Dinner! 2007

[hjshorter]

We just returned from Wisconsin for a family reunion and 80th birthday party. For fifty hungry guests, Mrs. C made her ever-popular cabbage salad. I made five-spice chicken wings and hjshorter’s delicious cilantro-peanut sauce (click). Thanks for posting the recipe, Heather – folks raved about the sauce. We used freshly-picked mint from the hosts' garden.

You're very welcome. That sounds like a great use for it.

Last night's dinner for us was spaghetti, tossed with six kinds of heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, good French olive oil, a little wine vinegar, sea salt and pepper. We had lots of rich food on Sunday, and wanted simple and delicious last night.

[monavano]

We just returned from Wisconsin for a family reunion and 80th birthday party. For fifty hungry guests, Mrs. C made her ever-popular cabbage salad. I made five-spice chicken wings and hjshorter’s delicious cilantro-peanut sauce (click). Thanks for posting the recipe, Heather – folks raved about the sauce. We used freshly-picked mint from the hosts' garden.

You're very welcome. That sounds like a great use for it.

Last night's dinner for us was spaghetti, tossed with six kinds of heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, good French olive oil, a little wine vinegar, sea salt and pepper. We had lots of rich food on Sunday, and wanted simple and delicious last night.

←

Six kinds of heirloom tomatoes! Ain't summer grand?

[wattacetti]

This past weekend was Labor Day Weekend so I labored.

Cooked dinner for two friends including my best pal (the one I keep gavaging on Ground Hog Day) so that I could have an opportunity to use some of my Riedel stemware.

Started off with a Devaux NV Blanc de Noirs Champagne. I primarily blame this for my shaky photography and crappy plating.

Scallop tiradito with tomato and microgreens

Confit quail legs

With sherry vinegar gastrique, ground cherries and serrano ham dust.

Still practising (and not really succeeding with) plating on those nice rectangular plates.

Switched over to a 2005 Quail's Gate Family Reserve Chardonnay.

Grilled prawn

With grilled corn and sautéed arugula. Continued with the Chardonnay.

Roast quail

Deboned quail stuffed with pan-seared foie gras, morels and more quail. Served with roasted multicolored carrots and snap peas and a quail and morel jus.

Switched over to a 2002 Walter Hansell "South Slope" Pinot Noir.

Braised beef short rib

Organic beef short ribs braised in NZ Pinot Noir; served with potato purée and mushrooms (shimeji, chanterelle jaunissante and pied bleu).

Continued with the Pinot.

Manchego with figs

Not shown. Year-old manchego served with figs that I blowtorched with honey and white balsamic cream.

Had to abandon dessert. Apart from serving too much food, they were getting pretty blotto from having consumed nearly 3 bottles of wine (I forgot to give them water during the meal).

[Nina C.]

Shelby - I just had to reply to your Dove pictures! My grandparents were big dove hunters, and so that looks like my childhood! Unfortunately, I couldn't stand it as a kid - too fussy, too gamey. Perhaps I'll have to try it again now. Of course, take an old shoe, wrap it in bacon and grill it, and I'd probably eat it happily! But the peppers look like a particular interesting recipe.

wattacetti - I understand the dilemna of learning a new style of plating. Looks like you're getting the hang of it! I'm eating a few ground cherries as I type. Aren't they grand?

David - What I wouldn't give for a bowl of that soup right about now. That will be on the menu the next time I grill!

[Peter Green]

On my own again, with nothing much to do tonight except catch up on Battlestar Galactica, I figured I might as well make a mess.

I've done a number of passes at fish in olive oil, generally with a lemon vinaigrette. Tonight, being lazy, I just went for a flash in hot oil to crisp the skin, and then switched to some Spanish olive oil on low, with fresh rosemary, oregano, and garlic.

Overall, not too bad. Heavier, as expected, but I like the flavour of olive oil, and I served this over cous cous done up with chicken stock and some simple steamed green beans to cut the oil.

Because there was a surplus of egg whites after some other egg yolk experiments yesterday, we've a mango pavlova on the go.

[monavano]

Everyone's food looks amazing. Wattacetti, beautiful plating! It really inspires me to get some different serving pieces so I can plate "out of the box", if you will.

