Dinner! 2007

[little ms foodie]

The cook tending to his risotto - he's sitting up in Mom's "risotto stool"

SHOW OFF!!! ok seriously can I rent him??

dayne made dinner tonight while I shoe shopped

grilled salmon with lime ginger butter, jasmine rice and steamed carrots and broccoli. served with St Barts Pinot Noir 03 Bruce passed away last Nov. He was a very gifted person

[Domestic Goddess]

The cook tending to his risotto - he's sitting up in Mom's "risotto stool"

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Ah bless! What a wonderful picture! What an adorable expression on your budding cook.

Dinner tonight was Pot Roast, with potatoes and carrots topped with mushroom gravy. No plated pictures - my men were hungry!

Oops! Edited to add our dessert for tonight: Chewy Brownies! Clickety-click

Edited March 24, 2007 by Domestic Goddess (log)

[percyn]

Shaya, that is awesome !! Hope you post food pics from your trip on some thread.

I have never attempted to make Profiteroles....but your son is inspiring me. Do you mind sharing the easy recipe you reference?

[lucylou95816]

Shaya, I am very impressed with your son....I know 10 and 12 year old kids that don't even know how to make a sandwich, much less, risotto. I hope he continues on, what a great thing to learn at such a young age.

[Chufi]

The cook tending to his risotto - he's sitting up in Mom's "risotto stool"

SHOW OFF!!! ok seriously can I rent him??

dayne made dinner tonight while I shoe shopped

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Wendy, looks like Shaya is not the only one showing off can I rent Dayne to cook for me while I go shopping?

Seriously, Shaya, what a comeback after your vacation! Thanks for sharing those pics with us!

[GTO]

Risotto! It was made with love, with was evident in the flavour.

[Jmahl]

This afternoon I'm trying Food & Wine's "undated coq au vin" their "zesty braised chichen with lemon capers" April 2007 Page 76.

Looks good, smells, good. We will report back.

Jmahl

[doctortim]

Last night was roasted chicken breasts with zucchini, chickpeas, tomato, and a very fruity saffron couscous. After 2 weeks of being flat out and eating only pasta with whatever is in the freezer, it was great to finally have a good meal.

[C. sapidus]

Shaya: Your junior cook has become a handsome young man, and you have obviously taught hime well in the kitchen.

Tonight we made Indonesian spice-braised tuna (ikan bumbu rujak), from Cradle of Flavor. Mrs. C served steamed artichokes with wasabi mayo. On the side, jasmine rice and a bunch of pickled veggies - beets, spicy asparagus, baby corn, and string beans.

For the braised tuna, we made a spice paste from shallots, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Tamarind and kecap manis formed the sauce base, while cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and lemongrass added beguiling aromas. Quartered tomatoes added at the end.

Best of all, our Russian imperial stout has finally developed a nice, creamy head.

[Chufi]

We had some friends over for a simple dinner last night.. started in the kitchen with prosecco, goats cheese, various nuts & nibbles.

Then we had the Giant Meatballs from Molly Stevens All about braising, they were served with lemony spinach, roasted carrots and roasted rosemary potatoes

No March dinner is complete without rhubarb Rhubarb almond crumble with cold custard

[Emily_R]

Hey Chufi --

Those meatballs look fantastic! How were they? They look like they are pork or have some poultry in them?

Mmmmmmm Rhubarb. :-)

Emily

[enurmi]

Two nights ago was majadara-- caramelized onions, lentils, and basmati riced cooked to creamy deliciousness with rice pudding for dessert (sister got her wisdom teeth pulled and couldn't chew). Last night was pistachio soup (inspired by the March Gourmet) and a radish-cucumber pickle, with brownies for dessert. I have some onion confit going on 24 hours right now, so that will probably be my dinner with a little bread and some salad.

[C. sapidus]

Klary: Mmm, rhubarb. I’ll start looking for it.

More from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Catfish simmered in caramel sauce (ca kho to); asparagus and shiitake mushroom stir-fry (mang tay xao nam huong); and jasmine rice. Mrs. C served her kho over salad greens and sprouts.

[markk]

Wow, what gorgeous meals, everbody! And so much gorgeous duck!. Tarte Tatin, your cassoulet meal was fabulous. And Percyn's beautiful duck breast has inspired me to post a photo of a disastrous duck breast that I made recently. I haven't been cooking much because I've been needing to stay off my feet, and apparently I may have lost my touch. I like my magret as rare as Percyn's, but was using a different oven to rest it, and came out with this disaster, which almost got thrown back at me, with good reason:

However, the salad of radishes, beets, and apples that I invented with a touch of blueberry vinaigrette, was delicious.

Another meal, for which I cheated and used some specialty-store bought crabcakes for the filling and their lobster bisque reduced, plus some truffle oil, as my sauce, was this stuffed Turbot:

Then, feeling guilty, and having found some outrageous organic grape tomatoes, and using an organic pasta I love plus some wonderful Greek olive oil and some all-natural shrimp and organic garlic...

... I made an old standby that I learned to make from a chef/friend on Capri, "Lingune ai Gamberi". I had quite a bit of liquid because I had used a liberal dose of white wine, and I gave the linguine their last three minutes of cooking right in the pot that I made the shrimp and tomatoes in, and it absorbed it totally and was nice and tight, and I redeemed myself.

And in honor of all of you on this thread who obviously make and appreciate beautifully prepared and beautifully presented food, I invite you all to look at the photos and video I posted of our meal the other night at Jean-Georges, in New York, which are here.

