corn meal. Stir in about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

Make strips from a couple of the husks to use as ties. Place to soft inner husks side by side (one facingup and one facing down) to make a rectangle. Put a spoonful of the dough in the center and fold up like a package. tie the package with a strip of husk to close. Repeat with remaining dough.

Steam the humitas for about 45 minutes.

There didn't seem to be many recipes online in english, but I did find these: here and here. Note one includes egg, which do not use.

Chufi, thanks for the advice. I might ttry the gratin soon. Did your friend come over to make hummus and not leave you any?! I am a hummus addict when I'm not in the middle east. Your chickpea-egg salad sounds good and I don't even like hard-boiled eggs.

I actually ended up inverting the idea I had yesterday for dinner. I made blue cheese ravioli in a mushroom sauce. Unfortunately, things in mushroom sauces are not very pretty (add to the diary of regrettable foods), but they tasted really good.

The filling was blue cheese, milk, and bread crumbs, wonton wrappers to make ravioli, the sauce basically a puree of cremini mushrooms with some soymilk to thin it.

[dockhl]

Reserve the soft inner husks from 8 ears of corn.

Grate the corn of eight fresh cobs of corn, scraping to get the corn milk, add a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, a bit of chopped onion and about 1/4 cup milk. Process the corn mixture to make a wet dough. If the mixture is too liquid you can add a bit of corn meal. Stir in about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

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M. Lucia~

Thank you so much for the guidelines. I am I to understand that generally you DO NOT use any type of flour or thickening agent (unless you add that little bit of cornmeal) ? It is hard for me to visualize the corn alone acting like a 'wet dough'.

Can't wait to try it!

[M. Lucia]

Yes, I usually add a touch of cornmeal to get the right texture.

The other thing you can do is cook the corn puree in a sauce pan for 5-10 minutes until it thickens up- actually I would recommend this. I didn't do this last time because I was lazy.

It is important to have fresh corn, I find other corn doesn't thicken up as much.

I wish I could be more clear, it is one of those things I do by feel. The batter should be like a thick corn puree and you should be able to mound it on the husk.

Let me know if you make it!

[sugarcookie]

This is my first submission to this thread. Why am I so nervous?

I had guests tonight.

Appetizers included Thai chicken balls with sweet chili sauce.

Then, the main course. Seared ahi with sesame seed crust, Asian salad with soy vinaigrette, and wasabi mashed potatoes.

Dessert: Mango lime sorbet with mint and chili powder. I forgot the chili powder until AFTER I took pictures. Yeesh!

[appreciator]

^ sugarcookie.... your meal looks great! Do you have a recipe that you can share for the Thai chicken balls?

[gourmande]

Last night we had roasted chicken - the skin was beautifully brown and cripsy - with roasted vegetables (tiny red potatoes, orange cauliflower and broccoli) and a Romaine, cucumber and tomato salad. No time for pictures. Once that chicken was carved I just wanted to get it on the table and savour!

[Milt]

For Saturday evening, we had Cornish Game Hens served Moroccan style - marinated over a bed of sliced oranges and diced dates with a spice rub of chilantro, garlic, cardamom and a couple of other seasonings. Accompanying the hens was Greek Cousous - couscous with feta, tomatos, onion, garbanzos, and more. A tossed salad of mixed greens rounded out the dinner.

[mhadam]

Friday -- grilled cheese sandwiches (had way too much muenster at home) with TJ's organic ketchup

Saturday -- meatball subs

Sunday -- roasted chicken and veg (peruvian potatoes, carrots, parnsips, cauliflower, onions, turnips, sweet potatoes, and green beans) accompanied with a beautiful 99 Cab from Valley of the Moon

[rooftop1000]

I took a picture of last night's dinner but it turned out so ugly that I think I am going to post the result in the other dinner thread!  Roast maple turkey, mashed potatoes, roast cauliflower, bread dressing, carrots, and brussel sprouts.

Today, for "linner," grilled salmon with dill-caper sauce, hasselback potatoes, green beans from the farmers market with basil from the garden, and eggplant sticks.

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This just remind me that the traditional American Thankgiving dinner is really boring looking. Sure you have the cranberries and maybe a green vegetable but it is basically shades of tan, pale to golden to orange.....Eh its tasty though

tracey

[Chufi]

Autumnal flavors:

potato rosemary focaccia

salad with roast parsnips, toasted hazelnuts and a walnut oil vinaigrette. yes I know that should have been hazelnut oil in the vinaigrette but I was out..

Roast figs with gorgonzola had been popping up all over EGullet lately so I thought it was time I had some. They were fantastic.. wrapped in Serrano ham.. with just a drizzle of chestnut honey to balance the saltyness of the cheese..

[suzilightning]

Oh Dear! Oh My! Oh Gollygosh!!

beautiful food...

sugarcookie i second the request for the Thai chicken ball recipe

klary - now i wish i had figs in the house.

first day off in over two weeks. made foccacia for johnnybird, meatballs to freeze for future meals.