Last night's dinner was Margheritta pizza. The dough came from an Italian store but the basil was from the garden and the tomato sauce was made using Marcella Hazan's method (half an onion and butter )

[Prawncrackers]

On my own again...

Peter Green, you cooked and ate all that on your own? Mango Pavlova looks delicious btw

[wattacetti]

Because there was a surplus of egg whites after some other egg yolk experiments yesterday, we've a mango pavlova on the go. 

←

Okay, I'll bite. What were the egg yolk experiments?

[suzilightning]

From Saturday a macaroni cheese.

Plated with tomatoes and slaw.

Last night back from the hawkwatch it was a chilled bottle of Vermont reisling and crabcakes, carrots with sage honey and dill and yellow squash with onion served on the new flounder plates my neighbor brought back from South Carolina.

[monavano]

From Saturday a macaroni cheese.

Plated with tomatoes and slaw.

Last night back from the hawkwatch it was a chilled bottle of Vermont reisling and crabcakes, carrots with sage honey and dill and yellow squash with onion served on the new flounder plates my neighbor brought back from South Carolina.

←

Is that ketchup on the mac and cheese? I'm a huge fan of it! I get sideways glances at times, but it doesn't deter me in the least. I love the glass fish plate too!It reminds me of my mom's glass shrimp cocktail plates. They were oval and had a little place to put the glass cup of cocktail sauce. Gawd, I loved when I saw them comming out for dinner. How fun...

Edited September 4, 2007 by monavano (log)

[Peter Green]

Peter Green, you cooked and ate all that on your own?  Mango Pavlova looks delicious btw

←

Well, two pieces of the fish are going with me as lunch today, and the Pavlova's going to be around for a few days, I must admit.

The egg yolks were from me trying to carefully cook them in boiling water in a zip loc as I'd seen done before. I gave up after the eighth one.

I have way too much time on my hands, it seems.

[pameliachia]

I made a savory bacon, onion and gruyere tart for last night's dinner (recipe from epicurious)

I made the pie crust first:

Then I sauteed some bacon, followed by some onions in the bacon fat. The onions then went into the baked crust:

... and the bacon:

... and the grated gruyere:

... and finally by the gloriously rich cream mixture which was flavored with nutmeg, salt, and ground black pepper:

Here's the tart right after baking:

It was unbelievably good, possibly the best thing that has ever left my oven. There was a good balance of flavors - sweetness from the onions, smoky-saltiness from the bacon, a hint of spice from the nutmeg - rounded up nicely by the black pepper, and all held together in the silky smooth custard. Very very tasty, although I would try using a flaky pie crust the next time for a greater textural contrast. Does anyone know of reliable recipes?

[suzilightning]

Is that ketchup on the mac and cheese? I'm a huge fan of it! I get sideways glances at times, but it doesn't deter me in the least. I love the glass fish plate too!It reminds me of my mom's glass shrimp cocktail plates. They were oval and had a little place to put the glass cup of cocktail sauce. Gawd, I loved when I saw them comming out for dinner.  How fun...

←

That is ketchup but homemade sundried tomato ketchup. It's less sweet and less salty than the commercial brands. John, on the other hand, loves the commercial stuff. I love the balance it gives to a basic mac and cheese.

[Shelby]

Is that ketchup on the mac and cheese? I'm a huge fan of it! I get sideways glances at times, but it doesn't deter me in the least. I love the glass fish plate too!It reminds me of my mom's glass shrimp cocktail plates. They were oval and had a little place to put the glass cup of cocktail sauce. Gawd, I loved when I saw them comming out for dinner.  How fun...

←

That is ketchup but homemade sundried tomato ketchup. It's less sweet and less salty than the commercial brands. John, on the other hand, loves the commercial stuff. I love the balance it gives to a basic mac and cheese.

←

I always put 2-3 chopped up tomatoes in my mac and cheese, so I totally agree with you!

[christine007]

pameliachia:

Your savory tart has me drooling.. beautiful.

With the abundance of tomatos from my garden, and a really good cucumber I bought, I made a large antipasta plate with cheese,pepporoni,a bell pepper and some olives and hard cooked eggs.