Edited March 26, 2007 by markk (log)

[Pontormo]

Shaya: I know I am late to the event, but a mom can't hear "Awwwwww!" enough, can she? You really need to print and frame that picture of your son. I can't believe he went for saffron let alone the rest of the menu!

Bruce: I think the prolonged enunciation of a vowel becomes: "Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

Klary: Is rhubarb truly omnipresent this early in the Netherlands? We have nearly a month to go before it appears locally in the outdoor markets.

Wendy: No roasts yet? Have you lawyered up? Just in an unoffical, prodding way? I am serious!

Edited March 26, 2007 by Pontormo (log)

[Chufi]

markk that beet/radish/apple salad looks so good and so pretty!

Would also work great with pork I think?

Klary: Is rhubarb truly omnipresent this early in the Netherlands?  We have nearly a month to go before it appears locally in the outdoor markets.

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it's not omnipresent, I've only seen it at one marketstall so far, it's just omnipresent in my house because I love it so much

[little ms foodie]

Wendy, looks like Shaya is not the only one showing off    can I rent Dayne to cook for me while I go shopping? 

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Chufi, he is good like that!

This afternoon I'm trying Food & Wine's "undated coq au vin" their "zesty braised chichen with lemon capers"  April 2007 Page 76.

I was reading that article too- so what did you think Jmahl??

markk I don't care who made it, the stuffed turbot looks divine!

[C. sapidus]

Bruce:  I think the prolonged enunciation of a vowel becomes: "Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

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Pontormo: "Ahhhhhhh"

Edited March 26, 2007 by C. sapidus (log)

[Jmahl]

[

This afternoon I'm trying Food & Wine's "undated coq au vin" their "zesty braised chichen with lemon capers"  April 2007 Page 76.

I was reading that article too- so what did you think Jmahl??

We will be cutting out the recipe to save. I am planning to try it again with cornish hens cut in half and braised skin side up.

Jmahl

[Shalmanese]

Finally got all the images off of my camera, here is the massive image dump:

Pan Seared Coho Salmon, Orange Beurre Blanc, Pan fried Acorn Squash Risotto Cake, Steamed Broccoli:

I told a friend who was staying over, "Man, I need to flame some shit" so the orange beurre blanc was cointreu, butter and shallots and worked fantastically with the salmon.

Young's Chocolate Stout Beer Braised Beef:

I love this dish and it's a staple in my repetoire now. Only 5 ingredients are used, beef, beer, carrots, salt, sugar. But the depth and richness of flavour is out of this world.

Curry roasted chicken, curried potatoes and a chickpea salad:

Greek Marinated Cornish Game Hen, Tzatziki Sauce and Tumeric Roasted Cauliflower

Chilli with lots of sides, Queso, Avocado, Cilantro, Spring Onion and Sour Cream

So I managed to get access to some insanely marbled meat:

And I made it into a Spicy Beef & Broccoli:

The best part, the meat came from the middle of a chuck roast that was $1.99 on sale at the local supermarket. Score! The flavour was so beefy yet tender at the same time.

This is me showing off some knife cuts with my new Gyuto:

Flank Steak, Avocado & Pineapple Salsa, Grilled Red Onions, Corn Chips, Queso and Sour Cream:

Pork Chop with Rhubarb & Apple Compote, Steamed Asparagus and Potatoes with a Red Wine Mustard Sauce:

I still maintain that bone-in pork chops just don't work. Still, the rhubarb compote, generously spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg as well as flavoured with some blood orange juice and zest went fantastically with the pork was was great on yogurt the next day as well.

Asparagus & Bacon Quiche:

And finally, were the dishes from Cache Dinner Club run by the wonderful Ling where I helped cook last night:

Grilled cotecchino and Chianti mustard on crostini:

Five-spice pork belly, scallion purée with housemade flaky sesame biscuits:

Port-braised pork trotters with roasted shallots on creamed cauliflower and a fried sage leaf garnish:

Valrhona chocolate ganache tart with pecans and caramel with bacon brittle powder:

[annecros]

Mad Knife Skilz there Shalmalnese!

Right tool for the task?

[Marigene]

I very seldom post here; my skills at plating are not as good as 99.9% of yours, but I do read every day. I am in awe of the menus and pictures, such an inspiration and thank you, all.

Last night I made pasta and topped it with shrimp marinated in Thai red curry paste. Delicious!

[Emily_R]

Shalmanese --

The marbling on that beef nearly brought me to tears! Gasp! I'm drooling!

Emily

[Marlene]

I haven't been posting much on this dinner thread lately. A few recent hits included:

Steak with cognac and mustard sauce:

Rack of lamb with greek potatoes

Beef Stroganoff:

And from a bakefest this past weekend

Cinnamon rolls:

Brioche from Bouchon for french toast

And double fudge frosted brownies

[Kim Shook]

I haven't posted here in forever - been crazy busy, but I have been reading insanely late at night and have been thoroughly enjoying everyone's food!

little ms. foodie - Stuffed piled on polenta is my new favorite thing.

sadistick - those scallops are amazing looking. What is involved in Pancetta crisp?

shaya - I am in awe (and a little intimidated) by your adorable and incredibly gifted son.

Shal - a second 'yay' on your knife skills! You really can read through the slices! And that tart had me feeling faint. Any chance of a recipe?

Marlene - I see that the baking is coming along fantastically!!

I finally cooked a meal tonight after a long time. It was simple: grilled rib eyes rubbed with sugar and Montreal steak seasoning, corn on the cob (a little tough, but surprisingly good flavor), baked potatoes, mixed herb salad and a purchased poppy seed yeast bread. Dessert (not pictured) will be leftover lemon pound cake.