CRAVING veg... fresh green beans i'll serve with a butter glaze and a sprinkle of kosher salt, gold coins - carrots glazed with honey and vermouth then sprinkled with fresh dill, smashed potatoes with roasted garlic.

i also roasted a piece of free range beef from australia with some onions and garlic. what we don't eat for dinner will become sandwiches for johnnybird(probably on his foccacia) and hash for breakfasts for me

[Daniel]

Well the pictures are awful but the food was delicious.. Made a few dishes from Stitts Southern Table..

Started with the frisee salad with sherry vinegarette.. With a poached egg and lardons.. Topped with a wine, shallot, mushroom,butter sauce. This salad was freaking incredible..

Also made rosemary quail with his corn pudding.. And for an over kill made spoon bread..

The plated quail with the corn puddding pictures didnt come out.. So here is just the quail... Really simple and really good..

Spoon bread...

Edited September 27, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[helenas]

Barilla Plus (besides multi-grains, fiber and omega-3s it tastes nice and has a decent texture, quite a surprise for commercial pasta) angel pasta with pan wilted/browned juliened baby zucchini , mussels, parsley and green yuzo kosho.

[Megan Blocker]

I pan-roasted a split chicken leg and used the drippings and some chicken stock to make a sauce with onions, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and toasted pine nuts. It was unexpectedly delicious - way beyond my expectations. Yay - nice way to end an exhausting Monday!

Edited September 27, 2005 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Megan Blocker]

Autumnal flavors:

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Klary, brava - as always! This looks amazing!

[monavano]

Making stuffed cabbage (golabki) on a lazy Sunday. First, the cabbage is boiled and leaves are removed as they loosen. This cabbage had the firmest core I've ever tried to cut out. I'm lucky I didn't lose a digit!

I love the large outer leaves. Leaves are drained and cooled in a collander

The filling is a mixture of half ground beef and half ground pork, boiled rice, egg, salt and pepper.

Now, ready to stuf and roll the cabbage. The sauce is simply tomato soup and ketchup topped with applewood smoked bacon. First the vein is cut out.

A small handfull of meat mixture is place at one end of the leaf and it's rolled like a fajita.

It's covered with tin foil and baked for an hour at 350, braising two to three times. Served, as always, with mashed potatoes and cucumbers in sour cream dressing.

[Daniel]

Great pictures and thanks for going through the whole process.. Is this a family dish or a recipe you got somewhere? Nationality?Can you talk about the sour cream dressing... Oh and more bacon please...

Edited September 27, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[monavano]

Thanks Daniel! My background is Polish Catholic, but from reading the recent "stuffed cabbage " thread in the cooking forum, mine is among many varied heritages which makes this delish dish. The recipe is just the way my mom , and her mom made it. There were many interesting recipes mentioned.

The sour cream dressing is just sour cream, white vinegar to thin as per how you like the consistency, and sugar to taste.

Theee best part of this meal (I NEVER break up the golabki, sour cream cukes and mash potatoes trinity) is how everything gets melded together as you eat it.

[M. Lucia]

Everyone's meals look great, welcome sugar cookie!

I was part of a felafel tasting competition- even though I cut up some of the larger samples, I still feel ill with too much felafel. Ugh

[Jason Perlow]

New Orleans-style BBQ Shrimp, with Zucchini Garlic Saute:

[monavano]

I have some stored photos which I'm posting now, as I've just figured out how to post pics (and I'm a happy posting fool right now)

Here's some beautiful summer bounty from our DC area farmers markets.

Beautiful basil, parsley, tomatoes large and small, peaches and flowers. Sadly, we won't be seeing this til next summer.

Fresh salad greens with grilled corn, tomatoes, carrots and bulls blood.

Finally, here's another meal I made with the fresh greens: Apricot glazed chicken, cous cous with raisins and chopped nuts, and salad with feta cheese and simple vinagrette.

[Pan]

I pan-roasted a split chicken leg and used the drippings and some chicken stock to make a sauce with onions, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and toasted pine nuts.

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Whoa, that looks AWESOME!

Great pictures, everyone!

[sugarcookie]

^ sugarcookie.... your meal looks great!  Do you have a recipe that you can share for the Thai chicken balls?

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Of course!

2 lbs chicken, minced (I used boneless skinless breasts)

1 cup dry bread crumbs

4 green onions, sliced

1 tablespoon Bangkok Blend from Penzey's (if you have it) or ground coriander

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce, plus extra for dipping!

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

oil for frying

Heat oven to 350°

1 In a large bowl, mix together the chicken and bread

crumbs. Season with green onion, ground coriander, cilantro,

chili sauce and lemon juice; mix well.

2 Using damp hands, form mixture into evenly shaped balls

that are either small enough to eat with your fingers, or

large enough to use as burgers.

3 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the

chicken balls in batches until well browned all over.

Bake on a foil or parchment lined cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

[Gifted Gourmet]

New Orleans-style BBQ Shrimp, with Zucchini Garlic Saute:

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This is so reminiscent of New Orleans ... and makes me miss it all the more ... but those shrimp look like they might have made for some great eating!

[Megan Blocker]

Thanks, Pan!

Those shrimp look AMAZING, Jason - I can almost taste them just gazing at the picture.

And monavano - what beautiful flowers and tomatoes - I can't decide which are more photogenic!