It was the perfect hot weather dinner.

[monavano]

Country Captain Chicken ( a curry)

Nectarine, sour cherry and blueberry cobber

[judiu]

←

[Prawncrackers]

pameliachia's pie/tart/flan/quiche looks quite delicious and reminds me that i must get round to doing one for myself one day. Bacon, cheese and pastry is a winner in any combination!

Very pleased with myself this evening. The wife was suppose to do some grocery shopping but manged to forget completely! Rose to the challenge and knocked up the following in 20 mins using the meagre provisions in my freezer (Xiao Long Bao, Prawns in tomato sauce and Romaine Lettuce in Oyster Sauce):

So okay, there was an emergency batch of XLB in the freezer that i'd made ages ago but still...

[monavano]

pameliachia's pie/tart/flan/quiche looks quite delicious and reminds me that i must get round to doing one for myself one day.  Bacon, cheese and pastry is a winner in any combination!

Very pleased with myself this evening.  The wife was suppose to do some grocery shopping but manged to forget completely!  Rose to the challenge and knocked up the following in 20 mins using the meagre provisions in my freezer (Xiao Long Bao, Prawns in tomato sauce and Romaine Lettuce in Oyster Sauce):

So okay, there was an emergency batch of XLB in the freezer that i'd made ages ago but still... 

←

20 minutes! You put Rachael Ray to shame! Looks delicious. And thanks judiu. The bright sunlight really helped to make that photo pop.

[Shelby]

pameliachia's pie/tart/flan/quiche looks quite delicious and reminds me that i must get round to doing one for myself one day.  Bacon, cheese and pastry is a winner in any combination!

Very pleased with myself this evening.  The wife was suppose to do some grocery shopping but manged to forget completely!  Rose to the challenge and knocked up the following in 20 mins using the meagre provisions in my freezer (Xiao Long Bao, Prawns in tomato sauce and Romaine Lettuce in Oyster Sauce):

So okay, there was an emergency batch of XLB in the freezer that i'd made ages ago but still... 

←

WOW that looks really spectacular!

[Reconstructing Dinner]

Tonight we had gumbo -- very dark roux, okra, smoked chicken and sausage over basmati rice. With choice of hot sauce: Tabasco or Crystal. I'm planning to add red pepper and shrimp to the left overs tomorrow night.

[C. sapidus]

Glowing fruit and a 20-minute Chinese feast – nice!

Tonight was our first Sichuan meal in a while: spicy braised rainbow trout with whole garlic; and stir-fried spinach with chile and Sichuan peppercorn. Rice and cukes rounded out the meal. Yes, all those roundish objects are whole garlic cloves, three whole heads of garlic fried in their skins and then peeled and braised with the fish.

Everything disappeared quickly. More on Chinese eats at home (clicky).

[Shelby]

Yesterday I had a huge craving for chicken and dumplings. So, I threw a chicken in the crockpot with some lovely carrots, onions, peppers and celery along with the usual spices.

When I got home last night, I made the dumplings. I was feeling fall-ish, so I rooted around and found my cute little pumpkin shaped cookie cutter!

I made these really easy little sesame seed rolls that have butter and garlic seasoning inside to go along with our meal.

[Marlene]

It was unbelievably good, possibly the best thing that has ever left my oven. There was a good balance of flavors - sweetness from the onions, smoky-saltiness from the bacon, a hint of spice from the nutmeg - rounded up nicely by the black pepper, and all held together in the silky smooth custard. Very very tasty, although I would try using a flaky pie crust the next time for a greater textural contrast. Does anyone know of reliable recipes?

←

Which recipe from Epicurious? It looks great! I tend to use Keller's brisee pastry recipe for just about everything these days.

I made these really easy little sesame  seed rolls that have butter and garlic seasoning inside to go along with our meal.

←

Love the rolls. Recipe please?

[Jensen]

Very very tasty, although I would try using a flaky pie crust the next time for a greater textural contrast. Does anyone know of reliable recipes?

←

For a single crust:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup lard

salt

3-5 T. ice water

(Mmmmm. Lard... )